A lifetime of itching. Thirty-six attempts. One balm.

A lifetime of struggle

From his earliest years, Jonathan’s life was shaped by severe eczema – on his hands, his feet, his face and behind the knees. It stole his sleep with relentless itching and chipped away at his confidence with cracked, red, sore skin. Eczema had run through several generations of his family, but Jonathan refused to let it define him.

The treatments that let him down

Steroid creams gave only fleeting relief. Over time they thinned his skin, left a greasy residue, and never touched the underlying problem. He tried Chinese medicine, dietary changes, allergy tests and more over-the-counter products than he can remember. Nothing lasted.

Then his young son developed eczema on his eyelid – an area far too delicate for steroid creams. Watching his boy caught in the same itch-and-scratch cycle was the moment something shifted.

The kitchen-table laboratory

Jonathan set out to make something himself. He started simple – just beeswax and olive oil – and it half-worked, which was enough to keep him going. He researched skin-soothing botanicals, ordered ingredients, and turned his kitchen into a workshop of pots, oils and patient trial and error.

After 36 attempts, he had a blend of 24 waxes, butters and oils. He called it Rescue Balm.

His son tried it. Within three days, the eczema on his eyelid had calmed completely. He shared it with friends and family, and the messages came back – people with eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and rosacea telling him it had done what nothing else had.

Essence of Nature

Jonathan launched Essence of Nature at the end of 2024. Everything is handmade in Scotland, with locally sourced, ethically chosen ingredients and recyclable packaging. No harsh chemicals, no parabens, no palm oil, no artificial colours, fragrances or preservatives – and never tested on animals.

Still small. Still handmade. Still personal.

Essence of Nature is not a big company, and Jonathan likes it that way. He still makes Rescue Balm by hand, to the same recipe he created for his own family. What has changed is that it is now available to anyone who has been through the same frustrating cycle and is looking for something different.

If that is you, he hopes it does for your skin what it did for his.