Author: Geraldine McCullagh

Massage Balms v Massage oils

Posted on
Massage balm

Why you should use Massage Balms instead of Massage oils for therapy?

Massage balms and oils are similar in that they are oil-based therefore they provide good glide in massage treatments and are nourishing to the skin. So why might Massage balms be better than Massage oils?

Advantages of using Massage balms

  • They are less messy

Unlike massage oil which is liquid and can spill easily; a Massage balm|wax is solid at room temperature but melts quickly into the skin. You don’t need to worry about a massage balm leaking in your bag or being knocked over and spilling on the floor. This also means fewer stains on towels. Although it is solid at room temperature, massage waxes warm up quickly, making them very easy to use.

  • They last longer

The viscosity of Massage balms makes it much easier for you to control how much balm you take. You can use them sparingly and easily take more when needed. A little goes a long way meaning one tin will last you a long time. On the other hand, massage oils can spill easily, wasting some of the carrier oil. You may also take too much massage oil, which then needs to be thrown away and is money wasted.

  • They provide more grip

Massage balms|waxes are made with beeswax meaning they have better friction in comparison to massage oils. Because the wax|balm is thicker than oil there is less slip and more grip. This means that Massage and Physiotherapy treatments can be controlled and the therapist can do deeper manipulation of the deep tissue and fascia. This is perfect for a variety of massages including Sports massage, Physiotherapy, and also Deep Tissue massage.

They also have the perfect consistency to use in Reflexology, Indian head massage, and Thai Foot Massage treatments.

  • Their packaging may be better for the environment

Massage balm|wax is solid at room temperature so it can be packaged in recyclable packaging such as tins. As they don’t require a pump or a plastic cap they also often need less packaging overall than oils.

Me Time Massage Balms are in aluminum tins that can be reused or recycled so therefore kinder to the environment.

Me-Time Massage|Reflexology Balms

You have a choice of 3 different Massage Balms|Waxes made by Me-Time Therapies

Relaxing Massage|Reflexology Balm

Muscle Relax Massage|Reflexology Balm

Invigorating Massage|Reflexology Balm

Me Time Massage balms
Me Time Massage Balms

Conclusion

If you are looking for the glide and nourishment of oil but want a little more grip, massage balms might be the perfect alternative for you.

 

 

Share:

5 Reasons to Make Your own Skincare

Posted on
make your natural skincare products

Make your own skincare benefits

Make your own skincare may sound daunting but it isn’t as difficult as you might have thought and it comes with many benefits. With a bit of creativity and research, you can make almost anything you need. You don’t need to have any particular fancy skills or knowledge. There are plenty of easy-to-make recipes available online. Here are some of my favourite reasons to ditch store-bought skincare products and make your own skincare.

5 reasons to make your own skincare products

Trust

Everything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body so it is important to be mindful of what is in your skincare. Many people don’t want to use products that contain synthetic ingredients or undesirable and potentially harmful chemicals. When you buy a skincare product it can be hard to know what you are really putting on your skin. The ingredient list often contains things we don’t know how to pronounce let alone understand. It’s hard to trust products with a long list of unknown ingredients on the back.

When you make a sugar scrub with 3 ingredients, there is no question about the safety of the product, you know exactly what is in it. When making your own skincare you can make sure you are happy with the ingredients, understanding what they are and their benefits. Lots of natural ingredients also have magical benefits for the skin, so there is no need for anything extra. You can keep it natural, simple, and minimal.

Cost

Beauty is a multimillion-dollar industry. Luxury beauty products can cost up to £100. What you are really paying for is fancy branding and marketing, not the ingredients themselves. In reality, you can probably bulk buy all the ingredients you need for a fraction of the cost. You may even have some of the ingredients lying around your house.

The ingredients in store-bought skincare might not always be what they are cracked up to be. Did you know many skincare products contain 70 – 90 % water? This means you are mostly paying for a filler, not an active ingredient that will nourish your skin. When you make your own skincare you can create more concentrated and effective blends that maximise the ingredients and minimise the costs.

