Dune Daisies are excited to introduce you to another one of St Francis’ fabulous entrepreneurs, Cecielia Grant. A few years ago, she started a business called navel worx that makes Ayurvedic inspired blends of essential oils which are applied on the navel. Each blend is a remedy for range of specific ailments and has proven efficacy.
DD: How did you wind up living in St Francis Bay?
CC: I had been coming here on holidays to break away from the rush of Gauteng and then bought a unit at the port. St Francis was my holiday destination. My core business, although I currently do this to a lesser degree, is corporate incentive travel where I take groups overseas. In 2020, when travel suddenly died globally I started spending more and more time in St Francis and eventually decided to relocate.
DD: How did navel worx begin for you? What’s the story behind its inception?
CG: As I mentioned, I was in the travel industry and worked extensively abroad. On my trips, I enjoyed visiting various spas throughout the world as I found it a quick way to recover after a journey. Check into a spa and a day later you already feel better. It was in these spas that I was introduced to Ayurvedic medicines. The birth of my granddaughter in 2020 reminded me of the navel and the umbilical cord. I put these two ideas together, (Ayurvedic medicine and the navel) and started looking for a product that focused on essential oils for the navel. When I couldn’t find anything, I decided that this might be just the perfect niche for me.
DD: What a special beginning! Could you give our readers a little more information about the benefits of using essential oils in your navel and what navel worx does?
CG: The core lies in our recipes. There are ten of them and they are all based on Ayurvedic medicine. We use ancient recipes that have stood the test of time. Using navel oils is not a new idea and we did not come up with these blends, rather they are tried and tested Ayurvedic remedies used to treat certain ailments.
To create the most effective and potent product, we are very careful and mindful about how we source our oils. Each oil is of the highest quality possible, is 100% pure and produced under stringent conditions. To respect the recipes implicitly, we import these oils from all over the world. Unfortunately, there are no local oils that match any of the recipes yet.
DD: When we received our package from navel worx, we were blown away by the beauty and attention to detail in the presentation.
CG: We are working on having all our packaging being as natural as possible and to give back as much as we can. We really enjoy using local people to do things and even sending plantable packaging with seasonal seeds. Nowadays, people aren’t getting the shopping experience, so we are trying to stimulate the senses when you receive a navel worx order. Each package is individually scented based on the oils ordered.
DD: What would you say makes navel worx unique?
CG: The application of pure essential oils, that are not compromised in any way, in and around your navel makes navel worx special. There is not another South African brand that has created a product specifically for navel application.
It’s also about taking a moment for yourself. Every morning, I use RESTORE. I don’t leave the house without it as it feeds my skin from the inside. We should all do this as we spend money putting creams on our skin but that only treats the first three layers. The moment the cream is gone, our skin is dry again and we need to reapply it. We should feed our skin from the inside.
DD: Could you tell us a little more about the application process? Is there an ideal way to apply the oils?
CG: We have different ways of presenting our oils at a spa. A popular option is to include a navel ritual as an add on experience after a head massage. The experience begins by warming the belly button with a heated cloth and then applying a few drops of the oil in the navel. The scent of the oils is activated by the heat and a gentle massage. The main thing is that the skin around your navel absorbs all the oil. Essentially, you can do it any way that works for you. If you have a little roller and are feeling stressed out at work, reach for your CALM and rub it around your navel (making sure none gets on your clothing) and take a deep breath. You will feel better in moments.
It’s also a lovely ritual to have as a family. If you have a teenager that can’t study or focus, or they are nervous and restless, take a moment with them and apply some REST oil on their navel. This small ritual shows affection and is a way of communicating that you care.
DD: Navel worx has a unique product and the idea of navel oils might be quite foreign to many people. Who is your intended target audience?
CG: Honestly, the world! But more specifically, the Indian market is an easy audience for us as they are familiar with Ayurveda. They know what it’s all about. My current community is a difficult market, the Afrikaans boere seuns. To try and convince them that they should use a gentlemen’s oil and include it into a daily self-care routine is quite a hard sell. Their response is generally, “Really?”
But I do think every man should use it. A lot of people in my social circles are from farming communities or game lodges. At some point in their lives, almost all of them have been bitten by a tick. They don’t realize that even if you didn’t get tick bite fever, that little tick causes awful bacteria that grows and stays in your liver. So, as you age and carry on with your life, you have ailments and issues and have no idea what is causing them. Meanwhile, it’s these bacteria in your liver that are responsible. The myrrh and frankincense in our GENTLEMAN’s oil kills that bacteria. My uncles have been using this oil for a few years. I see them once or twice annually and they have said to me that they are not sure why, but they are feeling better. So, I ask if they are using the oils.
They respond with the usual “yes, yes, yes, we use it daily.”
They are not so spoilt that their wives to put it on for them, but they really seem to be feeling better than they have in years.
