We were not always so passionate about natural health and well-being. We didn't know about how our bodies worked or what using harmful products could do to them. We didn't even know what a harmful product was! We used to eat horrendous food, had cupboards full of all the name brand chemical cleaning products (even if we didn’t use them all that much LOL) and just followed the masses in how to “care/suppress” for our body’s health.
Our family was introduced to a more natural approach to life through moments where we questioned the safety of something we were doing. It all started with Reeda questioning cleaning practices used in the business she was working at when she was about 23 and how they could be affecting her health.
It certainly wasn't trumpet blazing “ah ha” moments that changed our approach. It was a lot of "what if" moments that led us to looking into what we were doing and how it could be affecting us. We started to ask: What if this isn't good for us? What if doing this is causing damage to our bodies? Could there be a better, safer way?
The passion for a more natural approach to live came through many years of running a pet care business and making big changes to how things were accepted and done “normally”. Many decisions made were the some of the first in the industry and not something that was widely done or accepted. Becoming parents and realising the importance our decisions had for the health and well-being of our children changed things dramatically. It just got real and we became a lot more focused on trying to make the best decisions for them and their long term health, and also the world that they would inherit.
We (well Reeda) researched and researched and made HUGE changes and big decisions about what we would have in our home. We learned about the concerns of BPA in plastics, chemicals in shampoos and body products, makeup, air fresheners, clothes, food and so much more. It certainly opened a Pandora’s box! We made decisions not to use a lot of things because it never made sense to us to put something on and in our bodies that we knew was toxic.
We were learning about and using all sorts of natural products (some Brad would bring back from America when he was over there for work). We learned how God created the world with pretty much everything we needed around us in the sun, plants, air and water and that we were created to thrive. We started eating organic food as much as possible, avoiding certain things and making informed choices. We certainly weren’t perfect, still aren’t, but we make informed choices now rather than just doing what is done. We didn't really have any idea about being able to make our own products and we just thought it was too hard and time consuming (We were wrong!).
We were introduced to therapeutic essential oils when our 12 month old daughter struggled with croup. Although we had a cupboard full of natural options nothing had ever worked as quickly or effectively. It was very impressive to us and made us want to look deeper into how essential oils worked.
This led us to embracing a lifestyle that included using essential oils and opening our minds to the many ways they can be used. We learned how simple it was to make many of the products around our house that we bought elsewhere and could replace them all in our home with simple, cheap and safe ingredients.
As we started to use our oils and build an essential oil business we were sharing essential oils with our friends and family. We realised there was a lack of places to source products and accessories to use with our oils in the one place. This lead to us offering a range of roller bottles, books and accessories for our oil community from our home and we started selling online soon after.
The opportunity came to take over Oils for Life in early 2019 and we jumped at it as we saw what an amazing gift it was. We wanted to share with and support others along this wellness journey and embrace a more natural way of life. We have learned so much ourselves that we are excited to share with those who are travelling along the same path. realising that it will and should always look different for each person. In 2020, we rebranded to Vitalia as it means 'life or vitality' and we felt this fit our vision and goals perfectly - and we wanted to help inspire people to live 'life to the full'.
Whether you are just starting out making more low tox, natural choices and feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything, to those who are ready to try the next step, to those who have spent many years and have a wealth of knowledge - we want to help you. We want to make it easier for you to find high quality products, ingredients and supplies that make a difference not only to your life, but to those around you and our precious environment. We want this to be a joint effort where we all help each other to find the solutions we need.
We have a passion for customer service, a vision for helping people lead a healthier, cleaner life to the full, embracing natural products and essential oils. We want to make a difference in the world socially and environmentally and will always be looking for ways we can contribute. We love supporting those who are growing businesses with tools and resources that not only help them grow their business, but also support their customers as well.
We want to provide the best customer service we can (with a whole lot of fun added in) and want you to feel like you are a hugely important part of this business - because you are. You are the reason we do this! We hope you find what you are looking for as you travel this natural lifestyle us and that your experience as you journey alongside us brings you solutions that help you live life to the full!
Brad & Reeda Close
(with Toby & Millie)
