About

About Skin Elixir

ROOTED IN EXPERIENCE, BACKED BY SCIENCE

I'm Shona Munro, founder and formulator of Skin Elixir™.

For 10 years, I've been working with Thymoquinone a potent compound found in Black Seed Oil. Not in a lab. Not in theory. But in my hands, in my formulations, and on real skin.

I know it works because I've seen it heal rosacea, calm inflammation, and transform skin that nothing else could touch.

On 31st January 2026, I will be presenting this experiential knowledge - alongside the emerging science - as a Guest Speaker at the University of Nottingham Dermatology Society 'Skin Deep' Conference. I will be sharing my experience of Thymoquinone, my founder story, and how nervous system self-regulation is the 'missing piece' of modern skin health.

This is Self-Regulation Skincare - grounded in 10 years of real results, now backed by science.

THE HERITAGE - THE ORIGINAL. THE INDEPENDENT. THE ONLY.

I started with a single bottle and a simple belief: that nature holds the most potent blueprint for our health.

In 2016, I founded Skin Elixir™ in Nottingham. Long before "clean beauty" became a corporate trend, I was hand-blending small batches of oils, driven by the transformative power of Black Seed Oil and Frankincense.

For ten years, I have lovingly created these formulas, focusing on the extraordinary compound Thymoquinone and the plant-based renewal of Bakuchiol. My mission has never wavered: to create a "Skin Elixir" that truly nourishes the skin you're in®, while providing the tools to calm your nervous system in a fast-paced world.

A Decades-Long Commitment

In a market now crowded with generic names, SKIN ELIXIR™ remains an independent, founder-led brand. When you see my trademark, you are seeing a ten-year promise of authenticity, handmade quality, and British heritage.

From my first formulation in 2016 to the launch of my ROOTED™ self-regulation system in 2026, I remain dedicated to the alchemy of skin health and mental peace.

I am the maker. I am the founder. This is the Original Skin Elixir™.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

My journey with botanical healing started in 2005, when I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

I refused to accept that medication was my only option. I got on the case -researching, experimenting, and exploring natural approaches to healing. Frankincense essential oil became part of my healing armoury, and it worked. My Crohn's went into remission and has stayed there ever since.

But that experience changed me. It wasn't just about managing a disease - it was the start of my deep self-healing journey. I started to understand that true healing wasn't just physical. It was about regulating my nervous system, reducing inflammation through presence and calm, and using botanicals as tools for transformation.

Years later, when my twins were 3, I was exhausted and overwhelmed. I had a dry, flaky nose and redness at the sides that nothing seemed to help. Everything I tried - even "natural" products - made things worse.

But there was something else: I was desperate for a creative outlet. Confined to the house every night with two 3-year-olds, I needed something that was just for me. Something I could create with my hands when the kids were finally asleep.

So I started making my own skincare.

I drew on everything I'd learned from my self-healing journey - the power of frankincense, the importance of pure botanicals, the connection between stress and inflammation and from my years spent helping people set up micro businesses. I began blending small batches in my kitchen in Nottingham, creating skincare that was gentle, effective, and deeply nourishing.

Skin Elixir™ completely healed my dry, flaky nose and redness. The original hero product the Organic Frankincense & May Chang Moisturiser worked. And for the first time in years, my skin looked and felt full of vitality.

But it gave me something more: a creative practice that was mine. A reason to research, experiment, and build something meaningful during those long, isolated evenings at home.

Friends and family noticed. They asked to try what I was making. Word spread. And slowly, Skin Elixir™ grew from my kitchen table into an award-winning, handmade skincare brand.

THE EPIPHANY (10 YEARS INTO SKIN ELIXIR™, 20 YEARS INTO MY HEALING JOURNEY)

For a decade, I thought I was making skincare.

I was formulating with Bakuchiol and Black Seed Oil, sourcing organic botanicals, handmaking every batch in Nottingham. I was winning awards, building a loyal community, and genuinely helping people's skin transform.

But something kept nagging at me.

Customers would tell me: "When I use your products, I feel calmer." "My evening routine with your night oil is the only time I slow down all day." "The scent of frankincense helps me breathe deeper."

They weren't just talking about their skin. They were talking about their nervous systems.

And then it hit me -the epiphany that changed everything:

I wasn't making skincare. I was creating tools for self-regulation.

Every time someone applied an oil with intention, they were practicing embodiment. Every time they inhaled frankincense, they were signalling safety to their nervous system. Every time they paused to massage their face, they were choosing presence over productivity.

The skincare was working - but not just because of the Bakuchiol or the Rosehip. It was working because the ritual was regulating them.

Here's the truth: The stress of solo parenthood cannot be underestimated.

I was sick of snapping at my kids. I am sick of losing my shit when I'm overwhelmed. I wanted - I need - to foster patience, presence, and calm. Not just for my customers, but for myself as a starting point.

It was only recently that I realised: I could use Skin Elixir™ as an anchor too.

My evening skincare routine became the moment I returned to myself. The scent of frankincense signalled to my nervous system: you're safe, you can rest. The ritual of applying oil with intention gave me a pause between the chaos of the day and the person I wanted to be.

But I needed more than skincare. I needed actual tools for when I was about to snap (erm I do still snap!). When the twins were fighting and I could feel my nervous system spiralling. When I was triggered and needed to reset right now.

That's where ROOTED by Skin Elixir™ came from.

Not affirmations. Not pretty words. Evidence-based self-regulation techniques I could use in the moment -breathwork, grounding, body scans, resets. Tools that actually work when you're dysregulated and need help now.

ROOTED by Skin Elixir™ is doing this for me. It's helping me pause before I react. It's teaching me how to regulate my nervous system so I can show up as the parent I want to be. It's not perfect - I still lose it sometimes - but I'm learning. I'm practicing. I'm getting better.

Twenty years after frankincense helped heal my Crohn's, I finally understood what it had really been doing all along: regulating my nervous system.

Ten years into building Skin Elixir™, it finally made sense.

It's not just skincare. It never was.

It's botanical self-regulation. It's embodied calm. It's the skin-brain axis in action.

THE 2026 SIMPLIFICATION - THE CORE FIVE

After 10 years of Skin Elixir™, I made a decision.

I asked my customers: if you could only keep a few products, which would they be?

Over 20 people replied. And their answers were clear: you already buy in bundles. You stock up on 2-3 favorites at once. You know what works for your skin.

So I simplified everything.

The Core Five are the five formulas my customers can't live without—the ones that have stood the test of a decade:

1. Intensive Night Cream - 2% Bakuchiol + Thymoquinone for deep overnight restoration
2. Organic Frankincense & May Chang Moisturiser - Your daily anchor, gentle enough for sensitive skin
3. Super Natural Oil - 2% Bakuchiol + Thymoquinone for daytime renewal without irritation
4. Magnificent Night Oil - Thymoquinone-rich healing for evening calm and repair
5. All Around Eyes Elixir - 4% Bakuchiol + Thymoquinone for bright, firm eyes

Every single product contains Thymoquinone-rich Black Seed Oil. Three contain Bakuchiol for gentle, retinol-free renewal. All are handmade weekly in Nottingham with a 12-month shelf life (Intensive Night Cream: 6 months).

From January 2026, you build your own bundle:

Choose any 2 for £49 (Free 24hr Tracked UK Shipping)
Choose any 3 for £69 (Free 24hr Tracked UK Shipping)

Every bundle includes ROOTED by Skin Elixir™—my 10-card self-regulation system to help you pause, breathe, and reconnect while you nourish your skin.

New to Skin Elixir™?

Try The Discovery Set (£20 with Free 48hr Tracked Postage) - samples of all five Core Five formulas plus ROOTED™ cards so you can find your favourites before building your bundle.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & BRAND PROTECTION

I have meticulously built Skin Elixir™ as a secure, scalable asset:

Registered Trademark: I own the registered UK trademark for "Skin Elixir - Nourish the skin you're in"®.

Pending IP: Trademarks are currently pending for "Skin Elixir™" and "ROOTED by Skin Elixir™".

Proprietary Formulations: I own 100% of the formulations for the Core Five. All products are Safety Certified (CPSR) and lab-approved.

This is not just a skincare brand. This is a decade of experiential knowledge, protected intellectual property, and a commitment to the alchemy of skin health and nervous system regulation.

This is Self-Regulation Skincare.

Simple. Effective. Sustainable.

Handmade in Nottingham since 2016.

Shona Munro
Founder & Formulator
Skin Elixir™ | Nourish the skin you're in®
Guest Speaker, University of Nottingham Dermatology Society 'Skin Deep' Conference (January 2026)