The Secret Beauty Garden social enterprise partners with local charities, including Juno Perinatal Mental Health Support, to run pop-up retreats for people suffering from depression, anxiety and stress.

Beauty therapist and former accounts assistant Laura Taylor decided to create her own tranquil haven 10 years ago after experiencing a crossroads in her life where she felt anxious and experienced first-hand how difficult situations in life can have a major impact on your mental health.

Laura Taylor

To help get her life back on track Laura changed career direction and set up The Secret Beauty Garden to encourage more people to understand and appreciate the importance of self-care.

Laura, based in Morrison Street, made the decision to change her business model with the help of various organisations, including Business Gateway Edinburgh, to become a Community Interest Company and registered as a social enterprise in October 2018.

Laura now focusses on helping people with mental health issues including anxiety, low self-esteem and depression by taking pop-up retreats into local communities and charities, including Juno Perinatal Mental Health Support.

Laura said: “Making the decision to change to a social enterprise was the best thing to do for the business and the right time.

“Thanks to the support from various organisations like Business Gateway Edinburgh, I’m now in a position to take this side of the business a step further and focus more on taking pop-up retreats into local charities.”

Lauren Knight from Juno, which was founded in February 2015 by a group of mums in Edinburgh who all have personal experience of perinatal mental health difficulties, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with The Secret Beauty Garden social enterprise.

“As a mum with experience of mental health issues, Laura really understands how important self-care and time out really is. 

“Her pop-up retreats with soft lighting, relaxing music, essential oils and holistic treatments, offer the chance for our mums to have some much-needed rest and relaxation, which we know often falls to the bottom of the priority list for new mums and mums-to-be. 

“Our aim at Juno is to look after health holistically and both physical and mental well-being, making it a perfect partnership with The Secret Beauty Garden.”

Laura has also taken her pop-up retreats into businesses including Virgin Money to help employees take time out to de-stress and is also planning to run beauty training courses to help women who have experienced difficulties to get back into employment.

Susan Harkins, Head of Business Gateway Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be able to support The Secret Beauty Garden and help Laura with her transition to a social enterprise company and launch her pop-up retreats.

“Taking her self-care message into local charities and businesses to raise awareness of the importance of taking time to de-stress and unwind is commendable and we are looking forward to continuing to support her in the future.”

The Secret Beauty Garden is hosting a ‘time out’ pampering event on the 30th March with well-being talks by Dee Murray Therapies and Sarah Parkes. There will also be flower essence therapy by Maria Doherty, yoga sessions by Jen Smith at Yogabellies, taster beauty treatments and refreshments. 

The salon is also organising a fundraising ball at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club on the 7th June.  Proceeds from both events will go to mental health charity SAMH. Ticket details for both events at www.thesecretbeautygarden.com

To find out how Business Gateway Edinburgh can help your business visit www.bgateway.com/Edinburgh or call 0131 516 5035.

Laura at The Secret Beauty Garden
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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