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Hi Margaret! Thank you so much for collaborating with us. Can you share with us about the inspiration behind creating Lula Eye Masks?
The inspiration for Lula Eye Masks was born out of our experience of the challenges of everyday life. Like so many people, we found ourselves being overwhelmed trying to balance family, work, and personal life and realised that we were neglecting our own well-being, unable to afford the time or resources for traditional self-care treatments like massages or facials. The first time we tried warming eye masks we absolutely loved them, we both felt so calm and relaxed after wearing the eye masks, it was like having a spa treatment in the home and we knew that others need this too.
Our business is unique in that we unexpectedly became our own best customers, needing it more than we could have imagined. While creating our first eye mask samples, I received the unexpected news that I had breast cancer and just six weeks later Aisling, my sister and business partner, was to receive the same shocking diagnosis, she too had breast cancer.
Despite the setback we continued working, testing and perfecting the warmth and scents during our surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. We fell even more in love with them finding comfort in our eye masks when feeling unwell during chemo and our times in hospital.
We were forced to slow right down and learnt that it is such a gift to take time for yourself but it should be a gift we give ourselves every day, without guilt, especially women, who often don’t think they deserve or should slow down.
Thus, Lula Eye Masks was born with a mission—to inspire moments of self-care and infuse calm and joy into busy lives by providing practical and affordable solutions for women seeking a break from life's demands.
How did the idea for self-warming eye masks come about?
I came across self-warming eye masks available in Japan and Europe and thought they sounded incredible but I couldn’t find them anywhere in Australia. At first I just wanted to use them to help look after myself, but I’d also been looking to have my own business for a while. After we used them for the first time we quickly realised that the rest of Australia needed self-warming eye masks too, so the business idea was born!
For those looking to enhance their sleep experience, how do you recommend using your eye masks, and do you have any tips for maximising their effectiveness before bedtime?
Incorporating our eye masks into your nightly routine is simple, yet highly effective. A Lula Self-Warming Eye Mask is no ordinary sleep mask; when you open it, iron particles in the mask meet the air, and a natural oxidation process occurs, causing it to warm up to a comforting temperature. This warmth helps relax the eye muscles and may aid in easing you into a more restful sleep. A beautiful gift of self-care, the eye masks also come in a selection of relaxing scents including Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Grapefruit or Vanilla, along with an unscented option. These scents were chosen for their ability to help you relax, de-stress, and assist with sleep.
We recommend using the time with the eye mask to focus on your breath and the warmth of the eye mask—take slow, deep breaths to further relax your body and clear your mind. You can pair a Lula eye mask with other relaxing activities, such as listening to calming music or meditation. We also love using Salt Lab on our legs and stomach before hopping into bed and using a Lula Eye mask. The combination of these activities enhances the overall relaxation experience.
Beyond sleep, how do Lula Eye Masks support overall health and wellness, and what are some of the common health benefits users have reported?
We have received incredibly positive feedback from our customers regarding the benefits they have experienced when using a Lula self-warming eye mask. Customers have let us know about the relief they experience from headaches and migraines, finding the soothing warmth to be particularly effective in alleviating tension and promoting overall relaxation.
The steam which is created during the heating process is also great for dry eyes, it’s like a warm compress so we often receive feedback regarding this and we are now stocked in optometrists.
Beyond its use at home, customers have also found our eye masks to be indispensable during travel, making the journey more comfortable and enjoyable and also helping them adjust to the challenges of jetlag.
We receive a lot of beautiful emails from women going through cancer or other medical treatments who have found that the eye masks have given them some relief from the side effects of the medical treatments - helping with sleep, headaches and dry eyes. We feel really honoured that people take the time to share their personal stories with us.
Additionally, our customers have embraced the use of these eye masks during meditation sessions. The gentle warmth enhances the meditative experience, creating a serene environment that facilitates mindfulness and relaxation.
How can Lula Eye Masks offer a practical solution to alleviate stress and tiredness during the day, and do you have any tips for users incorporating them into daily life?
One of the great things about our Lula eye masks is they are designed to be so easy to use, they are compact and can be easily popped into your hand bag or overnight bag, allowing you to enjoy a moment of tranquillity wherever you need it. When you need a quick little rest to recharge for the rest of the day, whether it's during a lunch break or a quick pause between tasks, you can use the eye masks to refresh your eyes and clear your mind. You’ll often find me having a quick 20 min recharge on my lounge with a Lula Eye Mask before school pick up. Our beautiful scent of grapefruit was chosen for its positive effect on mood and to help you wake feeling refreshed and energised to face the rest of the day. People even use them at their hair appointments or during facials.
How has the positive feedback from customers influenced the evolution of the Lula Eye Masks brand?
The wonderful feedback we have received has reinforced our mission to inspire self care in a simple way, by not adding more to the day but enhancing your everyday life and giving you a sense of calm. We started with the eye mask to help people drift off to sleep and now also offer essential oils that you can quickly roll on your pulse points . More recently we have introduced some beautiful rose and white quartz lights to create an atmosphere of calm in any space.
As the founders of Lula Eye Masks, how do you envision the brand evolving in the future, and are there any exciting innovations or products on the horizon?
We do have some wonderful new products in the works with some to be launched in the next few months. We are very excited about our new products with some being made right here in Brisbane, Qld. Some of the products have been in the works for a while now but even in business we try to create calm for ourselves so things move slowly at Lula Eye Mask but we are very excited about the future.
To experience the calming warmth and relaxation firsthand, you can explore and shop Lula Eye Masks on their website.
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