I always chuckle to myself after their visits as I have my range of oils in the guest bathroom, and I can tell that they have been trying them during their stay.
It’s really very similar to when you take vitamins or supplements. Why do we take them and why do we believe in them? This is like another thing we do to enhance our health and becomes part of our routine. It’s not a quick fix, but with regular use it will make a difference.
People who use IGNITE to slim down see differences in their measurements over time. As we get older, we tend to battle with hormonal issues and weight gain. IGNITE will help your body change to where your sugar cravings are less and the taste of sugar changes. Your digestive system will become more regular, and you’ll probably drink more water. It essentially kickstarts your metabolism.
DD: Cecielia, this almost sounds too easy. A friend of ours commented that if it’s that easy and all you must do is rub oil on your belly, then why aren’t we all doing it?
CG: The thing is that it not a quick fix. You are more likely to lose centimetres before you lose weight. Even in a week, you see a difference.
DD: Do you have any tips for people using navel oils for the first time, other than using it consistently?
CG: Do not to spoil your clothing. You don’t want to wear a beautiful nightie and have it stained with navel worx ginger oil. Make sure it is well absorbed before you put clothing against it.
Enjoy it. For some of the blends, you will only see a difference after continuous use. But others will show immediate results. CALM will calm you down and REST will put you to sleep. It definitely works. Our tummy oil, EASE, is wonderful if you feel bloated or have eaten something that is making you uncomfortable. You get quick results with these oils. Ultimately, using essential oils should be a way of life. It’s a part of your own self-care and loving yourself.
DD: The instructions on the card in the package say that you can’t use more than one oil at a time.
CG: Mixing the oils will disturb the balance of the remedy that you’re using. So, wait at least 12 hours before using a different remedy. I am 65 years old and worry about feeding my skin the way I should, so I use RESTORE as part of my daily routine. I also have rheumatoid arthritis. RELIEF is great for this and something I use every day. I don’t use any other medication at all and can still move everything!
There are also different ways to use the oils. For example, at Christmastime when I know there will be pudding and all kinds of other things that are delicious, but not great for you, I start using IGNITE to boost my metabolism. But I still never mix the remedies, just like you don’t drink tea and coffee together!
DD: Can you share any success stories?
CG: We have a lot. The easiest success was from our GENTLEMEN’s oil which eased the symptoms of gout for many men. I’ve also had people come back after using RELIEF saying it has cured their gout. IGNITE has also helped a lot of people shrink. Of course, weight gain from hormonal issues is one thing and takes longer to manage, but if your weight gain is caused by bad habits, IGNITE works quickly.
DD: Where are the oils sourced? You mentioned that you were working towards getting your packaging as sustainable as possible, we wondered whether all the oils are certified organic.
CG: I’m not quite there yet. I’d love to work towards that and be able to tell you exactly where the oil comes from. But, now, I’m buying from wholesalers. I still take the trouble to find out where the oil is produced because I wouldn’t want to use Canadian spruce oil, for example, that’s cut down a forest to harvest the trees.
The only problem with sourcing only organic oils is cost. For example, I’ve just bought Roman chamomile, which is very precious. It comes from France and costs R48,000 per litre. The moment it arrives in South Africa, I pay all the taxes which adds to the cost and makes it very pricey. For that reason, I use wholesalers who can tell me where it comes from. This way I know the farm but don’t buy directly from them. I would like to get there eventually though.
DD: Do you have you any tips for those wishing to start a business?
CG: Firstly, you must have a sense of humour and believe in the product that you are selling. Realise that you are going to learn a lot more than what you ever thought you knew. Sincerity is important and pays off eventually. Just persevere.
DD: Do you have a favourite oil?
CG: RESTORE is like my multi-vitamin and I use it every day. I also use RELIEF daily. Honestly, I use them all except GROW because it makes all your hair grow (not just the ones on your head).
DD: Do you have a 5-year plan?
CG: I don’t have an official strategy, but I would like to reach a lot of people and show them that nutrition and nature will get you a lot further than what chemicals will. We are so quick to reach for that sleeping tablet, yet it has all kinds of other negative effects on our on our being. We don’t consider for a moment that just maybe nature can help.
I’d also like navel worx to be at a point that were we can show that we are giving back to Mother Earth and showing respect.
DD: You have also mentioned that you are thinking of moving your factory to St Francis Bay. Is that still your plan?
CG: Currently it is in Pretoria, but I am submitting plans and then I will definitely move it here. Our factory is not huge, it’s just a space that has to be very clean – there cannot be any dust in it. The oils are very strong, and we cannot mix more than two recipes a day as it will affect us too badly. The oils need to be heated and vibrated and then they can be blended. There are only three of us in the factory and we must always wear masks.
Hello I have arthritis and now at the age of 69 years old I really struggle . Can you please send me a Catologue on the Products please Mellie Barnard zs6mcb@gmail.com