Interview with Tara Foley of Follain
Meet Tara Foley, founder of Follain, a shop which sells natural and clean beauty products.
Follain just opened its newest location inside of University Village, a few doors down from Village Maternity! They carry the best of clean beauty by 75+ brands. Skincare, haircare, makeup, and body care that is vetted for safety and performance. Started in 2013, they now have 5 stores across the country and are online at follain.com.
Here’s what Tara has to say about motherhood, founding her business, and work-life balance.
- What was your occupation before becoming a mom and then after having a baby?
I started my clean beauty retail business Follain three years before having my first baby, Henry, who is now 2 years old. My baby girl just arrived this September. At the beginning of the business, I was the only employee and hustling like crazy but now we have grown the business and have such a phenomenal team. This allowed me to step away a bit for these births, and I feel so fortunate for the opportunity to do that--for so many reasons!
- How was the transition into motherhood?
More than anything else I've ever done--it was somewhere between amazingly rewarding and incredibly difficult...at the same time. Certain elements were much more work than I could have ever anticipated. Breastfeeding...especially as a working Mom who travels a ton...was NO joke. I had to build it into my schedule, and found myself checking every airport and public place for potential pumping spots. I still do this actually--and a few friends and I share our favorite spots to pump out and about.
- How do you handle work-life balance?
Not very well! In fact, I believe that true balance is a myth. Before having children, I had much more time and space for friends, fitness, and for myself--among other things. Since then, I've really committed to family and Follain, and have had to become OK with this, because even managing those two can be a lot! But by being OK with it--and taking the pressure off myself to be that same fitness queen I used to be pre-babies--I'm in a much better mental state.
- What is your best advice to give to other moms or moms-to-be?
To be much easier on yourself than you would anticipate. I wanted so desperately to bounce back super quickly after birth, yet I had so much to learn about myself and about my relationship with my son. Not only does it take time to heal, but every day is different during those first few months.
- What are your favorite products you used while pregnant or used when your baby was born and would recommend to other moms?
That's a tough one because ALL of our products at Follain are great for new Moms and Moms-to-be. Many women come to Follain the moment they get pregnant, to switch over their skincare routines to healthier, yet high-performing options. When I got pregnant, both times, I ended up using more basic skincare products--like single source oils and gentle toners--as well as rich belly oils and balms all over my body, to nourish super dry skin and protect from stretch marks. Some of my favorites are:
- Soapwalla Pregnant Belly Oil or Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm for preventing stretch marks, all over my body not just belly. I also adore the scent of Tata Harper's balm--especially during pregnancy.
- Herbivore Coco Rose Scrub in the shower, for super dry itchy pregnant skin
- Josh Rosebrook Complete Moisture Cleanser as a gentler face cleanser than my usual one, that still removes makeup and actually moisturizes while cleansing
- Indie Lee Squalane Oil for a basic gentle moisturizer
- Ilia Arabian Knights tinted lip conditioner because who doesn't feel more beautiful and put together instantly with a little lip pop?
- Follain candle to help unwind and relax when I do get the moment for it!