We're always on the hunt to discover new and natural Australian products, so you can understand our excitement when we came across Exposed Naturals a few months back!
The gorgeous Exposed Naturals tins will revolutionise the way you think about natural deodorants.
Not only does it smell amazing it's also made from 100% natural ingredients that are good for your body, it's aluminium free and housed in 100% plastic free packaging that's good for the planet. So you can understand why we had to sit down with Tania to learn all about her tins of amazingness...
Tell us a bit about the people behind your company
Hello, I’m Tania – the lover of all things natural and the creative behind Exposed Naturals. It’s just me here… but I don’t get lonely!
Even though I don’t have a business partner or any employees, I feel like I have so many people supporting me in brining my dream to life. From my family and my partner to my friends and colleagues, everyone has been kind and encouraging every step of the way.
For me personally the best thing about starting Exposed Naturals has been working with incredibly talented friends of mine who have built their own dreams and who are now helping me build mine. That, and coming across like-minded people online. It blows my mind when I think about how much support and help I receive from women I’ve never met before.
I don’t have to go far for an example: Kate and Kristy, you ladies have been amazing to work with and I can’t thank you enough for believing in me and giving my brand a chance before it even launched! #womensupportingwomen is a real thing and it’s powerful!
What inspired you to start your company and when did you start it?
What or WHO inspired me to start Exposed Naturals?
There was a number of factors and events in my life that lead me to creating this brand but I must say the biggest contributor to the crazy and rewarding journey that is E/N was… my mum!
In January 2014 my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. I can still remember the feeling of confusion, loneliness and fear that was going through my head at that time. I ended up in a dark place for quite some time because I felt like everything came down on me at once having just started my first “proper” full time job and enrolled into the Chartered Accountants program – I thought accounting would become useful one day as I have always dreamt of working for myself.
Having heard that there might be a link between breast cancer and higher estrogen levels caused by aluminium contained in generic deodorants, combined with the fact that my mum was a huge lover of all sorts of cosmetics (filled with all sorts of dubious ingredients) my mad quest for natural began!
Slowly but surely I replaced everything I put on my body with natural alternatives: makeup, toothpaste, creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos and… deodorants! What surprised me back then was the lack of EFFECTIVE natural deodorant options that worked for me. After trying about 10 different brands and throwing away many ruined corporate dresses and tops I settled for whatever kept me (sort of) fresh for longest.
Fast forward to 2017. My mum was now in the clear and I have successfully completed the Chartered Accountants program. The passion for natural kept growing each day, along with the dream of being a business owner – after all I didn’t spend another two and a half years working through someone else’s business cases for nothing! I was excited about the potential prospect of putting my newly found knowledge to use but I had one problem: I had no idea what kind of business I wanted to start!
By then I spent about 3 years seriously thinking about what it is that I wanted to do for myself until one day, during a 6 week break from my corporate job, it just hit me: I am going to develop my own natural deodorant range! This is how the idea of Exposed Naturals was born in August 2017.
A lot of work has gone into bringing my dream to life since then – in fact two years worth of work! Two years worth of creating, testing, learning and collaborating. I am incredibly excited to have launched Exposed Naturals in July 2019 and I can’t wait for you to use my creation!
How do you make your products?
I source the ingredients, formulate and make all my products myself! Initially I tried to go through a contract manufacturer but after about 18 months of failed attempts I decided it’s time to take things into my own hands!
Creating my own formulas and making my own products is exhausting and liberating at the same time!
What is your favourite product in your range?
The one you are holding in your hands right now!! The grey tone of the Charcoal and Magnesium deodorant may or may not have been inspired by the colour of my beloved Russian blue cat…
What is your favourite way to enjoy your product/s?
The best part about starting a natural deodorant company is that I get to use my own product each day before I even set my foot out of the door!
My favourite way to enjoy my product is to consciously think about how far I’ve come and why I am doing it while applying my deodorant. This energises me for the day ahead and inspires me to keep going! Plus the lemongrass scent wakes me up ha ha.
What is an interesting way of using your products that not many people would know about?
You can use our deodorant on your feet! The active ingredients that make it a great deodorant work just as well for bacteria on your feet. Just don’t forget to put your socks on before walking on slippery surfaces or carpets!
Here at Retreat Yourself, we LOVE dreaming BIG - what is your vision for your company?
“Making natural mainstream” describes my mission of making natural deodorants the product of choice for everyone – young, old, males, females, those concerned about sustainability and natural ingredients and those not concerned about any of that!
I feel like even though there are more and more natural deodorant brands appearing in the market these days, the natural deodorant industry is still very niche. My mission is to turn that around.
To achieve this I envision Exposed Naturals making the switch to natural deodorants a painless process by delivering the most effective deodorants and everything else that might be needed to ease the transition phase too natural.
For anyone out there wanting to start their own business, what would your biggest piece of advice be?
Start engaging and building audience on social media YESTERDAY! Whether you like it or not social media is a huge part of people’s lives these days and I believe it can do amazing things for small business owners. Even if it’s just connecting with like-minded people for support and encouragement!
But also, make sure you are confident in your product or service and network with as many people as you can who are going through the same issues as you (hello social media!).
And lastly, what does a fulfilled life look like to you?
A fulfilled life to me would be knowing that I positively contribute to people’s lives and our planet on a daily basis. That’s why I am passionate about creating 100% natural AND plastic free products.
To learn more about Exposed Naturals deodorants, head to their website: https://www.exposednaturals.com.au/