LoveLuvo hears from supermum and eco-friendly local manufacturer Dindi Naturals
05 Jan 2012 - Dindi Naturals began about 5 years ago, with its creator Pip Guyatt mixing soap batches on the kitchen bench in the family home in Alexandra, a small town 2 hours north of Melbourne.
At the centre of LoveLuvo’s heart is our local community, and this is why we’re so committed to bringing our customers only the best in locally produced goods, with a particular interest in maintaining an ethical undertone. This is why we’re so smitten with Dindi Naturals.
“My eldest son was always suffering rashes, eczema etc. as he has quite sensitive skin. After a lot of research I decided to try making some natural goats’ milk soaps, which immediately worked well. At the same time I cut back on washing powder, which can be another nasty skin irritant.”
Pip quickly noticed how much the natural soaps also changed her skin – and immediately binned the commercial soaps she was using. Not content to let this discovery continue quietly, Pip gave some to family and friends, and they were all very surprised at how moisturising the soaps were. Word of mouth passed quickly, and before long Pip had orders coming in.
The Victorian mum was working part-time in office administration. She was always having difficulties finding after-school care for her two children because Alexandra is such a small town, so Pip decided to take the soap to the next level and start making it for shops and work from home. Her house was quickly filled with soaps curing/drying in shoe boxes in every available horizontal space. Business slowly grew and before too long she was making bigger batches in the shed.
“I did more and more research, bought a stack of books and joined health and soap-making forums. I had an insatiable appetite for information, and it was this that led me to issues like palm oil. I knew instantly that I wanted to make a product that was totally ethical, using fair trade, cold pressed oils and butters, and contained NO palm oil. I thought: if soap doesn't require palm oil, then why should we use it at all? I've been conscious of environmental issues for a long time, so it was only natural that eco-friendliness be incorporated in all Dindi Naturals products.”
Dindi Naturals mostly package using Australian-made products/papers and recycled materials - and use hemp rope and string. Pip much prefers to use Australian produced essential oils, bush botanicals and spices, and plant/clay colourants whenever she can, and never uses artificial or synthetic colours or fragrances. LoveLuvo adores these aspects of Pip’s venture, and we’re all about advancing this eco-message, and of course, to pass along the miracle of all natural, luxurious soaps that you can enjoy without a guilty thought. Come into the store and check out our extensive Dindi Naturals ranges!
