The Be-ginning
Tēnā koutou,
Rafa here. It’s a real delight to talk about my passion. I guess this is a good channel to share with you my heart behind the scenes of Be Essential Oils - 100% pure undiluted ethical essential oils.
The idea of Be took root during New Zealand’s original lockdown in 2020. I had recently moved to Rotorua and started a life together with Jem. Like every young couple we were dreaming together about how to build a better life and fulfil our dreams. We had a lot of thoughts from living in a house by the lake, with land to raise a family and our animals, including a horse. But Jemma and I agreed on something: material dreams won’t realise our purpose in life. The wellbeing of every living being, the prosperity of our community and the thriving and sustainability of nature must be included. I remember she once asked me why I want to have wealth. My simple answer: The more I have, I more I am able to give.
Once, when I was still discovering my new home in Rotorua, I opened a curious bathroom cabinet. It was like opening a magic potions drawer, full of glass bottles with different styles, sizes, labels and oils inside. Jem had been collecting essential oils for years and loves blending them together to make perfumes as gifts for friends and family.
Well… During the last part of my life in Brazil I was living in a bohemian suburb in my hometown with a close old friend from University, a person who ended up being an ace and a living aromatherapy encyclopedia! He taught me a lot about the international essential oils industry, the stories, complaints, risks, good and bad experiences,, successful cases and secrets.
Revisiting that cabinet scene, it was a mixture of enchantment and warning. It’s great to see a place like New Zealand, where living naturally is a reality and natural solutions are commonly used on a daily basis but it’s also dangerous putting those powerful pocket plant extracts out there without the correct information and especially without sharing knowledge.
Jem is getting used to living with me and my endless stream of ideas to improve our lives, work, community,, my problematic football team, to the whole world. But it doesn’t mean she necessarily agrees with everything I say or is willing to follow up on them.
After that cabinet moment I asked if she was keen to play seriously and elevate New Zealand’s essential oil market and she definitely was. Than I rang that friend in Brazil and, within an hour and half, explained the concept, market analysis, peculiarities and the great opportunity we had. He was very enthusiastic too.
That was a turning point in our lives.
~ Rafa Moreira