Congratulations to Keeley Hacking – our face of esse winner for April.

Keeley is 19 years old and in her second year of studying Health and Skincare Therapy. She loves giving facials and seeing how happy it makes people when their skin is so radiant afterwards.

Keeley’s outlook on life is that people need to slow down and appreciate everything around them and realise what’s important in life, instead of worrying about things and always being stressed out and in a rush. Being very ‘green’ conscious, Keeley is proud of her amazing veggie garden – filled with raspberries, mulberries and papayas just to name a few.

Well done Keeley – we’re delighted to have you on board!

Congratulations to our Face of Esse March winner – Odilia Celestino!

Odilia is 20 years old and is currently studying a BSc (biological sciences) at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is passionate about helping those in need and is aspiring to join ‘doctors without borders’. Her hobbies include gyming, running and playing the violin.

Behaving in an environmentally conscious way is important to Odilia – from recycling as much as possible and being water wise to using green cleaning products and growing her own vegetables and herbs.

If you would like to enter, refer a friend or simply vote and stand a chance to win great prizes, visit www.faceofesse.co.za

The Face of Esse campaign for 2012 continues to gain traction with even more prizes and many entrants from all over South Africa. Our latest winner is from Cape Town and passionate about the beauty industry and what we are doing.

Celest is a 28 year old beauty writer who views life as being amazing and full of unexpected happenings: “it’s part of your journey to roll with the punches and make it a better place for the people around you. Just love, nothing will fail if it comes from a place of love”.

Celest uses green cleaning products and is an active recycler, both at home and at work, all this together with embracing the challenge of vegetarian cooking. And what makes her happiest: tea and a hot bath…and running with her dogs on an empty beach in the late afternoon when the sky turns pink.

Esse has recently appointed the lifestyle and wellness expert Lisa Raleigh, as our new brand ambassador. Lisa has been an exercise specialist for 10 years, and is in the process of franchising her Lisa Raleigh Fitness & Wellness Centre around the county. She specialises in wellness, digestion, stress management, and obesity and has a variety of wellness and weight-loss programmes.

Raleigh’s TV credits include being the blue team trainer on SA’s The Biggest Loser, fitness guru on Hello Doctor’s Flora Heart makeover challenge, and producer and presenter of Keep it Real. Raleigh’s passion lies in educating the nation about health and wellbeing, through her weekly talk slots on various radio stations, presenting at workshops and events, and contributing to national newspapers and magazine.

Lisa is passionate about living clean and green and embraces everything Esse stands for. She travels regularly and relies heavily on our repair oil and moisturisers to keep her looking great.

Esse is proudly associated with Michelle Garforth-Venter who is an ambassador and role model for our brand. Michelle has pioneered animal rights and conservation in South Africa and leads an admirably green life. Her and her husband, Riaan, have recently completed the design and construction of their eco-friendly bioclimatic home that is now open for workshops on a weekly basis to share their learnings with those interested.

Michelle uses Esse skincare exclusively and has only positive things to say about our products and our brand.

“Finally, a product I have discovered that is locally produced – reducing carbon footprint – and still addresses anti-aging properties thru the life and energy of plant based ingredients.

I have read extensively about the oestrogen mimicking ingredients in mass-marketed skincare products from Parabens to Sodium Laurel Sulphate to Phthalates – and have always secretly known that it is possible to manufacture / produce skincare from Mother Nature’s own garden – using ingredients like Marula, Baobab tree, spearmint, olive leaf to create the same end result.

And here it is! ESSE have a full range that is available for multiple usage on your skin and your families – I love both cleansers that wash without drying plus the toner that does not contain any alcohol – you see it is possible not to adhere to mass-marketed products and save on your pocket – as ESSE’s range is affordable. In fact I can happily purchase the full range without breaking the bank! I love the fact the plant based ingredients fill my skin and senses with sheer goodness – from omega oils to Manketti sun protection – my husband loves the pleasant smells and is about to start using ESSE exclusively – not bad for a man!!! There is no testing on animals (critical for a conservation journalist!) plus this product is biodegradable – so I can use it at home happily as we have a grey-water system established and chemical based products are simply a no-go. Fair-trade also comes into the equation, so I know by using ESSE all the workers have not been hard done by in the creation of my night cream.

When it comes to the moisturisers – I am very specific about night cream and have found that the Ultra Moisturiser – which is super rich – really does the job, it is not sticky and ‘smoothes’ my skin before make-up applications. Although my favourite has to be the repair oil – it smells divine, and creates the perfect pallet for the moisturiser to do its thing! Free Radical protection is close to my heart, and ESSE address this in their choice of natural plant ingredients – after all closer to the earth is where you want to be.

If you are looking for a way to step more lightly on the planet and to take care of your health and your pocket then this is the way to go – after long research of many products Esse fill my score card.”

To read more about Michelle, visit her website http://www.michellegarforth.com/