Meet The Founder

Meet the Founder: Michelle Roques-O’Neil

Heal Me by Therapie - Michelle Roques-O'Neil

Michelle Roques-O'NeilTo celebrate the eagerly anticipated launch of Therapie’s new Heal Me range, we caught up with creator – and Cult Beauty expert – {Michelle Roques-O’Neil}. Read on to learn about this phenomenal, capsule collection of immunity-boosters and lurgy-alleviators…

{Cult Beauty} Hi Michelle! We are thrilled to be launching your new {Heal Me} range. Can you talk us through the impetus behind this new direction?

{Michelle Roques-O’Neil} In a way this isn’t really a new direction – it’s more a consolidation of the Therapie story. So many of us lead such hectic lives – working long hours, setting impossible expectations and generally struggling to establish a work/life balance.

This constant pressure evokes an adrenal response that suppresses the immune system’s ability to cope with attack. All energy is focussed on the imminent ‘danger’ (or deadline) – and although the adrenaline- and cortisol-charged ‘energy’ is able to sustain us for a while, if we exist for too long in this ‘faux’ state, we can quickly cross into the realm of chronic fatigue, when our defences are effectively ‘immobilised’.

This is why we’re so susceptible to illness when we’ve stretched ourselves too thin – the body has a ‘meltdown’ and goes into neutral – forcing you to take time out. {Heal Me} was developed to support flagging systems – protecting, soothing and strengthening when we are at our most vulnerable.

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Roques-O'Neil Therapie Heal Me Kit

{CB} Your {Protect Bath and Body Oil} has myriad wellbeing benefits. Can you highlight its key ingredients and their properties?

Roques-O'Neil Therapie Protect Bath & Body Oil{MR-O’N} There are a couple of stars – Fragonia, a unique new oil which has perfectly balanced chemical components; it provides profound respiratory and antiviral support, while reducing inflammation and alleviating muscle pain – it’s also an extremely powerful emotional healer.

Naiouli is a miraculous, multi-faceted oil that helps to decongest and counteract fatigue. Lemon Myrtle boosts immunity and peppermint reduces fever symptoms and helps loosen phlegm (sorry!). Cajeput helps soothe nerve sensitivity, while ravensara is strengthening, to help you fight infection.

{Protect Bath & Body Oil} is the first line of defence when you start to feel ‘wobbly’, bunged-up or generally under the weather.

{CB} {Heal Me} is also geared towards boosting immunity. Why does colder weather make us so susceptible to sniffles?

{MR-O’N} Winter is a time to slow down – fluctuations in temperature (whether due to weather patterns or environment) are energy-sapping – your body is constantly re-setting its thermostat, which can leave it wearied and susceptible to lurgies.

Add to that post-Christmas money worries, depressingly short days and hours sitting in front of computers, resisting our body’s natural craving to ‘hibernate’ during the cold winter months, and you have a recipe for exhaustion. We are constantly rebelling against nature’s timing – the natural ebb encourages us to ‘give in’ and rest up – but our failure to acknowledge these subliminal rhythms, forces our bodies to take matters into their own hands.

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Roques-O'Neil Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts

{CB} Himalayan Detox Salts are now truly ‘cult– beloved by everyone who discovers them. For those whove yet to be initiated, what would you say makes HDSs so special, and so unique?

{MR-O’N} My {Himalayan Detox Salts} are hand blended and deeply healing. The salts themselves consist of over 86 different minerals, to provide physical relief from aches and pains, whilst absorbing negative energy to neutralise the mal-effects of over-using modern gadgets such as mobiles and computers.

To this, we’ve added powdered amethyst – a powerfully healing crystal that’s renowned for its ability to counteract the build-up of ’emotional toxicity’ – encouraging you to ‘let go’ of daily frustrations and tensions.

The signature blend of essential oils then helps to enhance energy flow and re-establish emotional equilibrium. The extra boost comes from Reiki (I’ve been a Reiki Master for many years) – all the salts are made by hand, by me.

Roques-O'Neil Therapie Cherish Skin Repair Serum{CB} And finally, which Therapie product is your current fail-safe, and which one can you never be without?

I am never without my {Restore Aura Spray} – it’s an instant pick-me-up when I’m tired or stressed. And I adore the {Cherish Skin Repair Serum} – it’s magical and the effect is instant. Consistent (long term) use has really helped improve the tone, texture and vitality of my skin.

Roques-O'Neil Therapie Comfort Warming RubI also have to give a firm nod to my newest hero – the {Comfort Warming Rub} is quickly becoming an indispensable cure-all – whether to relieve aching muscles, help me focus during meditation (I rub a little on my ‘third eye’), clear blocked sinuses or ease a chesty cough, there’s seemingly no end to this balm’s benefits. I’ve been testing it in treatment sessions and the results are quite remarkable!

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...