For Renee Hartwig, founder of Natura Emporium, natural wellness began as a personal journey through the challenges of single motherhood. Seeking gentle, holistic support for herself and her young children, she discovered the benefits of essential oils and soon developed a deep passion for natural living. What started as a desire to learn more led to her completing studies in aromatherapy and eventually the creation of a business dedicated to helping families embrace simple, nourishing products and practices. Today, Renee combines traditional ingredients, thoughtful education and a commitment to natural family wellbeing through her handcrafted tallow-based skincare range, empowering parents to care for themselves and their loved ones with confidence.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your own business?
My children were young and I was having a tough time being a single mum. A friend introduced me to essential oils and I quickly realised that they held special emotional support for my body. I quickly fell in love with essential oils and their benefits to my emotional health. I wanted to learn how to use them correctly, so I completed an online Diploma of Aromatherapy.
My love for essential oils inspired me to start a business, supporting families and mums in learning how to use them safely. Education quickly became just as important to me as creating and selling the blends themselves.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I didn’t really have any idea how to start a business, so I enrolled in a Certificate III in Micro Business through a Centrelink Small Business support program. I made a business plan from there. The launch was pretty slow. I started the business with very little funding, 2 small children and only a handful of essential oils in the online shop. The first couple of years were ever evolving; I always had essential oils but had other natural products on the website too, such as handmade body butters and herbal balms. I have redesigned my website a few times, too. I always have many ideas in my mind, so I struggled to stick to the business plan.
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
The breakthrough for the business was when I was at a point where financially, I either had to give it up or find something that really worked. I had really wanted to have simple, pure and non-irritable skincare available for families. And it was really important to me that a person of any age could use it. So, I went back to basics and stepped well outside my comfort zone, experimenting with tallow. It’s an ingredient that has been used for centuries and when thoughtfully blended with essential oils, it becomes a beautifully nourishing product with both healing benefits and a gentle scent. I made a batch and advertised it on Facebook marketplace and it sold out in a week! That’s when I thought, “I have something promising here”. So, I spent a bit of time refining my recipe. Today the range has grown into several tallow-based products that have become simple essentials in the home.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
It’s certainly challenging! My children are a bit older now, so I don’t have to dodge them around my ankles. I homeschool during the week, and I am also a uni student. I can render the tallow while I’m homeschooling, as it goes straight into the slow cooker for a few hours, and labelling and packing are saved for after school hours. I do most of the soap making and tallow whips on the weekends as well.
It can certainly get hectic, but I love my little business so much that it just makes it more fun. I’ve actually spent a lot of mental energy making sure I time-block my week so I can get everything done. I work hard, but on the weekend – particularly Sunday – I rest with my kids and see friends. We love going on morning trips to a new café or finding something interesting to do.
Every evening, my kids and I read a chapter of a book and say a prayer together, which gives us a chance to unwind and connect. I’ve also learned to just say “no” sometimes. Even if something fun or exciting comes up, if I’m feeling tired or stressed, I let it go. There’s always another chance later. Messages, notifications and calls can really zap my energy and distract me from finishing what I need to do, so I often ignore the noise until I’ve completed my tasks. That way, I can look forward to some well-earned rest and relaxation and feel more balanced between home and work.
