Tracy Volkner adds a few more drops of fragrant oil to her lip balm. "I like to mix all my stuff by hand," she says as she stirs the creamy mixture. "I don't want to make too much because I don't want to get too commercial. It's something I really enjoy."

For her label Chenoa Skin Care, Tracy makes around eight recipes of her own invention. Most use a base of shea butter, sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil. Her rose moisturiser is a big seller; her personal favourite is a bath milk in which she blends frankincense and rosewood. "That is just gorgeous," she admits. "You come out feeling so rejuvenated."

Tracy knows a lot about the properties of different oils. Her original inspiration was a personal tragedy.

In 1990, her London house caught on fire one evening. The second of her three children died in the resulting blaze. Her youngest, four-year-old Sam, lived but suffered critical burns to 40 per cent of his body.

"They were brilliant with him in the hospital," says Tracy, who avoids talking about this period of her life as much as possible. "They learned a lot from the King's Cross fire in the 80s. His doctor gave me essential oils to rub on his skin for months after he had the burns. Some people who get burns like that, their skin goes hard like rubber. Sam's was scarred, but it healed very soft.

"It just showed me that natural oils have amazing properties."

When treating Sam, Tracy also had to avoid any irritants to his super- sensitive skin; this necessitated a crash course in chemicals. Tracy vowed that her own products would never use common preservatives known as parabens and the detergent sodium laureth sulphate.

For Londoner Tracy, September 11 was "the last straw" to make her leave the city for a new life. Now she lives in St Austell, where she has developed her knowledge with courses in aromatherapy, reflexology and massage.

"I think Cornwall is a very healing place," she says. "When I do my reflexology and massage I make my own oils, and I'll do lotions for people who have skin complaints as well, such as eczema or psoriasis. I sell them at craft fairs where there's handmade produce – Mevagissey on a Wednesday and Fowey on a Friday.

"Chenoa is a native American word for dove, and that's my logo. I chose it because I love the culture of Native Americans – they were connected to each other, to animals and to nature. They thought very holistically: mind, body and spirit."

Tracy is adamant that her handmade products shouldn't price people out of the market: most of her 60ml products cost around £6. "I want it to be affordable for the everyday person, not top of the range," she said. "As long as I'm getting my little bit and covering my costs, I don't mind. I love doing it. It's an interest."

You can see and buy Tracy's range on www.chenoaskincare.co.uk, or to speak to her, phone 01726 828071.