Built on Heart:
How Rene Herald and Temple Continue to Serve, Support, and Inspire Their Community
Part 3 of 3
What's in the blog? Temple Skincare & Spa is a community-focused skin health and wellness clinic in Castle Hill, Sydney, founded by Rene Herald. Beyond award-winning treatments, Temple is built on a strong commitment to service, care, and connection through initiatives such as Temple Hearts, EmpowHER, Temple Retreats, mentorship programs, and industry education. The clinic is recognised for combining advanced skin treatments with a holistic philosophy that values emotional wellbeing, community support, and long-term client care. Through leadership, charity work, and ongoing education, Temple continues to inspire both clients and the wider beauty industry with its purpose-driven approach to skin health and wellness.
There are some places people visit for a treatment. And then there are places that become part of people’s lives.
For many clients, Temple Skincare & Spa has become exactly that… A place they return to not only for skin treatments or wellness rituals, but for the feeling they experience when they walk through the doors: calm, connection, family, and genuine care.
Over the years, The Temple spa has quietly become woven into the lives of so many people within the local community. Clients who first arrived for help with their skin now return with daughters, partners, friends, and family members. Some have celebrated weddings, pregnancies, career milestones, and fresh starts alongside the Temple Team.
Pure luxury! My daughter bought me the “Temple Signature Massage” for my birthday! OMG … it was absolute heaven from start to finish. On arriving I was greeted with a refreshing drink and given a choice of oil scents to be used. The room was so serene that my stress level dropped immediately on entering. The masseuse asked some questions to customise the massage, which was an hour and forty five minutes of pure bliss. I was so relaxed I could easily have drifted off to sleep. To finish off the experience I received a lovely cup of tea and delicious sorbet. If you have someone special in your life, you can’t go wrong with buying this massage voucher. It is versatile and you have three years to use it; it is SO worth it! I highly recommend the Temple! Thank you to all the staff who made me feel very pampered.” – Sasha M.
Others have found comfort during difficult seasons, stressful periods, or moments where confidence felt difficult to hold onto.
Today was my first birthday after the passing of my husband. My Temple Family recognised this – it’s this level of care and attention to detail that makes the Temple spa my number one choice when it comes to holistic therapy for the mind, body and soul. Thank you Laura, Melissa, Rene and Chanel for making my birthday so special. As always I felt brand new when I left, thank you Melissa for the 10/5 massage and facial – I was super relaxed and able to positively reflect on memories with my Joshy – you eased my pain -- thank you! Thank you all for singing happy birthday, the beautiful chocolate mouse and candle and the gifts made my day!!! Miss Laura – my eyebrows look amazing – meticulous! Thank you for taking care of me, my Temple Family - so grateful!” – Phoebe P.
These are the moments that matter most to Rene Herald and the entire Temple Team.
Because while the spa may be known for advanced skin health and award-winning treatments, the heart of Temple has always been people.
A Different Kind of Space
When Rene Herald first created Temple Skincare & Spa more than two decades ago, her vision was never simply to build another beauty destination. She wanted to create a space where people could genuinely exhale. A sanctuary where clients would feel welcomed without judgement, be cared for without pressure, and supported in a way that felt personal and real.
That philosophy still shapes every part of the Temple experience today. It is seen in the way that the conversations that happen during treatments. It is in the calming energy throughout the space. It is in the thoughtful recommendations, personalised for every skin. It is in how clients are listened to, not rushed. It is in the small things called “Temple Signatures,” that make each person who walks through the spa doors (no matter if they are getting an $18 brow wax or an advanced medispa course) feel like they belong, they are looked after with kindness and cared for sincerely.
Here, skin health has always been approached as something deeply connected to emotional wellbeing, confidence, stress, and self-care, not simply appearance alone. And perhaps that is why so many clients say Temple feels like a salon different from anywhere else they have experienced before.
Growing Alongside the Community
One of the most meaningful parts of the spa’s journey has been growing alongside the local community itself. Over time, relationships naturally evolve.
Clients who once arrived feeling unsure about their skin become some of The Temple’s biggest supporters and friends. Young women who visited Temple with their mothers now return as adults themselves. Familiar faces continue walking through the doors year after year, not only because of the treatments, but because of the trust and connection built over time.
This sense of community is something the Temple Team deeply values and never takes for granted.
It is also why recent recognition at the Local Business Awards 2026 for Business of the Year and Outstanding Beauty Services, felt especially emotional for the Team. Not because of titles or trophies, but because it reflected the support of the people who have helped shape Temple’s story over so many years.
For Founder and Director Rene Herald, that support means everything.
Read Part 1 of this series. The Heart Behind the Awards
Read Part 2 of this series. Behind the Glow, Meet the Temple Team
Leadership Through Care
At the Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2026, Rene Herald was recognised with the prestigious Champion Master Award, an honour celebrating leadership, contribution, and excellence across Australian small business.
But those closest to Rene know that leadership has never been about recognition for her. It has always been about people. More importantly, it’s about creating opportunities for others and in the process, helping young therapists grow in confidence. As an extension of this, Rene mentors emerging business owners through Business Beyond Beauty. But most of all, it is about creating spaces where women feel supported, educated, and empowered through initiatives such as Temple Retreats and the empowHER Menopause Symposium.