Personalisation

Making your own skincare means you can tailor and personalise the products to suit your needs. You know exactly what’s going into each product, which is essential if you have skin sensitivities or allergies. You can choose if you want no preservatives, fragrances, or colourings.

How many times have you bought a skincare product just to find out it doesn’t work for your skin? The beauty of making your own skincare is you can make a small tester batch first and alter it as needed. Personalize your products to suit you – your skin type, your ethics and values, the aromas you like, and the benefits you want to see.

The environment

By making your own skincare you can save on plastic waste and single-use packaging by reusing your packaging again and again. You can also pick whatever type of packaging you would prefer and avoid plastic altogether.

Being able to make products in small batches before committing to a formula can also help save on waste. If you buy a product that doesn’t work for your skin then the whole lot will most likely end up in the bin, but if you make your own you can try out different recipes until you find one you like. Choosing to use natural ingredients can also save the environment from harmful chemicals that go down the drain and into our waterways.

The percentage of water in skincare also affects its environmental footprint. Water adds weight and volume to store-bought products creating more carbon emissions when shipping. When you bulk buy ingredients less plastic is used and there is no added water.

It is more fun

Making your own skincare products gives you a chance to be innovative. If you love cooking or making crafts, DIY skincare projects might be an excellent new creative outlet. Making your own skincare can become addictive as you try out different recipes to find the ones that work best for your skin. You can even start making gifts for others. What’s more special than a gift that is handmade and personalised?

make your own natural skincare

Final thoughts for making your own natural skincare

DIY beauty and skincare products can be very rewarding for a variety of reasons. From having control over what goes in them, to customizing according to preferences, reducing waste, saving money and more. Why not start today?

 

It can feel empowering not having to rely on big businesses. A passion for making your own skincare can even transform into a business itself.

Share:

Me-Time Activities to try

Posted on
Geraldine @ Me-Time Self-Care

So what is Me-Time?

Me-Time is not just about spending time on your own, it’s about making a conscious effort to take time out to recharge your batteries. This includes setting aside time to be present with yourself, mind, and body and taking care of your needs. Me-time can bring the mind and body back into sync with one another.

Away from distractions, to-do lists, and productivity, ‘Me time’ calms the mind. ‘Me time’ involves intentionally doing something you are craving at that moment that you know will help you feel relaxed and recharged. This usually involves giving yourself some time alone with your thoughts while undertaking mindful activities. However, it can be done in a variety of ways and varies from person to person.

Today we live in a fast-paced environment. With all the conveniences comes a downside, we don’t really take the time to slow down and find moments of peace. Taking time for yourself is vital. We often prioritise everyone else’s needs before our own because we don’t want to seem selfish or feel guilty but that’s not healthy.

So why is Me-time important?

‘Me time’ is a necessity, not a luxury. Taking time to tend to your own well-being has a lot of benefits.

Stress relief

Constantly being under pressure will increase stress levels and eventually lead you to burnout and exhaustion. ‘Me time’ can help clear your mind away from your to-do list while you focus on a task. Helping you to unwind and bring down stress levels, creating a better work-life balance.

Sometimes taking just 10 mins away from your responsibilities and to-do list can make you feel restored, while other times it might take hours of downtime or a whole day to feel rested.

Relationships

‘Me-Time’ will help you feel energised and happier, putting you in a better position to care for and support the people you love. After all, you can’t fill from an empty cup. Me-time also allows you to take some time to pursue your own interests creating healthy boundaries.

Reflection

Coming out of automatic mode and into a mindful activity can help us reevaluate ourselves and what is important to us. What are our goals? How do we like to spend ‘Me-Time’? Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day tasks that we forget about what we want and who we are. If we aren’t aligning our actions with our objectives then we can become unhappy and unfulfilled. Me-time can allow for self-discovery and deeper thinking.

Another plus is that sometimes taking time away from a productive task and then returning to it can help us solve problems.

