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Healthy Living Guide - Natural Home Articles

The need for a fabric softener I could tolerate back in 2008 was the catalyst for this whole store. Before Shop Naturally, I was a professional web developer and had made over 200 websites for other businesses, including a dozen online stores. When I developed sensitivities to chemicals and smells and my skin was ultra sensitive, I went on the hunt for natural fabric softener. The only store in my local area who sold one was a 45 minute drive each way and more often than not, they were out of stock. I set up a small online store, found the wholesaler and ordered a carton, plus a few other products I used on a regular basis that my naturopath recommended and Shop Naturally took on a life of its own. It grew from a bookshelf in a spare bedroom to a 300 sqm warehouse in under 2 years with no advertising spend.

This category is the way I live my life. My health is significantly better each and every day when I control my surroundings. We’re not just moving boxes and analysing spreadsheets here, this is my life. The cleaning products in particular are the least profitable thing we do and the thing I’m most passionate about. Until you know what it’s like to break out in a rash, have itchy skin, or breathing issues and countless other reactions from not being able to clean your home or wash your clothes and bed linen, you don’t quite understand how important these products are to people.

I am also a big advocate for the safe use of essential oils. These little bottles are potent extracts and need to be treated with the utmost respect. The post we wrote about safely using essential oils in the bath is a game changer and we crushed a few myths about this one.

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Joanne Swadling

Shop Naturally Founder & Owner since 2009

Latest Articles

  1. We compare the #1 Stanley Cup Dupe choices in Australia - Yeti Tumbler vs Ever Eco Tumbler vs Oasis Tumbler

    We compare the #1 Stanley Cup Dupe choices in Australia - Yeti Tumbler vs Ever Eco Tumbler vs Oasis Tumbler

    We've all seen the social media commentary between the Stanley Cup and the Yeti Tumbler. There are plenty of Stanley Cup Dupes on the market that do exactly the same thing for a fraction of the price, and
  2. 5 Questions & Answers with the founders of Ecyo

    5 Questions & Answers with the founders of Ecyo

    Ecyo have helped to solve a problem we have here at Shop Naturally. One of the things we do in the daily running of Shop Naturally that we don't particularly like is to ship water to people. It's
  3. doTERRA Zengest vs Digestzen - has 1 swap improved this blend?

    doTERRA Zengest vs Digestzen - has 1 swap improved this blend?

    If you're wondering why you haven't seen Digestzen on our shelves for a long time, it's because doTERRA Australia have reformulated and changed the name. doTERRA Zengest vs Digestzen, what's the difference? What was in the original Digestzen
  4. 5 reasons to love Dr Planet Castile Soap

    5 reasons to love Dr Planet Castile Soap

    When we met the owners of Dr Planet Castile Soap at the Naturally Good Expo in 2023, it took me under 60 seconds to decide to stock it purely on feeling the product in my hands and seeing
  5. Can I mix essential oils with aloe vera gel? Find out if it's safe or not.

    Can I mix essential oils with aloe vera gel? Find out if it's safe or not.

    You know the saying, oil and water don't mix, so can you mix essential oils with aloe vera gel safely? The answer might surprise you. Do essential oils mix with aloe vera gel?The best thing to mix essential
  6. Australia's #1 natural bed bug spray

    Australia's #1 natural bed bug spray

    Have you ever gone away on holidays and brought home more than a sun tan and some souvenirs? You might need a natural bed bug spray. Bed bugs are a scourge on the hospitality industry, and there's a
  7. Silicone Cups - win lunch time & turn any lunch box in to a bento box with 2 or more compartments

    Silicone Cups - win lunch time & turn any lunch box in to a bento box with 2 or more compartments

    Are silicone cups the answer to a great lunch box hack? Most kitchen cupboards have a stack of lunch boxes in them, but not everyone has a bento box in their collection. A couple of years ago now
  8. 6 things to do with Bon Ami

    6 things to do with Bon Ami

    Bon Ami have made their natural cleaning mineral powder since 1886, and it's still so popular in the USA today that Martha Stewart has endorsed it. It's 'Good Thing' approved by Martha, calling it a best in class
  9. Compostable Dish Cloths from The Happy Sparrow

    Compostable Dish Cloths from The Happy Sparrow

    Adding compostable dish cloths to our range was a no brainer. When we sit down to do the product development for our own brand, The Happy Sparrow, we take a look at the same criteria we use for
  10. Introducing Ecyo Cleaning Pods

    Introducing Ecyo Cleaning Pods

    One of the more costly things we do in store is ship water to people. Ecyo created a solution for that. While we don't sell water, many pre-made cleaning products are diluted with water, ready to use. It
  11. doTERRA Australia - 5 doTERRA TGA approved oils

    doTERRA Australia - 5 doTERRA TGA approved oils

    Are there many doTERRA TGA approved oils? When putting away our latest batch of stock from doTERRA, we noticed there are now 5 product with an AUST L number printed on the bottle. AUST L numbers are given
  12. Sometimes it's about reducing the amount of plastic you're using

    Sometimes it's about reducing the amount of plastic you're using

    We saw an interesting post by Who Gives A Crap this Plastic Free July and we really loved the message (see the bottom of this post for the full graphic). It explains how not everyone has the privilege

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