Y natural

Enjoy the Easter long weekend – I hope you spend it the way that is most meaningful to you, with the people who make you feel loved, happy and inspired xx

This reel hits hard.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6npmEJjDLtI

The Korean Vegan is a brilliant woman who started her recipe channel as a hobby while working as a lawyer. Eventually, she gave up law to do the recipes full time. She is smart, insightful and a brilliant communicator.

The Korean Vegan has been under fire for commenting about what’s happening in Minnesota instead of sticking to recipes. This is her response. Please watch.

If you received Y natural’s latest newsletter, you’ll know that I’ve been facing a same-but-different struggle, because it is so very hard to write about beauty with what's happening in our world.

I’m going to return to posting about my company, because everything about it is beautiful: the people, the products, the ingredients, the way we conduct our business.

I’ll not be writing and pretending there’s nothing wrong – I’ll be writing DESPITE the fact there is something very, VERY wrong in our world. And here’s your heads-up: I’ll be including commentary that is not about beauty.

So don’t come at me. Don’t tell me to stay in my lane.

I’m a scientist and a business person, sure. But I’m also a human. A human who has studied languages and culture, international politics, psychology and philosophy, in addition to my studies in science and my MBA.

Sometimes I’m going to comment about what’s going on in the world, or what’s going on in my head. Sometimes it will be about helping build Beauty, sometimes it will be about reducing or eliminating the Ugly. Overall, it will be done with an important goal in mind: to help create a world that’s a little more beautiful tomorrow than it was yesterday.

A lofty goal, sure. But worthy. I hope you’ll join me and share your thoughts.

To get our Y natural news, message me or email info @ ynatural.com.au and we’ll add you. Best tell us your birthday too, because we’ll send you a voucher and/or a bonus gift with your order that month. There are many other ways we’ll help make your world more beautiful too.

RIP Jane Goodall. What an amazing woman - I remember being utterly riveted by her work. She was such an inspiration to many, and for me personally, she was one of the reasons I decided to study Zoology in my science degree all those years ago.

She said many wise things, but this really sticks with me: 'You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

Y natural is celebrating 20 brilliant years of sharing with the world our gorgeous, luxurious skincare that's jam-packed with luscious, certified organic goodness.

Part of me is thinking: WHERE DID THAT TIME GO?!

But an even bigger part of me feels like Y natural always-was and always-will-be.

Either way, we're giving everyone on our email-list a gift and $20 in ’25 seems to fit well for the year 2025!

All subscribers to our newsletter are welcome to use the code: >>> YSUBSCRIBER20

Today we’re thinking of all mothers, not just our own, but also those mothers in war-zones or political unrest, places of famine or illness, or violence overt or hidden. Our hearts ache for you as you try to create a sense of love, safety and hope for your children.

We think also of those who love children of their own flesh and blood, and those who love children as much as if they were of their own flesh and blood. We think of those who wish they were a mother, those who were a mother but lost their child, those who miss their mother, those who are estranged from their mother, those who are estranged from their child or children. We send you our love.

We send love too to the Dads who are doing an amazing job of parenting in the absence of a Mother, or who are doing their best to support the mothers in their world.

Life is tough and complicated sometimes. A lot of the time. We hold you all close to our collective heart.

And on this special day, I’m especially thinking of my own beautiful, amazing mother, and feeling grateful in so many ways.

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/

We will remember.

Back in 2015 on the centenary of ANZAC Day, Olivia and I (Barbara) wrote this blog post together in honour of the ANZACs, and as a reminder of the special relationship that endures between Australia and France. Olivia was here as an intern for 6 months, as part of her studies in chemical engineering in France. This week, another French intern joins us in remembering this day in history.

This is hitting the heart hard this morning, as I think about what's happening in the world, the undeniable rise of fascism, and the erosion of rights that were hard fought-for. Today is most definitely a day for solemn reflection, and with all my heart, I hope we really will remember.

Here is that post:

April 25 this year marked the 100 year commemoration of the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915, in which Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) fought against the Turkish (or Ottoman) Empire, which was allied to Germans during the First World War.

The Turks had entered the war only months earlier, thus closing a strategic sea route to Russia (via the Dardanelles straight and the Black Sea) and diverting Russian troops to the east of what is now known as Turkey, Armenia and Georgia. The Allied Forces decided to take Istanbul. The landing of the Anzac troops in Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 put them in challenging terrain with steep, almost impassable slopes. This made easy targets of the Anzac troops, with 8141 Anzacs being killed. Despite this being a significant military defeat, this battle has become part of Australian folklore.

Regardless of the controversy regarding the political decisions that led to these soldiers being put to battle in such conditions, their great courage is recognised, remembered and admired.