Her approach has always been grounded in generosity, integrity, and service… values that continue to shape the culture of The Temple today.
The Team Behind the Experience
One of the things clients often say about the salon is how deeply cared for they feel by the Team. And, that feeling does not happen by accident. It comes from Therapists and Team members who genuinely love what they do and who bring empathy, warmth, and intention into every client interaction.
Whether it’s remembering the small details of someone’s life, helping guide a long-term skin journey, or simply creating a calm moment in someone’s busy week, the Temple Team understands that care goes far beyond treatments alone.
Recently, Temple Therapist Brooke was recognised as Retail Therapist of the Year at the PBS Skin Summit Awards, while Laura McKenna has also previously received the same recognition twice in previous years.
But within Temple, these moments are viewed less as individual achievements and more as reflections of a shared philosophy: support people honestly, educate them with care, and always place integrity before pressure.
It is a standard that quietly shapes every experience within the clinic.
More Than Skin
Although Temple Skincare & Spa is widely recognised for advanced skin health and results-driven treatments, what clients often remember most is how they felt while they were there: seen, listened to, comfortable, welcomed like family, supported.
For some clients, the spa becomes part of their self-care routine, their sanctuary. For others, it becomes a place to reset emotionally and mentally as much as physically. This deeper connection is something Rene has intentionally nurtured over many years: the belief that wellbeing should support the whole person, not just the surface of the skin.
That philosophy can be felt through every part of Temple, from its treatments and rituals to the energy of the Team itself.
Have Your Hands Full? Listen to the Podcast Instead
A Purpose That Reaches Beyond the Treatment Room
One of the things that has always quietly shaped Temple is the belief that success should create the ability to help others.
For Rene Herald, building the salon was never only about skin treatments, technology, or creating beautiful experiences. From the beginning, it was also about creating a space grounded in kindness, generosity, and community.
This philosophy lives through Temple Hearts, the charitable arm of Temple Skincare & Spa.
Through Temple Hearts, the Temple team has supported a range of organisations, charities, local schools, women’s shelters, and community initiatives over many years, all centred around the idea of helping people feel supported, cared for, and less alone during difficult times.
Among the causes supported are the McGrath Foundation, helping fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses for families experiencing breast cancer; The Sanctuary – The Hills Women’s Shelter, supporting women and children escaping domestic violence; Tuberous Sclerosis Australia through fundraising initiatives such as Lizzie’s Lunch; and Ward Angels, supporting families with children in hospital care. Temple has also previously partnered with Hawkesbury Helping Hands to help support vulnerable families and school children experiencing hardship.
Hi Rene, As a McGrath Breast Care Nurse, I have the privilege of providing support and care to people experiencing breast cancer each day. That’s why I’m writing to you today – because I want to say thank you for all that you’re doing to support me and my patients. One of the key elements of my role is supporting patients whose breast cancer has metastasised, meaning it has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. I support my patients and their loved ones through these feelings of grief and loss of control. I help them to accept cancer as a part of their life and to live as well as possible throughout treatment and beyond. This emotional support is a crucial part of cancer care – and it can be so much more challenging for patients who don’t have the guidance of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse. So thank you, Rene, for helping ensure more Australians can access this care.
Being a McGrath Breast Care Nurse is more than showing up each day. One day I might advocate for a patient to receive a new form of care, another, I may guide a parent through sharing their diagnosis with their children. With your support, each day I am more than a nurse – I am an educator, navigator and unwavering source of support throughout their experience.
I feel incredibly privileged to do what I do. When you’re living with breast cancer, the support of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse is vital and it saddens me to think that some people living with breast cancer are missing out. That’s why I’m so grateful to you Rene. With your monthly gift, you’re helping the McGrath Foundation build a future where every Australian experiencing breast cancer can have access to the care and support they need - for free.” Thank you, Sam Moules, McGrath Breast Care Nurse McGrath Foundation/GenesisCare, Sydney
For Rene, this work has never been viewed as separate from the spa’s purpose, it is part of it. Because at its core, Temple has always been about caring for people. Not only when they are in the treatment room, but also within the wider community beyond its walls.
Over the years, this spirit of generosity has become deeply woven into Temple’s culture. Clients often become part of these initiatives too, supporting fundraising events, awareness campaigns, charity drives, and community outreach simply by being part of the Temple Family. In fact, a percentage of each dollar that comes from a client’s facial or massage, goes to these various charities and women’s and youth organisations.
It is a reminder that when people come together through kindness, even small acts of care can create a meaningful impact.
And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful parts of Temple’s journey… the understanding that beauty, wellness, and success mean very little if they cannot also be used to uplift and support others.
A Quiet Legacy of Service
In a world that often moves quickly and loudly, Temple has continued to grow by staying connected to something simple: people matter. Not trends. Not hype. Not pressure. Just genuine care, consistency, and the desire to make people feel better than when they arrived.
That is the real meaning behind The Temple’s recent recognition. Not awards alone, but the relationships, trust, and community that exist behind them.
And while the future will continue to bring new treatments, technologies, and opportunities, the heart behind Temple remains unchanged. Temple Skincare is a place built on care, built on connection and a sanctuary built on heart.
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