Our Story

Hi. I'm Vanda.

Vanda Dawson, founder and maker of Heel to Heart Spa Products, at home in Sackville, Nova Scotia

I didn't plan on becoming a skincare maker. I planned on retiring.

After thirty-plus years in retail, my body finally said enough. A knee replacement. Shoulder surgery. Feet that had carried me through decades of long shifts on hard floors. I was past sixty-five and retirement wasn't really a choice anymore — it chose me.

But retirement without purpose wasn't something I was ready for either. I still needed an income. More than that, I still needed something that was mine.

Then I watched my daughter create her own tallow-based products and find real success with them. And something clicked.

I'd been struggling with my own skin for years — cracked heels, dry skin, lips that reacted to almost every commercial product I tried. I couldn't find anything that actually worked. So I decided to make it myself.

That first product was RESTORE Heel Balm. I made it for my own feet. It worked. And I realized — if I needed this, other people did too.

Every product I make comes from that same place. A real need. A real solution. No fillers, no chemicals, nothing I wouldn't put on my own skin. I source my grass-fed tallow from a single local Nova Scotia farm because I know exactly what's in it and where it comes from.

The scents I choose are personal too. Ginger because my mom started every morning with ginger and lemon tea — that warmth lives in me. Lavender because it's my favourite scent in the world. Vanilla because it's warm and comforting and just feels like home.

And I love changing things up with the seasons. Bright, fresh scents in the summer. Warm, cozy ones for fall and the holidays. There's always something new to look forward to — follow along on Facebook to see what's coming next.

I'm not trying to sell you something you'll buy once and forget. I want you to come back because it helped you. Because your heels finally feel soft again. Because your legs finally feel rested. Because your lips finally feel like your own again.

That means everything to me.

I live in Sackville, Nova Scotia with my husband. I love the ocean, my garden, and the kind of life that has room to breathe. I make every product by hand, in small batches, with care.

This is Heel to Heart.

Care. Comfort. Ritual.

— Vanda