From Retail Worker to Skincare Maker: The Story Behind Heel to Heart Spa Products
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I didn't plan on becoming a skincare maker. I planned on retiring.
After thirty-plus years in retail management, my body had enough. A knee replacement. Shoulder surgery. Feet that had carried me through decades of long shifts on hard floors, concrete and tile, day after day after day. I was past sixty-five and retirement wasn't really a choice anymore — it chose me.
But I still needed income. More than that, I needed purpose.
The Discovery That Changed Everything
I'd been struggling with my own skin for years. Cracked heels that wouldn't heal no matter what I tried. Dry skin that commercial moisturizers seemed to make worse. Lips that reacted to almost every product on the market. Nothing worked — and I'd tried everything.
Then I watched my daughter create her own tallow-based skincare products and build something real with them. She introduced me to grass-fed tallow, and something clicked.
I tried it on my heels first. Within a week, I could feel the difference. Real healing — not temporary softening that wore off by morning, but actual repair. The cracks were filling in. The skin was becoming supple and resilient in a way it hadn't been in years.
I thought: if this works for my heels after everything I've put them through, it can work for anyone.
The First Product: RESTORE Heel Balm
Our RESTORE Heel Balm was the first product I made — for myself, from my own need. I chose ginger as one of the scents because my mum started every morning with ginger and lemon tea. That warmth lives in my memory and my hands. Sweet Orange came next because it's bright and uplifting and smells like things getting better.
I started sharing it with friends. They came back. They told other people. And I realized I had something worth building.
Building the Line
Every product I've added since has come from the same place — a real need, a real solution. The RECOVER Magnesium Spray because restless legs were stealing my sleep and oral magnesium upset my stomach. The COMFORT Foot Soak because healing heels need more than balm alone — they need preparation. The EASE Lip Balm because my lips reacted to every commercial formula I tried. The REPLENISH Body Butter because lavender is my favourite scent in the world and I wanted a body moisturizer worthy of it.
Everything at Heel to Heart was made because I needed it. That's still true of every batch I make today.
The Markets
I started selling at the Greater Bedford Farmers Market (Wednesdays 4–7pm) and the Fairview Farmers Market (Thursdays 4–7pm) in Halifax in 2026. I run the booth entirely myself — just me, which means when you visit our table, you're talking to the maker.
I love the markets. I love meeting the people who use our products face to face, hearing what works for them, answering questions about ingredients and sourcing. Those conversations remind me why I started.
What We Stand For
Every product we make is built on three things:
- Grass-fed Nova Scotia tallow sourced from a single local farm — traceable, ethical, genuinely local
- Clean ingredients only — no synthetic fragrance, no petroleum derivatives, no unnecessary additives
- Small-batch production by hand, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia — every jar made with care and personal accountability
We qualify for Nova Scotia Loyal certification across our entire tallow product line. We're proud of that. It represents everything we believe about local sourcing and community investment.
This Is Heel to Heart
I'm not trying to build an empire. I'm trying to make something that genuinely helps people — starting with the people who've spent decades on their feet, who are struggling with skin that commercial products can't fix, who want to know what's in their skincare and where it comes from.
If that's you, I made this for you.
Explore our full collection of Nova Scotia tallow skincare — or find us at the Halifax markets and say hello in person.
Care. Comfort. Ritual.
— Vanda