Sweet Gigs

Creating the ultimate sleep sanctuary with Inner States

We are excited to share with you a beautiful success story born out of lockdown. Last year, Lucy Jarvis took a leap of faith to turn a passion project into a thriving small business. Blending together her love of aromatherapy, yoga and design, Inner States celebrates self enquiry and focuses on making time for everyday rituals.   

With half the country in lockdown, our homes have become a safe haven from the world outside, and taking time to unwind and decompress is more important than ever. In today’s blog we chat with Lucy about the benefits of aromatherapy in the home, and what scents to use to create the perfect sleep sanctuary.

Shop the collections at https://www.innerstates.com.au/ and follow Inner States on Instagram @inner.states


1. Tell us about yourself, and how Inner States began?

I actually studied Fashion at TAFE and then moved into sales and marketing within that world. Working for big brands was highly satisfying but I often felt something was lacking. I always knew I wanted to have my own business, so in 2019 I decided to listen to my heart and became a yoga teacher. I’d practiced yoga for close to 10 years and it had been a guiding light through some really difficult times including learning to deal with my younger brothers mental health and addiction issues. Initially I showed up to yoga for the physical benefits but soon learnt I couldn’t stay away due to the headspace and insight it provided for me. It was a pretty effortless jump from my corporate fashion career into the wellness industry, things just aligned and I did some sales and marketing consulting on the side until I found my way.
 
Six months into my magical new journey COVID hit. I was faced with losing all my work overnight. The silver lining was it gave me the head space to really think about what I wanted to be doing. The concept of Inner States was born. When my husband and I were in lockdown last year it was the little mindful moments and rituals that helped get us through - that cup of herbal tea in my favourite mug, mindfully lighting some of my favourite incense and dabbing aromatherapy blends onto my pulse points before bed. Inner States blends together all my loves including Yoga, design and a need for mindful moments in my day.


2. What are the best scents to use, to unwind after a long day?
 
Our Yin blend is perfect to unwind after a long day, I mist it on my bedding and pillows and use it religiously before bed of an evening to help unwind. Lavender is scientifically proven to help us calm down and find that serene state of mind before bed. Other great oils for sleep are Geranium which helps to soothe our emotions, it also has a hormone balancing effect which helps promote sleep, Ylang Ylang helps cultivate inner peace for restful sleep and Chamomile eases frustration and tension in the body. These oils are all used in our Yin blend which is why its such a great addition to bedtime routine.
 
3. How do you get your beauty sleep?
 
I am a big lover of sleep and have always been a super light sleeper so have some great tricks up my sleeve! I dim the lights in my house of an evening and love setting the mood with candles and diffusing essential oils.
 
I love night time bathing with Epsom salts to unwind, and then slipping into a clean set of PJs + cosying up under some fresh linen. I also love my Kip&Co silk pillowcases they feel so luxurious and the prints are beautiful, plus waking up with smooth hair is an added bonus!
 
Sipping on a herbal tea after dinner is a beautiful ritual to make into a habit, I use my favourite teapot and cup and it often signals to my body the start of my “winding down” routine. Our Yin tea is the perfect pre bed companion with soothing herbs such as Lemon Balm, Marshmallow root, Chrysanthemum and black Goji’s. I was never a huge fan of Chamomile tea so when I was developing the Yin range I wanted something to help calm and balance with a unique Inner States twist.
 
4. We have had a sniff of all your beautiful products and honestly its hard to pick a favourite! Which is your best-seller?
 
I'm so glad you enjoyed them all. As a reflection of the current climate my Yin space mist has been an absolute stand out! I’ve realised scent is a really personal preference and am so glad I invested time working with a botanical perfumer to develop the natural fragrances in our range as they are all quite unique. However people are totally drawn to the calming familiarity of lavender and it really is amazing to help with stress and mindful moments so the Yin scent has become a household favourite for many of my customers.
 
5. What’s next for Inner States?
 

I've just gone with the flow since launching in November last year and am very grateful for so many serendipitous moments along the way. I do have a few new exciting products planned to launch before Christmas including a fifth state. I honestly just feel really fortunate to be working on something I love and feel so passionate about. High quality, nature and sustainability are at the forefront of my mind when developing new products, I really hope and encourage our customers to find their own rituals to help them enjoy some mindful moments each day and that will continue to be my guiding ethos.