Sustainable Living & Natural Beauty Rituals with Kate of Wild Source

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Starting my day with a centered mind is one of the kindest things I can do for myself. It sets me up for the day ahead. Every morning when I wake up, I take time to meditate. Sometimes it’s just for five minutes sitting up in bed, other mornings I’ll meditate during my morning skincare routine with a Wild Source guided meditation in the background. The context changes but the intention always stays the same.

What are you having for breakfast?

My cat Ray wakes me up for breakfast most days. We head downstairs together and I feed him before starting the day with hot water and lemon followed by a non-negotiable coffee. I recently invested in a Sage coffee machine and it’s changed my life! We head downstairs together and I feed him then it’s time for coffee. 

I tend to fast for the majority of the morning and take an early lunch as this seems to work better for me in terms of productivity. I’ll have a green juice if I get peckish. 

What are your daily beauty rituals?

Beauty rituals these days are made up of lots of little choices throughout the day, rather than clearly defined moments. Things like meditation, eating well, drinking lots of water or going for a stroll when the weather is fresh, all contribute to helping my skin glow. Although, taking time to cleanse every morning and evening are such wonderful moments to bookmark each day. They’re signals to your mind and body that you have started or finished your day. I’ll always include a facial massage post cleanse and I’ll take particular time over my evening massage when I typically have more time.

How would you describe your day to day style?

I value comfort first and foremost. Dressing for the day I want to wear clothes that make me feel confident and happy. I’m a typical Taurus so look for quality in fabrics and appreciate beautifully made things. Some of my go-to designers are Ganni, STAUD, Realisation Par & Paloma Wool 

How do you inform yourself throughout the day? What are you listening to, watching, reading?

I flit back and forth from reading non-fiction business and marketing books to fiction, in recent months I’ve favoured fiction for the escapism it brings me. Some of my favourites have been:

The Obstacle is the way- Ryan Holiday 

Empath to Mystic- Aaran Sohl 

Grit- Angela Duckworth 

Small Pleasures- Clare Chambers 

The Vanishing Half- Brit Bennett

My go to podcasts areL Take ten with Twiggy – Twiggy Jalloh Beauty & Lifestyle VOGUE, Lion/ne podcast for amazing skincare tips and interesting founder conversations. You can’t go wrong with Oprah Supersoul conversations! 

Do you have any personal life hacks for getting through the day in the most sustainable way possible?

Living a sustainable life starts from within and the food you’re eating. I shop locally sourced, clean ingredients wherever I can and foremost always try to support my local suppliers in Bristol with home-grown or locally made food. It not only tastes better but has much less of an environmental impact with a reduced carbon footprint and packaging. In other areas if there’s something I want to buy I wait for a few weeks to see if I still really want it. Asking myself is this going to enhance my life enough, do I actually need it. Mostly, the answer is no and I forget about it but if I do end up buying it I tend to appreciate and enjoy it a whole lot more. 

Another thing is really actively trying to take time to slow down and minimize my screen-time wherever I can. Being present in my life beyond my business is such a gift and really helps me ensure that I can sustain myself with work.   

Your lovely brand, Wild Source, is all about Rituals instead of Routines. Can you chat a bit about what that means to you? 

This is a great question because rituals really do encourage you to consider your life holistically, rather than as a check-list that needs to be completed. For me, rituals have been a way to ground me when things feel up in the air. When my business initially started to take off, my yoga practice and meditation disappeared and those moments for mindfulness went with them. I found during that time that the most precious moments for self-care came with my morning and evening skincare ‘routines’, so I knew it was important for me to start thinking of my skincare as a ritual instead. I made a commitment to myself that I would use mediation as a final step in my skincare ritual and the results were unbelievable. Taking time to create and commit to those rituals not only helped my mental health, but also brought balance to my skin. My flare ups went away, break-outs were less frequent and my skin was glowing. That for me is the biggest difference between rituals and routines; rituals help you holistically treat the cause, rather than just addressing the symptoms. 

How do you wind down at the end of the day?

I get changed out of work clothes as soon as possible usually, even if I’ve been working from home- it signals the end of work and the beginning of home time. Most nights I have a bath with our Detox Soak and unwind properly in the water. I can digest the day without a screen and slip into a calm and meditative state. On a perfect day, my phone will be away and emails will be out of sight and I’ll be with a book instead.

What does dinner time look like for you?

Typically I work into the evenings so my boyfriend usually cooks us dinner. I tend to put my laptop away after writing up my final to-do list for the following day and we unpack the day together. It’s usually something light and veggie based on a weeknight something easy so we can enjoy the rest of the evening together. We live on the edge of a beautiful big park so we’ll often head out for an evening walk after dinner if I don’t I slip into sofa land pretty quickly!

What’s your night-time beauty ritual?

Mostly a bath and once a week an evening Radiance Mask whilst I’m soaking. I take a cup of herbal tea up with me and do my evening cleanse and facial massage. Our evening facial oil, Night Nectar sets up my sleep routine perfectly. The heady scents of Lavender & Frankincense help me to drift off to a peaceful sleep every night and my skin wakes up hydrated, bouncy and bright.

What does sustainability mean to you?

Nurturing the natural systems we are part of. Living with them peacefully and working with them fully.

What drives you to live a sustainable life?

Seeing nature at its fullest, brightest and most magical. 

What are three changes you would like to take from this time to move forward with in a more sustainable way?

The importance of slowing down and seeing the impact that we can have on the world, and ourselves when we do. 

Realising the joy in the very simple pleasures of life, appreciating how little we need to be happy. 

Going for walks with loved ones and being outside as a way of connecting. 

Finally, where can our audience find you? 

You can find Wild Source on the amazing Reve En Vert, alongside our own website and socials:

Wildsource.co.uk

Instagram: @wildsourceskincare @katewildsource