Meet Tammy Fender, holistic practitioner, pioneering Facialist, skincare guru and brand founder

Ever since I was a child, I've felt so connected to the plant kingdom. Even when I was young, I started a collection of books on botanical remedies and herbs and their benefits. So that piece has always been with me. But when I was in college, I worked at a cosmetics counter, and while I loved that the women who came to buy something for themselves seemed so happy, I also started to wonder whether the products I was selling were truly effective and safe. In 1990 I became an aesthetician, and that summer I furthered my studies in France. I was enthralled with the French approach to beauty, and I was beginning to see how my love of natural healing and plants might come together with what I’d learned in France about holistic care. I dove into studying iridology, aromatherapy, thalassotherapy, and any class on holistic healing that I could find. I was amazed by the efficacy and the power of the herbal remedies in action. And all those early experiences combined to launch me into a lifetime of holistic practice and learning. I began my formal healing work in Palm Beach, caring for those searching for natural ways to approach beauty, and through word of mouth my business grew and grew. I opened my first Spa in West Palm Beach in 2002, where I still work in the treatment room today, and we opened a second location in Delray Beach last year. 

 What is the brand DNA and philosophy of Tammy Fender? What makes the brand so outstanding from other skincare brands on the market?

For me, sharing my love of the holistic lifestyle—the simplicity and beauty of living in tune with nature—is a passion. Our brand is known not only for the efficacy of our formulas, and the purity of the exquisite natural ingredients that go into each, but for this holistic approach. Freshly prepared in small batches, each formula is designed to treat the body, mind, and spirit--as well as the skin. I believe that skincare can provide physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits through the sensorial joy of smell and touch, as well as through the transformative energy of plant actives - giving you an experience to savor. 

 How long did it take you to create your own skincare line?

  What is your favorite and most powerful skincare ingredient in your products and why?

 Can you share with us the perfect Tammy Fender Skin Transformation at Home Beauty Protocol?

There are several approaches to at-home transformation. For some, who might feel pressured by a multi-step protocol, please remember that it doesn't need to be complicated:  it's all about intention. If you simply cleanse your skin gently with Cleansing Milk and apply a really nutritive moisturizer like Intensive Repair Balm, that could be enough, and especially when you do so with caring intent. For those who have the time and love to indulge the skin in a more lavish beauty ritual, I like to awaken the skin with micro-exfoliating Epi-Peel, then apply Restorative Radiance Masque, replicating the double-masking protocol we do in the Spa. This is especially beautiful when followed with ultra-nourishing Quintessential Serum, pressing several drops of this concentrated elixir into the skin. 

 What are the holy grail products of your line?

Quintessential Serum, blended with pure Rose and Frankincense, is so deeply restorative. Every precious drop brings incredible benefits to the skin, burnishing its inner luminescence. But I also love Plant Milk Serum, a one-of-a-kind formulation blended with soothing White Lily and Mountain Arnica to calm and nourish the skin. It's a perfect day treatment, whether layered underneath a moisturizing crème or worn on its own. 

 What is your personal daily and weekly beauty regimen?

In the morning I awaken the skin with Bulgarian Rose Water, and follow with my Quartz Gua Sha, working Quintessential Serum into the skin. Then I take a few moments in the infrared sauna. At the end of the day I love to use Epi-Body Polish to lift the dullness off my skin, and follow with Bulgarian Lavender Body Oil, which is so soothing before bedtime. I also protect my skin through the night with Celestial Rose Crème, which is formulated with extra-hydrating Manuka Honey. I'm lucky enough to have facial treatments and Thai Massage treatments weekly at our Spa.  

 What are your thoughts on aging?

 

 Tell us one of your personal best kept beauty secrets?

I'm a huge fan of facial massage, using the fingertips to work your formulas deeper into the skin, to absorb the nutrients more easily, to increase circulation, and to release tension. Taking an extra few seconds in this way can be bring a feeling of nurturing care to the whole system, while also supporting good skin health. 

 What are your healthy habits?

 What does self-love mean to you?

 Because I believe in a holistic perspective, self-love is also a part of loving those around you and nature itself. Self-love includes the importance of caring for the whole person and bringing harmony into the connection between the person and the whole. Some of the ways that I practice self-love effect both the physical body and the emotional state, including using plant remedies that create balance and remind me of my belongingness in nature, eating foods in their natural, raw state, spending time unplugged in nature, slowing down, creating time for silence, and also spending time in nature with my family. 

  

 What are your favorite holistic destinations?

 I love to travel off the beaten path and to seek out and connect with indigenous medicine people wherever I go, from New Zealand to Ireland to Portugal. I feel I understand the people and the lands I visit best through this plant perspective. That said, as a busy entrepreneur and mom, I love to spend downtime at our family retreat on an outer island in the Bahamas. Living a simpler life and connecting with the elements—with the beauty of the water and the nature there—is so restorative. 

Of course, I love to spend time with my skincare routine, whether using Gua Sha and Quintessential Serum in the infrared sauna in the morning or spending an extra moment or two exfoliating my complexion with Epi-Peel. But there are also so many ways I love to awaken my sense of self-love through immersing myself in nature, whether walking barefoot through the garden, sitting quietly to contemplate the delicacy of a flower, connecting with the bees in our honey hives, or harvesting honey to sweeten my morning tea. I also love the inner awakening that happens when I wake up early to see the sunrise, and the enlivening invigoration of diving into the ocean. 

 What is your personal Mantra?

I think of a mantra as something that helps me stay positive and remember what’s important, and mantras can be a really wonderful way to build a personal practice that both feels good and is so nourishing. When I feel overwhelmed, sometimes I simply repeat a positive message, such as "I am at peace," or "all is well” and it becomes a beautiful, grounding mantra.