As founder of luxurious home fragrance and body care brand Neom Luxury Organics, Nicola Elliott is an expert on how scent can influence your mind, body and overall well-being. We talk to Nicola about the impact of scent, the importance of a work/life balance and taking a 360° approach to well-being.

What impact does scent have on the mind and body?
Scents in the nose are linked to our limbic system; a part of the brain that governs emotions, behaviour and memory. As research is continuously showing, scents can impact on almost everything including stress levels, pain, concentration, memory and general mood.

Essential oils have been long used for their aroma-therapeutic properties and we only use the purest essential oils to fragrance Neom products. Each Neom blend is expertly mixed to formulate the most holistically powerful treatment blend when inhaled, for example our Tranquillity scent blends English lavender, jasmine and fresh basil for the most potent pre-sleep blend.

Tell us more about Neom’s expert panel.
We’ve been working closely with highly-respected experts in various fields of well-being including nutrition, mindfulness and fitness to ensure we can offer our customers all-encompassing help. We believe in a 360° approach to wellbeing so this involves looking after every area of your life, not just focusing on diet or the amount of exercise you do.

What made you follow a natural path with Neom Organics?
I’ve always been interested in natural and organic products. My sister is a staunch greenie and I’m a trained aroma-therapist, so I used to always make bespoke treatment blends for friends and family; my bathroom was like a mini apothecary! Looking after yourself shouldn’t be difficult and this includes using natural and organic products that haven’t been overly-processed.

How natural is your own beauty routine?
Very natural - I practice what I preach! I swear by grapeseed oil as a make-up remover and I’m a huge fan of the Balance Me Cleanser and Radiance Face Oil in the morning and at night. In the evening I’ll use the Neom Scent to Sleep Regime; it’s an amazing three-step pre-bedtime essential for getting a deeply relaxing night’s sleep.

You have a philosophy of ‘essential wellbeing’ behind all Neom products – tell us more about this.
Essential wellbeing comes from the fact that we all have core essential wellbeing needs to keep us happy, healthy and motivated. We pop our Neom blends into one of four of these essential wellbeing needs – Sleep, Stress, Energy and Happiness.

Some of them are more subjective than others (e.g. everyone has a different take on happiness), however the essential oils we use in each are chosen for certain properties. For example, rose is a celebrated mood-booster so you’ll find this in a lot of our Happiness blends, while lavender is widely regarded as a relaxant so it’s a key ingredient in our sleep blend Tranquillity.

How do you contribute to your own wellbeing?
I’m a huge believer in a healthy balance in life and I’m always encouraging the Neom team to take on this attitude! It’s hugely important to take some time away from your desk and just concentrate on yourself. I’ll try and go for a half hour swim on my lunch break a few times a week, or perhaps meet up with a friend to make sure I’m taking time away from the office. I also ban negative thinking in the office! At the weekends I have uninterrupted family time with my husband and two little ones.

How important is nutrition and diet to you?
I’m passionate about healthy eating but I don’t beat myself up over a few treats here and there. When I can, I like to start the day with poached eggs and avocado on rye bread, have a protein packed lunch (chicken or leafy greens) and a healthy, nutritious meal in the evening with my family. I particularly like the sound of the Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend to help with brain function; just what I need at the minute as every day is jam-packed with exciting developments in the Neom office.

Interview by Jenni Retourné from Style with Substance.