About Us - Oillee and I
The gist of it is - I created Oillee in Winter of 2018, in Gisborne of New Zealand. A person in my life had asthma; which coming into winter was getting quite bad and at the time they didn't have access to the correct inhaler. To help out, I created 'Breathe In Balm', Oillee's first released product. It worked - WELL - and things just grew from there.
Besides the asthma - I had always wanted to be able to afford natural products. But let's be honest - a lot of them are expensive. So I did a lot of research after making the Breathe In Balm and thought to myself, surely there has got to be a way that I can create natural products to help people - without breaking their bank. So that people in a similar financial situation to myself, (at the time an unemployed solo Mum) could still afford a natural product over choosing a synthetic one. Turns out it is very much possible - and so two years later, I am still going strong and turning my ideas into products whenever I can.
I am to be as transparent as possible - which is part of the reason why this website, our Facebook page (Oillee-NZ) and our Instagram account (@oillee.co.nz) were all up and running before I actually offered any products. I wanted people to see me creating them, even the blends that went horribly wrong, so that people could see that I was putting in the work, not some offshore company parading as a NZ local brand.
The truth is - everything Oillee related - I do by myself. I create blends and recipes, I source products, I photograph everything, I do the social media and website design and most importantly the products you see for offer on this website (apart from the Earth Conscious Accessories such as reusable straws) I make myself.
I have a New Zealand based supplier who clearly label their products and where they come from. When one is available - I make sure I buy the New Zealand made raw ingredient. For example - the Lavender Essential Oil used in Oillee products is made in New Zealand from New Zealand grown Lavender. Where a NZ made raw ingredient can not be supplied (usually because the original plant it is derived from does not grow in our country), I make sure it comes from somewhere where the workers are being treated properly and it still passes MY standards of being vegan, cruelty free and safe to use.
I'll leave the story here for now - and I am always a phone call, text or email away if you have further questions about the products I offer.
Thank you for reading x