Promotes happiness and positivity

Doing the things that we enjoy makes us feel happier. Taking time to have fun, relax or do something just for us also improves our well-being and sense of self-worth. It can also help us reevaluate our priorities and what is important to us in life.

Four Me-Time  Activities to try

1.   Indulge in a hobby

Read a book, do a craft, or try out a new recipe. Turn your notifications off, and put your phone in a drawer or out of reach. Hobbies are great because they give us some time away from technology and give us a creative outlet. Spending time working on something that is not work-related or attached to monetary value can allow us to experiment with our creativity. Hobbies are also great because we can spend hours and hours doing them and pick them up and put them down when we want to.

2.  Treat yourself

Treat yourself to a ‘date for one’. Get coffee, go to lunch or to the cinema. Go to that place you don’t have anyone to go with. Bake yourself your favourite meal or dessert. You don’t need to wait to be invited by someone or wait for them to be free. Going out by yourself can also inspire you to enjoy the activity in a new way and in the way you want to.

3. Pamper yourself

Make your very own spa day at home. Light a candle, have a bath, do a face mask or paint your nails. Give yourself a mini face massage while doing your skincare routine. Massage your face in a circular motion and feel your facial muscles relax. A pamper night is great for unwinding the mind and body.

4. Have a Mindfulness moment

Practice having some time with just you and your thoughts and breath. Practice some yoga, do meditation or write in a journal.

With regular practice, Mindfulness can be a great tool for calming the mind and finding some slow, peaceful moments in your day.

So how do I find Me time?

Set intention

Before scheduling ‘me time’ it is important to set an intention for the time you are setting aside. What specifically do you want to do, what is your mind and body craving, and how will it make you feel?

Schedule it

Set a calendar appointment with yourself if you need to. Try to find a consistent time each week when you can focus on yourself.

Be disciplined

If you set aside ‘me time’ and only spend it doing tasks that drain you, you have not accomplished what you set out to do. Try not to be tempted to reschedule if something comes up. Remember to put your phone away and get rid of any distractions. You are the only person you should be looking after or thinking about at this time.

 

 

 

 

Share:

Me Time Massage balms

Posted on
Me Time Massage balms

Me Time Massage balms

Me Time Massage balms are made with 100% natural ingredients – Sweet Almond oil, Olive oil, Beeswax, and high-quality Aromatherapy Essential oils.

The Aromatherapy Massage Balms are suitable for

  • Massage – Sports, Deep Tissue, Remedial & Myo-fascia Release
  • Reflexology – Feet and Hands
  • Indian Head Massage – to massage the neck & shoulder & upper back area
  • Thai Foot Massage

Me Time Massage balms Range

The Aromatherapy Massage Balms available are

Relaxing Massage Balm ( Lavender, Bergamot & Geranium)

Muscle Relaxing Massage Balm (Lavender, Marjoram, Black Pepper & Juniper Berry)

Invigorating Massage Balm (Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit, Orange)

The Massage balms can be purchased on Me-Time Therapies Store Amazon UK.

If you are an Amazon Prime Customer, you will be eligible for Free delivery.

Me Time Massage balms - Geraldine McCullagh creater

The beeswax Aromatherapy Massage balms have been created by Geraldine McCullagh, the owner of Me-Time Therapies. Geraldine is a qualified Clinical Aromatherapist and has over 25 years of experience in blending Aromatherapy Essential oils.  The Massage waxes are made in small batches to retain freshness. They have been tested to ensure that they are safe to use topically on the skin.

Geraldine uses her own Massage balms in her own clinic with clients for Body Massage, Reflexology, and Indian head Massage. Clients love the smell of the Aromatherapy balms and the feel of them on their skin. They also like that the Massage balms do not stain their clothing.

The Massage balms are also proving popular with other professional Massage Therapists, Reflexologists, and Physiotherapists throughout the UK.

