Interview with Rachel Devine

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I’m excited for you to meet Rachel Devine, an award-winning holistic aesthetician, founder and head formulator of R Devine Skin Care (update: now called Her Soul Intentions and Rachel uses Germanic Healing Knowledge to help patients), a local Hamiltonian and my next interviewee. I first came across Rachel and her skincare line on Instagram last year and quickly become a fan. Her approach and passion for using organic and natural ingredients is inspiring and authentic. I love the way she educates her followers by providing skin and wellness tips along with breaking down the ingredients – what to look for, why they’re important, and why they’re being used – in her skincare line. She’s totally transparent and honest, which is refreshing.

Rachel has been an Aesthetician and Makeup Artist since 2003, winning 22 Hamilton Reader’s Choice Awards, 3 National Awards, a 2016 Forty Under Forty Award, along with the Alumni of Distinction Award from Mohawk College in the Entrepreneur Category. Her passion has always been for skincare and her line was created out of a need for a natural, results-driven and holistic alternative. Using the highest quality, natural and organic ingredients, straight from Mother Nature, her products provide an experience. Speaking of experiences, if you live in Hamilton (or want to come visit), make sure to book yourself a holistic treatment with Rachel. Your skin will thank you. I promise.

Let’s jump right in!

How did you first discover essential oils? I have used essential oils for as long as I can remember. When I was a teenager, I suffered from really bad eczema. I used to get it all over my legs, my hands and even on my face sometimes. The kids at school used to make fun of me saying that I had a skin disease and wouldn’t come near me. Natural products were not as available back then; everything was chemical-based. My skin was so sensitive that it would react to pretty much everything that I put on it, so I started making my own from recipes that I’d find in books and magazines. I remember one book in particular was filled with natural Thai recipes, all made with exotic fruits, oils and essential oils. My dad was always big on holistic health when I was growing up, so I used to go to the health food store with him and would buy essential oils for my recipes. Lavender was always my favourite for both its scent and calming abilities for my skin at the time. My natural recipes were the only topical products that would calm my skin and take the itch away.

When you started your skin care line, did you know from the start that you'd incorporate essential oils or was it a gradual shift through experimentation? Absolutely, I knew from the start! Being an aesthetician for so many years prior to launching my line, one thing that I consistently noticed was that most women always found their skincare routine to be a chore. This was before the current self-care trend, and I used to find it so sad that no one enjoyed their nightly routines. For me, my self-care routine was always my time to wind down each night. Most conventional skin care lines are full of chemicals and artificial fragrances – they either smell overpowering, or they don’t smell good at all. Scent is so tightly connected to our emotions, that it alone can make or break your self-care experience. I chose the essential oils that are in each of my products for their therapeutic benefits, but I’m also focused on the scent that each combination creates. I wanted to create scents that soothed the mind, so that these products would create an enjoyable experience, rather than being viewed as a chore. I spent so much time on this part, and am so glad that I did, because my goal was achieved. Clients often tell me that they love the way my products smell, and that they actually look forward to their nightly self-care routine. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to create products that positively impact the end of each person's day.

How has your "relationship" with essential oils changed over the years, if at all? I have grown so much more respect for plants and oils over the years. When I first started playing with essential oils, it was all about their scent at first and which scents resonated with me. But, as I started to research more into it, learning about their therapeutic and healing powers, each plant took on new meaning and understanding to me. A lot of people still do not fully realize the healing powers of plants. Essential oils are like natural medicine in a bottle, and when used correctly, can heal the body, mind and skin in so many ways.

Being a former workaholic, did essential oils play a role in that recovery? If so, how? I laugh at this question because I think back to what I used to be like. How I have changed so much since those days. When I was working on creating the skincare line, and even when I first launched it, I used to think, breathe and sleep skincare. I was either in my mom role, or in work mode, there were no other roles for me at that time. It was good to get me to where I am now, so I don’t regret any of it, but I know my husband, kids and I all much appreciate the more relaxed version of myself that I am today. I was hustling so hard there for a bit without many boundaries, that it started causing some physical health problems and mental health issues for me that I didn’t openly talk about with many people. I was mentally and physically exhausted and pushed my body into burnout mode and adrenal fatigue. My body is still healing from that to this day, but it’s taken a whole body approach to fully come away from that lifestyle – super clean eating, resting when my body needs it, learning to be in bed by 10pm each night, regular (yet gentle) exercising, learning to say no to what does not serve me, meditation and spiritual healing. Essential oils definitely played and still do play a role in all of this, especially my mental health. I always have some type of essential oil blend on my body, depending on how I’m feeling each day. In fact, I wear essential oil blends so often that it’s not uncommon for me to get stopped at the grocery store, or have one of the moms at my kids’ school ask me what I’m wearing. I always have oils defusing in our house, and my kids can also expect to get smothered in my concoctions when they’re not feeling their best.

How do you use essential oils in your daily life? Any tips you can share? Essential oils are in every product that I use on my body. I put them into my body oils and in to all my skin care products. My favourite self-care ritual is a hot bath with my salt blends from my skin care line. Not only do essential oils smell good but they also help heal skin issues, improve skin health, and can truly make you appreciate the moment when you apply them to your body. My other favourite daily use is diffusing oils in our home. I love having our house smell nice and that the oils can be changed from day to day, based on how everyone is feeling. In winter months, I diffuse my Immune Boost blend a lot, which consists of eucalyptus, tea tree, frankincense, orange, lemon and rosemary. Summer months, it’s usually more of a happy, cheerful scent, and at night time, I diffuse the Restful blend from my skincare line. When people are first learning about essentials oils, I do encourage them to always choose whichever scents smell best to them and really resonate with them. Our intuition has a pretty good way of letting us know exactly what we need in each moment, as long as we’re attentive enough to listen.

If you could only use one essential oil for the rest of your life what would it be and why? French Lavender. I can be feeling stressed out or overwhelmed and one sniff of French Lavender can instantly ease my mind. It’s also extremely beneficial for sensitive skin, helps with cell regeneration and is safe for babies and children, in the proper dilution. Every time I create a new product, I always have to hold myself back from only choosing lavender. It truly works wonders for all skin types.


Her Soul Intention skincare products can be found online, and at many spas throughout Ontario. To book a facial or skin coaching you can do so here. (updated)