A Swansea beauty salon owner has launched a new range of skincare products in order to help others achieve clean and healthy skin, after she battled with severe acne during her teenage years and in her thirties.
Lisa Curzon is a brow and lash specialist who runs a beauty salon in Gowerton, but like many others, the business has had to close its doors due to lockdowns over the past 12 months.
During this time, the 38-year-old mother of two decided to focus on fulfilling her dream of launching her own skincare business, Sette.
Lisa said:
“I suffered with acne for most of my teenage years, but it came back a few years ago, and it was horrendous. It was so severe that it was really affecting my confidence and it felt like I’d tried every product under the sun, but nothing helped. In the end, I went to the doctor and was put on a course of treatment.”
“After it began to clear up, all I wanted to do was keep my skin as clean and healthy as possible. That’s when I started looking into skincare products and I became a bit obsessed. Friends would ask me for advice on how to take care of their skin and which products to use, and it was then, back in 2019, that I realised that I wanted to create my own skincare range.”
While researching skincare ingredients, Lisa noticed that many ingredients that are good for the skin, such as fig, apricot and olive oil, were grown by her grandparents on their farm in Umbria, central Italy.
Lisa explains:
“My Nonna would make her own soap using things like rosemary and lavender, and would use ingredients harvested from the farm to create remedies for hygiene, illnesses and day-to-day wellbeing. My Italian heritage is so important to me, and that’s why I wanted to infuse my fuss-free products with that heritage. The facewash, for example, includes apricot which enhances the skin’s hydration, while fig can help brighten and even out skin tone.
“My grandparents believed in the simple and uncomplicated life, especially my grandfather Settimio. He was the seventh child and ‘sette’ is Italian for ‘seven’, which is why I named the company Sette.”
Lisa’s beauty salon business has grown from strength to strength since it was established in 2014, and Lisa says that coming from a long line of aspirational entrepreneurs has helped instil the entrepreneurial drive in her. Her maternal grandfather established Mono, a leading international bakery equipment company in 1940, and her mother Wendy founded Wendy’s Bakeries, which at its peak boasted 15 UK establishments. Her father Alvaro, now retired, is a popular and well-respected businessman responsible for establishing some of Swansea’s most popular restaurants, including the award-winning Langland Brasserie.
Lisa said:
“My parents have been incredible role models for me. They were always busy with their separate businesses while I was growing up, and I quickly learned that anything is possible with hard work, commitment and a strong sense of self-belief. Sette has been three years in the making and it hasn’t been easy launching a new business during a pandemic and trying to juggle homeschooling at the same time, but the positive feedback I’ve received from customers over the past few weeks has made it all worth it. I’m currently studying for a diploma in skincare formulation and I’m really looking forward to expanding Sette’s range to include some eco-friendly products over the coming months.”