This is my first time buying the product. And I’m not disappointed at all it’s everything what need. It’s provides enough glide but with good grip when needed. Brilliant for reflexology. I love the brands ethos and quality. And they can tell you exactly what in the product. 100% my new top reflexology balm.
Amazon UK Review 5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect balm for reflexology and massage
Share:

Mother’s Day gift review for the Self-Care Kit

Posted on

Mother’s Day Gift Guide Review by The Life of a Glasgow Girl 

Give the gift of some self-care this Mother’s day with the Self-Care Wellbeing kit from Me Time Therapy. Show that special lady in your life how much you love them with a kit that’s perfect for taking care of themselves and giving a little pamper.

This Self-Care kit from Me Time Therapy is a great little package that comes with:

  • Organic Cotton Muslin Cloth
  • 50ml Orange Blossom  (Neroli) Water
  • 50g Whipped Vegan body butter
  • 50g French Green Clay
  • Link to exclusive access to Hand Reflexology video
  • Links with exclusive access to 2 Mindfulness Meditations

“This kit is a perfect at-home gift experience for you or your family/friend who wishes to use 100% natural, eco-beauty, vegan-friendly products on their skin. The kit has been designed to create a calming and nourishing wellbeing experience at home.”

FROM ME TIME THERAPY WEBSITE

What I like most about this self-care kit is that you get the tools to create an amazing atmosphere at home and elevate your self-care a little. Plus you get a spray top for the Orange Blossom Water! It’s a lovely box and the whipped body butter glides on the skin effortlessly leaving it nice and smooth.

Get yours here – Self-Care Wellbeing Kit.

Share:

East Lothian Entrepreneur Article

Posted on

East Lothian Entrepreneur finds success by embracing digital economy- Edinburgh Evening News -2/11/21

Journalist -Julie Douglas

An East Lothian entrepreneur is backing an initiative to help business startups and SMEs succeed in the digital economy.

Geraldine McCullagh, who owns and runs Me-Time Therapies in Musselburgh, wants to see others gain access to the global marketplace by signing up to the Amazon Small Business Accelerator. The scheme has already helped more than 12,000 Scottish startups and small businesses to build digital skills during the pandemic, with more than half of these firms planning to increase
investment in digital infrastructure over the next year.

Around 3,000 Scottish SMEs now sell professionally on Amazon, with around 450 in Edinburgh generating £20m in export sales in 2020.
Geraldine is one of a number of local entrepreneurs who have agreed to share their success stories in a series of free online training sessions being organised by Enterprise Nation, in partnership with Amazon and Scottish Enterprise.

Without the support of Amazon and Scottish Development International, she believes her business – selling a range of natural body butters, balms, and self-care kits– would not have survived the pandemic.
She says: “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain from learning how to sell your products globally.
“I was able to focus on what I am good at – making products – while Amazon took on the responsibility of logistics and delivery to customers, which I’d never been able to do as well.

I also feel a deeper connection with my customers who can see from my online store that I make every one of our products by hand.”

East Lothian Entrepreneur

Share:

Meet The Maker: Me-Time Therapies

Posted on
Meet the Maker - Eco products by Me-Time Therapies

Meet The Maker: Me-Time Therapies

I was featured as Meet the Maker in the Green Parent Magazine as a result of winning for the third year in a row,  ‘Best Buy’ for my Vegan Body Butter.

I started Me-Time Therapies in 1996 offering Complementary therapies. Over the past 25 years, I have expanded the business by offering short 1day/2day therapy courses in Aromatherapy, Hand Reflexology, Indian head massage, and Self-Care. In the past 4 years, I have also added teaching Mindfulness classes along with adding an Eco- Beauty product range. My product range is Make your own Body butter & Lip Balm kit, Self-Care kit, Vegan Body Butter, and a selection of massage balms. I enjoy making products as combines my love of cooking, being in nature, using Aromatherapy oils, and also be eco-conscious.

MY MORNING ROUTINE
I moved house last September so my new morning routine is sitting in my conservatory on my green velvet rocking chair and admiring my flowers in my garden and listening to the birds. I am very fortunate that I can have a slow mindful start to the day. I find this helps me stay calm throughout the day which results in me getting more achieved.

