Behind the brand…meet Harriet, founder of Spacemasks

International Women’s Day seems the perfect time to celebrate some of the fantastic female founders I’m working with in a new series you’ll find on the blog called Behind the brand. Each month, you’ll get the lowdown on the wonder women behind the brands you see in our gift boxes. 

Kicking off the series is Harriet, founder of the “miracle” self-heating eye masks, Spacemasks. If you don’t know about Spacemasks, where have you been living?!

You just place the mask over your eyes, sit back and relax for 15-20 minute and leave the mask to perform its magic. That’s all. The heating process works by a thin layer of iron filings entwining with the oxygen molecules in the air. It is totally safe and super simple. The ever so relaxing jasmine is in a low concentration. So you can enjoy its fragrance without irritating the skin. Honestly, they work wonders.

Now let’s meet Harriet…

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m very much a Londoner. I was born in Westminster in the mid seventies and was brought up in Clapham.  My father died when I was 11 and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 16.  She died when I was 22.  I met my husband when I was 25 and we were married and had our first of 4 daughters by the time I was 27.

What inspired you to start Spacemasks?

About 5 years ago, we became a host family for Japanese students and one of the students brought me a warming face mask and it dawned on me that to create an affordable, self-heating eye mask for times of stress, fatigue and anxiety could be a winner.  I decided on the space theme to emphasise the escape from earthly worries and created the brand.  That was in May 2017 and Spacemasks has gone from strength to strength and they are now available worldwide! 

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?

That’s a tough question, it probably has to be getting Spacemasks stocked at Liberty.  And Virgin Atlantic. 

You’re almost at an incredible 50,000 followers on Instagram. What do you love most about Instagram and what advice would you give to people trying to build a following?

It’s staggering, isn’t it?  I genuinely don’t know how it’s happened.  I suspect there’s an element of novelty factor.  I’m not very fussed about appearances and what you see is really what you get.  I have made some seriously good friends on Instagram.  My advice would be to always be honest, always follow your gut.  Don’t get involved with the gossip and always be kind. 

What do you love about what you do?

Reading all the messages I receive about how Spacemasks help.  Not only do they help with sleep which, in turn, helps a multitude of things, they help with anxiety which is unfortunately rife these days.  I struggled with anxiety in my 20’s so I know how debilitating it can be.  With a good night’s sleep and a tool like a Spacemask to help you switch off and unplug, you can think more rationally and feel so much better. 

How do you take care of yourself? Do you have regular time just for you? 

I’m very good at this!  I’m totally hyper active and rarely sit still but I recognise when I need to stop and then I sleep, sleep and sleep some more.  I’m often found having a massage and I have facials every 6 weeks, religiously.  A daily bubble bath is also imperative!