Interview with Lyndall Mitchell founder of Aspar
BBA Beauty sat down to have a chat with Lyndall Mitchell, Australia's leading wellness expert who is the Founder and CEO of Aurora Spa and ASPAR botanical skincare range.
Tell us when and why you launched the Aspar brand.
I grew up on a tropical 140-acre banana farm. I have a strong connection with Nature; it gives me clarity and energy. It’s my remedy, my inspiration, my happy place.
When I was 14, my mum and I had a stall selling bananas on the side of the road, with most of our customers being the health retreat staff from up the road. Chatting with them about their work planted a seed. When I finished school, I explored the seed that had been planted and worked at the health retreat, learning from wellness pioneers and mentors. My passion for wanting to help people and learn more of the wellness industry continues to this day.
I saw clients coming in every week – burnt out, overwhelmed, out of balance. After five years of working at the retreat, I realised I wanted to create an urban retreat of my own. I started to put the wheels in motion and Aurora was born. At the time there were spas in Europe and America, but none in Australia. I created Aurora and opened the first spa retreat in Australia.
With so many guests coming to Aurora, I started hand mixing my own products. Instead of the 6-day retreats, we now had them for 60 minutes and we needed to get maximum results in the minimum amount of time. This was the motivation to create ASPAR (short for Aurora Spa Rituals). The day a guest asked to buy some of the hand mixed products was when I realised that I could create a range of self-care products for people to use at home.
What's the biggest lesson about the skincare that you've learnt so far?
My business has taught me to find a recipe for my own balance in order to achieve longevity and personal wellbeing. I’ve learnt to develop self-care rituals that help me maintain a level of balance physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. When you add small rituals into your day, they will have the biggest impact over time.
What are the main ingredients of your products?
Our products are cruelty-free and have high levels of botanicals. At the heart of everything, we focus on natural beauty and wellness.
Our 3 pillars for our range:
- Results focused – it needs to get results equivalent to an in-spa treatment.
- Botanically active – we pack as much nature as possible into the bottle.
- Skin friendly – it’s what we don’t put in our products that we are proud of.
What products are your favourites right now?
It’s hard to pick! I love our Botanical Handwash; transforms the daily chore of handwashing into a mindful ritual to soothe and calm your nervous system. This can be your daily “Me Moment”. I also adore the Rosemary & Clove Thermal Balm; it’s part of my night time ritual to help switch off before bed.
