WHERE IT ALL STARTED

Did you know… that the idea behind Kiss the Moon was born at 36,000 ft on a flight to Hong Kong?

Founder, Jo Foster had been searching for a solution to her own disrupted sleep caused by a busy lifestyle and regular bouts of jetlag.

She was living in London and working as a director for an innovation agency helping some of the world’s biggest companies come up with new product ideas. The role involved lots of international travel and working to tight deadlines. Exciting - absolutely, but also exhausting.

“Life was a real whirlwind and I loved it, but I soon noticed that this type of lifestyle took its toll. When you are 20 you feel like you can do anything; but in your 30's you need the weekends to recover. By 40 if you are skimping on your rest then you really start to feel it." Jo

Jo realised from her experience that unless you look after yourself and give your body the downtime it needs, you are going to hit trouble. For Jo, the key was realising exactly how much this way of life was her sleep and the impact that was having.

"Without decent sleep everything else starts to creak - from your mood to your skin to your overall health and mental wellbeing.” Jo

Jo set about understanding sleep and how to influence it. The penny dropped on a long-haul flight when she uncovered that the same bit of our brain that controls sleep also controls our sense of smell. She realised the answer to a better night’s sleep could lie in the world of aromatherapy.

"Although the motivation came from my busy London life and from the need to manage jetlag - the route to the answer came from the type of environment I grew up in - the Yorkshire countryside. It became clear that the key to understanding sleep was to tune in to nature and the way our body responds to fundamentals such as light; temperature and, specifically, to nature’s most relaxing aromas." Jo

Unable to find a solution that ticked all her boxes (she was after something natural, beautiful to use and not leaving her smelling of old-lady lavender) she decided to learn more about nature’s most soothing essential oils and make products for herself.

“Having an idea is one thing, making it happen is a whole other ball game. If you want to start a viable business from scratch, then you definitely can’t do it alone.”

Jo joined up with business partner Anna, and the pair worked together to see where the idea could go. Both had a background in marketing and Anna had worked in the world of luxury goods and cosmetics. Together they shaped the brand and mapped out the product range – finding key support en route from small batch manufacturers, photographers and web designers who shared the common goal of helping bring the world of Kiss the Moon to life.

From the first few batches of bath oils and face oils, tested and developed with input from a stream of friends and family, the four signature blends and the first products were created.  

Jump forward a few years and the range has now grown in to 35 products spanning home fragrance, night-time skincare and bedtime bath & body products – all designed to help you get more out of your night’s sleep and care for your skin overnight.

It’s been quite a journey and we’ve learnt so much along the way. We couldn’t have done it would our fab team and all the supporters who have helped us along the way. Every day is different when you run a small business. We can’t wait to see where the adventure will take us next.” Anna