Meet the founder of luxury spa skincare line – Temple Spa

Having been inspired to create a skincare line born of organic ingredients and Mediterranean warmth, Liz Warom and her husband Mark are the brains behind Temple Spa. A favourite in luxury spa treatments as well as home skincare products. Here, Liz explains what inspired the brand and what’s next at Temple Spa HQ…

What did you do before Temple Spa?

We both worked together for many years and created brands and managed businesses for other people. We worked for Anita Roddick when we managed The Body Shop Colourings brand worldwide brand. After this, we approached Sir Richard Branson with a brand concept and go-do business plan called Virgin Vie; after running this for a few years, it gave us the training and know how to create our own brand Temple Spa.

What is the backstory behind the brand?

After our time with The Body Shop and Virgin Vie, in the late nineties, Mark and I decided to take a year out to think about our own future. We spent most of this time travelling throughout The Mediterranean and ended this sabbatical by renewing our vows in Cyprus.

On the morning of this magical anniversary day, Mark was doing his early morning swim in the hotel’s infinity pool and he was transfixed by the oh-my-gosh scene in front of him so grabbed his camera to snap the water, sea and sky. When he came back into the room, he said “well what do you think of this photo”? I took one look and replied, “well what do you think of the name Temple Spa”?!

We had talked loosely about maybe creating our own brand, but it was in this epiphany moment the decision was firmly made. Typical of Mark he wasted no time in calling trademark lawyers to register the name and later that day we rededicated our vows and future in a beautiful Byzantine chapel with amazing clarity and purpose.

Inspired by The Mediterranean architecture, landscape, diet and culture we’d found the basis for the brand. The products are laden with luscious botanicals, combined with technical edge delivering serious results. As we were in our forties when we conceived Temple Spa, we deliberately rejected industry metaphors that build on insecurities, so every product has anti-ageing ingredients tucked into each formula as opposed to a separate anti-ageing range, along with patented complexes as well as warm, self-esteem boosting language. So we’re a British brand with a Mediterranean soul.

What is the ethos behind the brand?

We create exceptional skincare products and experiences that make a real difference to your skin and soul health. We believe that your body is a living temple, so honour it, enjoy your life and live it to the full.

How has it developed over the years?

We’re both perfectionists, so we never stand still, there’s always room for improvement! Twenty years ago, we started with a tight range of skin and body care. We now have almost 100 top-to-toe products; led by skin care, we are known for amazing, results driven formulae and treatments. We launched in Harrods and Bailiffscourt 18 years ago and we are still in those wonderful places but our spa business is in massive growth right now, we can hardly keep up! A nice problem. Of course changes in our world and social behaviour impacts sustainability and social media, terms that were not even spoken about twenty years ago.

Do you have a favourite skincare product?

Just one?! Ooh that’s difficult. I’m often asked this, so can I choose my top five?! Skin Truffle is a truly incredible moisturiser and was a real game changer for the brand when we launched it ten years ago. Repose is our number one product, we call it “a good night’s sleep in a jar”. In The Beginning is our iconic cleansing balm with a texture to die for, Windows of The Soul the best eye cream on the market and Exalt our neck gel which I’ve been using every day for 18 years and I honestly don’t think my neck has aged one bit.

What are you the most proud of with the Temple Spa skincare brand?

Being British, privately owned with no external investment; we’ve literally grown Temple Spa organically and we feel incredibly blessed. We’re proud of our amazing team, clients, supply partners and of course beautiful customers who have helped build it and who we have the privilege of doing life with.

Is there anything that people don’t realise generally/are surprised about Temple Spa skincare?

That we’re 20 years old! Nigella Lawson is a great fan and friend of the brand and it was she who described us as “the brand to be found”. I think because we’re not in every department store or salon across the country, we’re niche but that can also lead to invisibility. We’re working on that, whilst remaining exclusive.

What do you think is the biggest spa trend this year?

Although it’s a tad over-used as a term, wellness is on everyone’s lips. Mental health concerns, stress, wellness in the workplace are high on the agenda, so as an industry this gives us a massive opportunity to respond.

What do you think is our biggest wellbeing need in our society at the moment?

Well, we’re all doing too much with too little, so there’s a deficit when it comes to self-care. People are so busy DOING, they’re not busy BEING. Stress is no longer a whispered word that troubles a few, it is pandemic and so dealing with it is a major issue. We were created to work six days then take a day of rest, so a good start would be using our day off to gather, press pause and restore. Mental health is a very real concern, it is now at least being recognised and not a taboo subject. Kindness towards yourself and others also is being dialled up, I love that these values are being talked about. We have raised over £150,000 for Mind in the last couple of years and

How would you like to see the spa industry develop in the coming months and years.

We have to take health and safety very seriously. It will no longer be an option to not offer strict and scrupulous protocols when protecting those in our care.

Our industry has a desperate need for good therapists; we have more vacancies than staff and this affects all spas everywhere. You’ve got to have a heart to serve and care for people. Whilst a lot of therapists have good hands and techniques, they often need help in developing their social and communication skills. We expect them to come out of college and deliver treatments to clients who often are older and well-travelled, it’s a big ask and so I’d like to see this being added to the syllabus to prepare them better.

What are you looking forward to at Temple Spa this year?

It’s our 20th anniversary this year. We have three major product launches planned, an anniversary spa treatment to-die-for and to commemorate our 20th year we will be launching an exquisite fine fragrance called MY ESSENCE, oh and we move into expanded barns for our growing family.

Temple Spa also partners with Spabreaks.com, featuring their delicious products in our gift voucher gift boxes.