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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. Natural mosquito repellent using ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate

    Natural mosquito repellent using ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate

    As the weather warms up and we start heading outdoors in the evenings again, mozzies, midgets and other bugs like to join us. Mainstream brands like Aeroguard and Bushman are often delivered in an aerosol can and contain
  2. 3 natural cleaning sprays to make with Castile Soap

    3 natural cleaning sprays to make with Castile Soap

    Making your dollar stretch as far as possible is more important than ever. If the cost of some natural cleaning products are becoming out of reach, here's 3 natural cleaning sprays you can make at home with a
  3. The #1 reason to buy a dedicated natural wool wash

    The #1 reason to buy a dedicated natural wool wash

    Is buying a dedicated natural wool wash just a gimmick created by cleaning product manufacturers to get you to buy something extra? No. And here's some visual proof for you. I don't own a lot of wool, but
  4. Why we're selling flushable wet wipes

    Why we're selling flushable wet wipes

    There are some products I sit on the fence with stocking and flushable wet wipes are one of them. Promoting single use products is not something we heavily deal in when there's a reusable / washable option available
  5. 4 ingredient DIY natural face paint for kids

    4 ingredient DIY natural face paint for kids

    If you're looking for the best kids makeup set in Australia, we have you covered. What we don't have in store is natural face paint for kids. We used to stock the face paint from No Nasties Kids
  6. Inside the Green Essentials Bento Box Five

    Inside the Green Essentials Bento Box Five

    The Green Essentials Bento Box Five is a unique bento box lunch box as it's a design not available in other brands. They have taken their original Leakproof Bento Box with the removable divider and made it a
  7. How to wash puffer jackets at home without ruining them

    How to wash puffer jackets at home without ruining them

    We've all got one, but do you know how to wash puffer jackets without ruining them at home? They are investment that are worth looking after properly as they will serve you year after year if they are
  8. Unscented Fabric Softener - the best 5 options to make your own

    Unscented Fabric Softener - the best 5 options to make your own

    The product that was the inspiration and started this whole "Shop Naturally thing" way back in 2009 now was the Seventh Generation fabric softener. I really wanted an unscented fabric softener, but I found one with a scent
  9. How I choose the brands we stock at Shop Naturally

    How I choose the brands we stock at Shop Naturally

    Back in 2017, I was interviewed for a documentary series on Foxtel, Industry Leaders. One of the questions asked was how I choose the brands we work with at Shop Naturally. It's a very personal experience for me to
  10. 9 ways to use Dr Bronner's Castile Soap in the bathroom

    9 ways to use Dr Bronner's Castile Soap in the bathroom

    We love multi purpose natural cleaning products and Dr Bronner's castile soap is one of our favourites for being extremely versatile. Dr Bronner's Pure Castile Liquid Soap is a natural and highly concentrated liquid cleanser that is made
  11. Enzymes used in #1 natural automatic dishwasher powder

    Enzymes used in #1 natural automatic dishwasher powder

    Inside the body, digestive enzymes are used to break down food into small particles that can be utilized by the body. For example, the digestive enzyme protease is used to break down protein in your food. Lactase is
  12. Why castile soap is the #1 choice to clean sex toys

    Why castile soap is the #1 choice to clean sex toys

    There's a reason we decided not to stock a specific cleaning product to clean sex toys. You don't need one. If you have castile soap at home already, that's all you need. As a sex positive store, we

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