MY FUTURE PLANS
As I will be celebrating 25 years in business in April 2022, I will mark this anniversary by offering different promotions with 25% off on therapies, courses, and eco-beauty products.

3 THINGS ABOUT ME-TIME THERAPIES
My brand is

1. being a heart-based business where my primary aim is to help and be of benefit to others

2. using only natural ingredients in my eco-beauty product range

3. offering ‘me-time’ by coming for therapy or on a course and also offering ‘me-time’ at home by using the Self-Care kit, Massage Balms & Body butters.

https://thegreenparent.co.uk/Meet the Maker – Me-Time Therapies

Share:

Mindful Living helped grow Me-Time Therapies

Posted on
Mindful Living Geraldine McCullagh

Mindful Living:  How this allowed Me-Time Therapies to Flourish and Grow

Since I have introduced living in a Mindful way, my business Me-Time Therapies has become more successful. The definition of Mindfulness is ‘being aware of what is happening as it is happening’.  It is not another thing to add to our already busy day. Mindfulness is a specific way of living your life.

Unlike Meditation, I can practice Mindfulness anytime and anywhere and can apply it to any situation or task throughout my day. Meditation is setting time aside each day to sit alone for at least 20 minutes to help quieten the mind and be aware of our body sensations.

Mindful Living: Focusing on one task at a time rather than Multitasking

I feel Mindfulness helps me keep my full attention on the task that I am working on. I am better now at being able to focus on the task and ignore distractions around me. I feel more contented when I complete a task fully rather than switching backward and forward to different tasks. I find multitasking causes my mind to become too busy and results in me feeling anxious and a feeling of a sense of failure.

I also find using Mindfulness helps me overcome procrastination when I am faced with a task that is causing me worry and stress. Previously, I would let my mind wander off into negative thinking causing more anxiety. By putting off a task, I realised I was wasting time and energy and unable to relax. I now implement Mindfulness techniques by breaking down the task into stages. I start with the most important part of the task that needs action in order for me to complete the larger overall task.

As I complete each task, I pause and congratulate myself for achieving this. This is helping replace my harsh Inner Critic voice who previously would berate me and I would have this sense of not being ‘good enough’.

At the end of each day, I now reflect on the day and look back on what happened throughout the day that I was grateful for. Rick Hanson, author of The Buddha’s Brain calls this ‘taking in the good’. This helps rewire the neurons in our brains and also releases ‘feel-good’ hormones into our bodies.

This is a much better way to get off to sleep. Previously I would ruminate over something that caused me to feel stressed. This also resulted in releasing more adrenaline into my body which would further inhibit sleep.

Mindful Living: Setting goals in alignment with my values.

By living in a Mindful way, I now pause when asked to do a piece of work. I check in with myself to see if the request is in alignment with my values and if it will be moving my business in the direction that I am focusing on. I can now comfortably say ‘No’ to work that moves me away from the long-term goals of my business. This also results in me having more ‘Me-Time’ as I am no longer over-stretching myself. In the past, this has caused me to feel resentful and also close to burnout.

Mindful Living:  Meditations help to quieten my mind

By practising regular Mindfulness Meditation, it has helped me train my mind to be calmer. This has resulted in moments of insight and inspiration. My most successful business projects have come to me in this way.

Since training in Mindfulness and Self Compassion, I have successfully added a product range to Me-Time Therapies.  I had wanted to create and sell products for so many years but lacked belief in myself.

 

Share:

Luxury Adviser: How I Transformed My Therapy Business

Posted on

Luxury Adviser Feature: How I Transformed My Therapy Business Online During The Pandemic Article

Luxury Adviser Feature -July 2021 

When I launched my business Me-Time Therapies 24 years ago, my main offering was in-person massage and therapy treatments. For these appointments, I had developed a range of natural, sustainable massage balms to use on clients.

The rise of clean beauty

Over the years I noticed that there was a huge demand for clean, eco-friendly beauty products using natural ingredients, something I was already making on a small scale for my clients. In 2017, I refined my products and their packaging and started selling on Amazon as an additional source of income.

