Growing up in the Tibetan Plateau, Hellen Faulkner had a happy but very different childhood from the one she is providing for her two sons, Bear, 9, and Harry Fox, 2.
“My mother raised my brother and I on just $1,500 NZD a year and we all grew up in my grandma’s house. It was a sweet and simple childhood,” she says, looking out over the lush, green Katikati kiwifruit orchard she owns with her husband Mark.
Bear and Harry Fox are tearing around in their gumboots with their unruly dachshund Freddy, bounding Labrador Sam and pet lamb Ellie. It’s a picture of perfection and one Hellen doesn’t take for granted. Not for a second.
“The more I live here, the more I love it,” she says.
“It makes me want to share the Bay of Plenty with everyone and do something that matters.”
She is achieving that through her natural skincare range, HZP+Co, which she has developed using kiwifruit and avocados grown in the Bay of Plenty as ‘hero’ ingredients, blended with innovative formulations from around the world.
“There is a lot of wastage in the kiwifruit industry and I wanted to do something with that,” says Hellen.
It was this desire, combined with an “obsession” with natural products for children, after the birth of Bear, that fuelled her business venture.
“All my friends in China were having babies and wanted me to send them products from New Zealand – both for themselves and their children. My business instinct kicked in. I thought this could lead to something for myself and use all the knowledge I have of both China and New Zealand.”
She is drawing on the same business instinct that saw her develop a successful career in the hospitality sector, spanning 14 years.
Up until May last year, Hellen was still managing accommodation establishments full time .
“I really enjoyed the customer service side of the business, but it was time to have a change, plus I wanted to stay home and spend more time with my boys,” says Hellen.
When Bear was one they moved from their Ponsonby home, first to Waihi and then to Katikati, taking turns at being stay-at-home parents, while juggling their careers.
Hellen typically spends 3 to 4 hours during the day working on HZP+Co but, like many entrepreneurial mums, her most productive work is done after 8.30pm when the children have gone to bed.
She balances out her busy roles as mother and businesswoman with an early morning ritual of supping a green tea, sent over from friends in China, on their private jetty at the bottom of the garden.
“As women we can be torn in different directions with commitments to our children, husband, family, friends and job. It’s important to make time for yourself. When you have a busy life, you can easily forget who you are. Even taking just 10-20 minutes each day to yourself can make the world of difference to your wellbeing,” she says.
Helping others is an important part of Hellen’s philosophy on life, and underpins her business.
Since becoming a mother to two healthy and happy boys, Hellen is even more aware of what young children need to live a happy life. A cause close to her heart that she supports is Foster Hope, a charity that supports foster agencies and puts together backpacks of toiletries and other personal items for children when they are uplifted from their homes.
“Often they don’t have many belongings, so the simple things like a soft toy and new pair of underwear become really important. These small things can bring comfort at a time when there is so much uncertainty in their lives,” says Hellen.
Recently the Foster Hope Auckland branch put together over 1100 of these backpacks and Hellen made sure all of the packs had something special from HZP+Co.
“Our Splashwater hydration mists have been designed to help children deal with their emotions. Children are so precious and I hope in some small way my contribution helps these children transition into their new homes,” says Hellen.
Hellen has also forged an alliance with former Black Stick Gemma McCaw, who has taken Splashwaters into schools where she hands them out to students as prizes for acts of kindness.
“Kindness is everything, so I’m really pleased that my products are being used to foster this quality in young people,” says Hellen.
“It was kindness that helped me find my feet in New Zealand, and it’s my desire to give back.”
- Dream. Think. Action.
- Do your best to get your work-life balance right.
- Enjoy the simple things around you in life and work.
- Find the right people to help you, who appreciate your vison and passion.
- You must be able to ‘let it go’.
About HZP+Co
HZP+Co was created to provide high quality, natural skincare products that harness the natural goodness of the Bay of Plenty.
‘Hero’ ingredients used in the products include kiwifruit extract, horopito, kowhai extract, mamaku, blueberry oil, avocado oil, Aquaxyl (a natural derivative of the two plant sugars glucose and xylitol, which increases the skin’s ability to retain moisture) and CityStem (also known as White Horehound, it counteracts pollution).
HZP+Co teamed up with New Zealand industry experts, mixologists and chemists to produce a fusion of pure, natural ingredients and innovative formulations from around the world.
It is the first skincare brand in New Zealand to include the powerful, award-winning, natural active ingredient CityStem, which is in two of its products.
Sederma, the creator of CityStem was awarded the 2017 PCHI Fountain Award for Outstanding Active Ingredient in Asia.
The HZP+Co range includes a facial serum, hydration mist, hand cream, body cream and Splashwater, a water-based, natural fragrance for children.
“I am very proud to have created something that helps to make a diffidence in people’s lives, especially our little ones! Splashwater is designed to help children get in touch with their emotions and manage their feelings. It contains no ‘nasties’ or synthetic ingredients. It makes me really happy when I hear Splashwater has helped a child.”