So each year, on this date, across Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Anzac Cove in Gallipoli and other places, ceremonies are held to solemnly commemorate the sacrifices made in this awful battle. Kemal Ataturk was the Commander of the Turkish 19th Division during the Gallipoli Campaign and he went on to become the first President of the Turkish Republic from 1924-1938.

Engraved at ANZAC Cove are beautiful words he spoke, that reflect the new the relationship that has been forged between our nations: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives. You are now living in the soil of a friendly country therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

On the same date, there is a ceremony at in France, where the Battle of the Somme took place, at Villers-Bretonneux. The Germans had captured Villers-Bretonneux on April 23 1915 and the job of retaking the town was assigned to two Australian brigades.

On April 25 1918, exactly three years after the Anzac defeat at Gallipoli, the Australians succeeded to retake the town and French and Australian flags were raised over Villers-Bretonneux. This battle marked the end of the German offensive on the Somme, but at a terrible cost, with the loss of 1200 Anzac troops. The French have never forgotten this sacrifice and a special relationship between the French and Australians exists to this day.

On 14 July 1919, unveiling a memorial in honour of the fallen, the mayor of Villers-Bretonneux said: "The first inhabitants of Villers-Bretonneux to re-establish themselves in the ruins of what was once a flourishing little town have, by means of donations, shown a desire to thank the valorous Australian Armies, who with the spontaneous enthusiasm and characteristic dash of their race, in a few hours drove out an enemy ten times their number…They offer a memorial tablet, a gift which is but the least expression of their gratitude, compared with the brilliant feat which was accomplished by the sons of Australia…Soldiers of Australia, whose brothers lie here in French soil, be assured that your memory will always be kept alive, and that the burial places of your dead will always be respected and cared for…”

Barbara & Olivia

This month we celebrate Y natural’s 20th anniversary. We’re so happy and proud to reach this milestone. It’s been quite a journey!

Y natural occupies that very lonely part of the market – extremely luxurious products that set the highest bar for their certified organic content and outstanding skin benefits. Amazingly, we are able to do this while keeping prices affordable. Every product represents extraordinary value because you’re paying for your beautiful products, not for outrageously expensive glossy advertising, glitzy offices or other crazy, unnecessary expenses.

Added to this, is our commitment to setting the standard for sourcing ethically and sustainably. We keep our products completely free from ingredients sourced from animals, we refuse to test on animals, and we ensure our business does not contribute to destruction of habitats. Our magnificent formulations contain absolutely zero petrochemicals or other dubious chemicals.

When we started, few people had even an inkling of how to read a product’s ingredient list, so we committed to holding workshops and seminars to educate our stockists and the public about ingredients and how to decipher ingredients lists. Now there’s an ever-growing slab of the population who are now more knowledgeable and discerning about what they’ll accept in their products. While we won’t be running the seminars any more, there’s still quite a lot of misleading information floating about the interwebs, so sometimes we’ll do a post about greenwashing, deceptive marketing or explaining different aspects / concepts about science. Mostly though, we’ll focus on our products, caring for skin, and different ways we can all help create a better future.

I’m proud of our achievements, and grateful to everyone who has honoured us by being a beautiful, positive part of this amazing journey so far.

We have some surprises around the corner, so please do continue to tell your friends and loved ones about Y natural, because we know you and they will be delighted by our efforts.

We look forward to continuing this journey with you and we commit to doing all we can to do you proud.

With love and gratitude,
Barbara

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/

These two memes perfectly reflect the two states I'm bouncing between at any given moment.

On the one hand, there's a lot of worry, hurt and fighting in the world at the moment that we can do little to change. Seeing this descent into war in Ukraine and the Middle East makes me want to do as much as humanly possible to show kindness and generosity in every waking moment.

On the other hand, it's crystal clear to me that there's also an escalation in the war against women. The pressures on girls, young women, women without children, women with children, and ageing women... As I get older, my reservoir of tolerance has been severely depleted and I'm dialing up the feminism. I am not willing to politely ignore or pretend to not notice misogyny, or the failure (of men AND some women) to be a strong ally for women.

I'm still working out how to navigate these two things, because they don't always sit comfortably together.

Add the complication of owning a business / brand in the Beauty Industry, an industry that can be outrageous in the way it diminishes women. It's hard.

In 2025 we'll be celebrating Y natural's 20th birthday. Throughout that time we've been educating and informing people so they can make more informed choices and help make a difference to individuals, communities and our planet.

In some ways, a LOT has changed. In others, not so much. And sadly, there are ways, the world has gone backwards, especially for women and minorities.

There's more to say on this, and I will. Soon. If there's something you specifically want to discuss, or want to me to address and amplify, please, PLEASE feel welcome to message me with your thoughts.

We want Y natural to give hope - to live up to ideals, to prove that we can make a positive difference, whether its to your skin, your well being, to communities or to our planet.

We will be your ally, and we hope you'll be ours too.

Barbara x