People really care about what what goes into their skincare products so I am completely transparent about the ingredients I use. Similarly, the packaging used for all of my ranges is reusable and eco-friendly and everything is handmade with care by myself.

My massage balm, body butter, lip balm and self care kits, all use eco-friendly and 100% natural ingredients. What sets my products apart is that, given my aromatherapy background, I can create aromatherapy blends that will help customers feel relaxed or invigorated depending on their needs.

The impact of the pandemic

The client side of the business was still my primary source of income, so when the pandemic hit last year forcing me to halt all consultations I went into panic mode. I had appointments booked in that had to be cancelled and I had to completely rethink how I was going to make an income.

I refocused my business strategy on my products and doubled down efforts online. People were becoming increasingly conscious on mindfulness during a time of isolation, and demand for products like mine increased. People were either looking for something to use themselves, or as a gift to check in with loved ones.

How I shifted to sell clean beauty online 

Thanks to having established a small business Storefront on Amazon, the pivot to a more product-led business model was fairly straightforward and it became my main source of income. This meant I was already in a good place to reach new customers and fulfil orders. Amazon’s distribution network was one of the ways I could maintain sales with a good service to customers.

With Amazon handling fulfilment, it meant I was able to focus more on making the high-quality products that my customers have grown to expect. As I am the only person in the business, it is reassuring to know that this aspect of my business is in capable hands.

There were several key ways I adapted my strategy to not only sustain the income I had lost from therapies, but make my products a more prominent part of my business and continue to grow during this time:

  1. I solidified the relationships with suppliers and placed more considered orders for materials strategic order sizes to ensure I was always properly equipped and limiting wastage.

  2. I doubled down on production and increased the inventory held with Amazon to meet the increased demand for my products. This helped me to not only meet delivery deadlines, but also expectations of my customers.

  3. I expanded my product ranges to cater to new customer needs. As we emerged from the first Lockdown in July 2020, and massage therapists were returning to work, I developed the Muscle Relax Balm for more professional use. Similarly, in the run-up to Christmas, I launched the Self-Care Kit which proved as a popular gift as people isolated over the festive season.

Share:

Scottish business thriving during the pandemic

Posted on
Meet the Maker - Eco products by Me-Time Therapies

Scottish business growing through the pandemic article.

I have been featured as one of 10 Scottish-based businesses growing and surviving through the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/10-scottish-businesses-growing-through-23996058

10 Scottish businesses growing through the Covid challenges

As Scotland takes its first tentative steps out of lockdown and reopens much of the economy this week, we’re taking a look at some of those who have risen to the challenge of the coronavirus and grown their businesses regardless.

These smaller Scottish firms come from a variety of sectors, but all show how innovation, determination, hard work and diversification can overcome even the most unprecedented of obstacles.

We’ve rounded up a range of entrepreneurial companies not just surviving, but thriving, through the pandemic.

Here are of course many more inspirational success stories of the last 12 months, but here’s a selection of the most interesting entrepreneurial stories we could find:

Me-Time Therapies

This wellness and beauty business was founded by 49 year-old Geraldine McCullagh 24 years ago.

Originally, as a massage therapist, she made her own range of balms on a small scale to use on clients. However, as McCullagh noticed the rise in demand for clean and eco-friendly beauty products, she wanted to make these products more widely available, and in 2017 started selling them online.

Me-Time Therapies’ handmade products are available through Amazon, which she believes has been imperative for growth, particularly during the pandemic.

“Last March, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to sustain the business as offering therapies wasn’t allowed in lockdown, but demand grew for my products online, so I was able to pivot my business and they became my main source of income.” explained McCullagh.

Her Make Your Own Body Butter and Lip Balm kits on Amazon UK became popular as a birthday gifts, or as new skills to learn in lockdown.

“In August, as therapists in the UK were allowed back to work, I added a Muscle Relaxing Massage Balm to the range, and sales are now coming back in as therapists are able open up once again in the UK,” she added.

Share: