My day usually begins with...feeding our two cats to make them happy, and ends with...making sure there’s enough food out for them; they are former strays so get panicky if there is no food in sight, and come and tell me about it!

What's the best part of running a business like Go Native?

Working from home, near the sea in Devonport, Auckland. I work most of the time but it’s no hardship.

Right: Elinor in her element – making homemade cosmetics in the kitchen, something she's been doing for 17 years.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? What were they?

The usual things: Lose weight. Work less! Same things as last year. And the year before.

What common misconceptions do you most frequently come across when it comes to making your own beauty and household products?

People don’t realise how easy it is to make your own products and how much money they can save by making their own.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Always moisturise.

And what advice would you give someone who's just starting out in natural skincare? 

Start out by using a carrier oil (like camellia oil) to moisturise. Try different ones to see their different properties and what suits you. Chia seed oil is great if you want a quick absorbing one. Macadamia oil is much slower to absorb so is best used at night.

Is there a particular ingredient you're currently loving at the moment?

I’m loving our pracaxi oil, sourced from pracaxi trees in the flooded areas of the northern Amazon rainforest. I use it straight on my face. It’s a great moisturiser for mature skin as it stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.

And recipe?

I love cold-processed soap and it's all we've ever used since I started making it 17 years ago. At the moment, the soap we’re using is fragranced with aniseed essential oil, my favourite.

Recipe: 230g coconut oil; 230g organic palm oil; 230g olive oil; 230g water; 104g sodium hydroxide; 30g essential oil.

What's the best thing you've listened to/watched/read recently? 

Podcast: Dan Carlin, Hardcore History, a long-form history podcast that's great on a road trip, which we have just done. We listened to the episodes "Blueprint for Armageddon", which is all about World War I. 

What's your dream way to spend a day off?

Sleeping and reading. Bit boring huh!