Our Story
Kia ora! Hello! I am Suse, crafter & purveyor of luxurious natural & organic skincare products, made from only the best of ingredients.
By The Lily Pond started kind of by accident. I really just wanted to see if there was a way of making my own hand cream. I was tired of seeing empty plastic tubes, representing money I barely had, pile up, while my hands still kept looking as if I had been in bouts of fisticuffs.
I started my research. I tried out recipes. I became a convert. I converted all my family by making hand cream for them. I learned how to formulate. I drew a picture and thought of a name for a business. And, thus, I was on my way.
My “no-compromise” ethos of social and environmental responsibility is rooted in my long-time academic & activist interest in environmental and social issues. I hold a Master of Science degree in Geography and have previously taught a course in Environmental Sociology at the University of Canterbury.
The By The Lily Pond range of products is hand-crafted. Whenever possible, I use ingredients that are certified organic, pure/natural (e.g., unrefined), therapy-grade, vegan or vegetarian (when containing beeswax), and/or fair-trade. Both product & freight packaging material is chosen for minimal environmental impact.
I sell on local Christchurch markets, & my favourite thing is when a previous customer comes up to me to tell me how much they love my product. It happens more and more often ... she says ever so humbly... 🙂 Ahem.
The name of the business, by the way? My name is Susanne Rose. The name “Susanne” stems from the Hebrew word Soshana, a derivative of shōshannāh, which means “lily”. It has been an old family joke that my name is a whole bunch of flowers.
And the picture I drew? Once I saw Lily sitting there by her lily pond, it all came together.
