How Mumma J’s began

How Mumma J’s began

In 2017, wildfires were burning on the Port Hills of Christchurch, Edgecumbe was evacuated due to flooding from Cyclone Debbie, Jacinda Ardern became the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and I had a very bad day at work. It was also the year Mumma J’s began…

I had just come back from nine weeks of travelling around the world (which was mind blowing). I made sure my fellow employees were set up for success before I left – which was a lot of extra hard work and unpaid hours to get everything to a place where I would not be needed. Upon my return, I had an appraisal with my boss, and it did not go well. I felt so unappreciated. I went home, cried, and drank wine with one my daughters. It was a conversation that night that changed my life for the better.

My daughter pointed out that I have always been interested in ‘health stuff’ – aware of what I ate, what I put on my skin and what I returned to the planet. I have sensitive skin and can’t wear product with SPF in it, so had already investigated alternatives and was using coconut oil as an alternative.

Thirty years ago, I completed a certificate in aromatherapy. I was at the time, planning to go into body massage, but the knowledge gained then has been integral to the recipes I use in my products. The range of essential oils nowadays is massive compared to when I started, but I keep up with the new research – what the health benefits are, what can be used as fragrances, etc.

She mentioned coconut oil and its health benefits. I was a runner at the time and while I enjoyed feeling healthy, I didn’t enjoy the smell that came afterwards. I research Coconut Oil and made a deodorant that worked extremely well – I won’t use anything else now.

The conversation ended with an encouragement to make more of my own products and share them. The next day I experimented with creating my very own moisturiser. The goal is always to keep my recipes as simple as possible to reduce reactions (I only have five or six ingredients at the most).

Through conversation, people at my work discovered what I was doing and would share with me various issues that they were having with reactions or sensitivities. I would develop recipes for them, they’d try them and would be very pleased with the results and tell their family and friends. Since then, the product range and customers have grown.


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