Great Women behind Great Brands: Laura Simonow, Founder of This Place

Today we sit down with Laura Simonow, Founder of This Place and talk all about combining powerful plant ingredients, listening to our bodies and the mission behind This Place.
She also shares with us why she chose CBD specifically to work with and lets us in on her personal wellness routines.

Let's start with our favourite question: Laura, when do you feel most beautiful?

I think we should always feel beautiful. Beauty is a feeling: It's important to regularly take time for yourself, to rest, to do something good for yourself or to do something that excites you. For example, I feel really good when I'm out in nature, when I listen to my body or when I eat healthy.

People are raving about your products. Tell us a little bit about your brand and the mission behind This Place

We want to make everyday life easier and solve specific problems with cosmetics. This Place is based on three factors: First, our approach is to combine high-quality, natural ingredients with current medical insights and to create synergies between the individual ingredients. The special formulation plays an important role: In each of our products, different active ingredients from nature are combined in such a way that they can unfold their full potential together. To achieve this, I spent more than a year researching in the laboratory, looking for the right compositions. In addition, each product should create an olfactory moment, because we firmly believe in the effect via the olfactory sense.

Last but not least, our products are not only cosmetics, but are basically intended to provide support for everyday problems. Each product is therefore designed for a specific area. In this way, we would like to support health in a holistic and sustainable way and raise awareness for a healthy lifestyle.

How was your journey towards natural beauty and wellbeing? Why is this topic special to you?

The positive effect of natural ingredients on the organism has been a really important topic for me since a long time. In nature there are many plant substances that can support us and our body. Much of our knowledge from conventional medicine is basically based on nature. This realization inspired me - so it was obvious for me to combine my knowledge as a scientist with my passion for functional and innovative plant substances and go one step further.

Why did you choose CBD specifically to work with?

I am fascinated by CBD as an active ingredient from the cannabis plant. Hemp has a long tradition as a medicinal plant and the history behind such powerful active ingredients simply fascinates me. Applications that go back well over 3000 years and our generation has yet to rediscover. CBD is a non-psychoactive component of the plant that has antioxidant and sebum-reducing effects and can serve to protect and care for the skin. Scientific evidence suggests that various positive effects can be attributed to CBD, such as muscle relaxation or an anti-inflammatory effect. It is also said that the active ingredient can help the body to reach a state of rest. That's why we use CBD as an important ingredient in all our products. In addition, I am particularly interested in the combination and interaction with other natural substances such as arnica, silver willow and St. John's wort.

What is your favourite This Place Product?

I use all of our products very regularly, so it's hard to single out one particular product as a "favourite". A small highlight at the moment is certainly our latest product, "The Mineral Bath", for which we have teamed up with the Health Resort Lanserhof. I particularly like using it as a foot bath or full bath at the moment, also because its purifying scent.

As a founder life can get pretty busy. How do you navigate through stressful times?

For me, the most important thing is to take time for myself. Of course, that's not always easy when you are in the midst of everyday life. But those who take time to pause and create a moment of awareness prioritize themselves and their own health. It's important to think of self-care not just as an occasional ritual, but as a holistic way of life. This can be the small moments: closing your eyes and feeling the sun on your skin, getting up five minutes earlier in the morning to drink a cup of tea in peace - or consciously breathing in the scent of one of our creams before applying it. I also think that you should always take time for self-reflection. We quickly slip into our routines and focus on the wrong things. Regularly asking yourself , "Is this supporting my health?" can go a long way.

Why are rituals so important for us?

To me our body and mind belong together. That’s why we have created a little application ritual for each product. On the one hand, our rituals are intended to intensify the effect through certain application techniques such as circular movements. On the other hand, it is about consciously taking time for yourself, allowing yourself some down time and doing something good for yourself.

How does your skincare routine look like?

I start my skincare routine with Double Cleansing and Toner and then apply our face cream "The Glow" together with a few drops of face oil "The Evening Glow”.

Our skin is communicating with us all of the time. How can we learn to listen better to what our body has to say?

It is important to work with your body and listen to what it has to say. To every inflammatory reaction there is a cause. The goal is to gain an awareness of the body and pay attention to its signs. Mindfulness exercises for example, can help to become aware of the body's signals, to establish a stronger connection with oneself and the body. It is important to inform and read up on certain reactions of the body. Educating people about those things is an important part of our work; that's why we regularly write about those topics on our blog.

This Place is a modern brand with high values. What are your thoughts on leadership and the role a brand can play in changing where the (beauty) world is going?

For me one thing is very clear: Modern cosmetics must be more than just something you apply. It must also serve a purpose. Many people have problems falling asleep or feel an inner restlessness, have tension or irritated skin. Nature has a solution ready for many of those problems. Fortunately, we are getting more and more access to information about the power of nature and the long civilizational history of medicinal plants. And as a result, it is becoming increasingly obvious how important nature is for a healthy body and mind. We clearly want to make a difference here with This Place and be pioneers.

What are you currently reading?

Among others, I am currently reading "Ikigai" by Ken Mogi.

I can only recommend it to anyone who longs for inspiration. The book is about the Japanese concept called "Ikigai", or a deep meaning that must be present in life to experience real fulfilment.