A cow produces way more than her calf can drink, about 15 to 20 litres a day, while the calf only takes around four litres, leaving us with this beautiful surplus, which we collect ourselves — carefully and respectfully. Then it’s about what we add alongside it, and we keep that really simple. Things people already know and trust, like shea butter, aloe vera, grapeseed oil, calendula, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E. All gentle, all chosen to support and soothe the skin.

For us, farm to skin is really about the journey, the same idea as farm to table, or paddock to plate, where you know the whole journey of what you’re eating — but we’re applying that to skincare. The cows are our livelihood, and if they’re not healthy, calm, and well cared for, nothing else works. That’s why the calves always drink first. They get exactly what they need, and only then do we collect the natural oversupply. That part was never up for debate.

From the start, we didn’t want our baby wash and lotion to feel like “baby products” in the traditional sense. They needed to live comfortably in a mum’s world — in her bathroom, on her bedside table, in her handbag. In most homes, it’s mum who pours the baby wash, applies the lotion, then finally reaches for the hand cream that’s just for her. We wanted that to feel special, like a little pause in the day, a small luxury that says, “this one’s yours”.

Elm Lab came from that place of lived experience, especially with our son Charlie’s [eczema prone] skin. With a two, three, and five year old, we’re deep in the throes of cracked hands from endless washing, the long nights searching for eczema solutions — the stress of wanting something safe that actually works. We want Elm Lab to feel like a quiet companion through those raw, early months of parenthood. Something that helps your skin and, in small ways, helps you feel a little more like yourself again.