Magdalena Roze Oil Garden Interview

Magdalena Roze joins Oil Garden as their new (and very first!) Ambassador

The incredible Magdalena Roze, cookbook author, journalist, meteorologist and mother of two, has just been announced as Oil Garden's very first ambassador!

A couple of years back, Magdalena moved from the bustling city of Sydney, after 7 years of 3am wake ups as a weather presenter, to live in Byron Bay. A drastic lifestyle change, Magdalena and her family are now living the dream on a rural property, drinking rainwater, waking up to mooing of cows and getting fresh milk daily.

Magdalena has encompassed a holistic and natural approach to everyday health for her whole family, with natural remedies and essential oils being a big part of her lifestyle – from health and wellness, to beauty and home.

Interview with Magdalena Roze

Question: Congratulations on becoming Oil Garden's very first ambassador! How did this come about?

Magdalena Roze: My partnership with Oil Garden is a dream come true. I love essential oils and they're very much a big part of our lifestyle for general wellbeing, as well as for our health and beauty. I feel lucky that I get to work with a heritage Australian brand and share these beautiful natural oils with others. Oil Garden was actually founded in Byron Bay which makes it special for me too!


Question: How long have you used Oil Garden Products?

Magdalena Roze: I have been using essential oils for years. I remember my mum using them in our family home when I was a kid so the scents of citrus, ylang ylang and lavender are particularly comforting for me.


Question: How do you use essential oils, at home?

Magdalena Roze: When I first fell pregnant with Archie I found many smells and chemicals really unpleasant, including a lot of conventional fragrances. However, this was never the case with essential oils so I started making my own little blends just by adding a few drops into a roller with a carrier oil. Not only do they smell divine but they have the added benefit of making me feel good! I also add a few drops to our vaporiser daily depending on the mood. This might be lavender to promote a sense of calm, lemongrass or orange for energy and some freshness, or a blend of deodorising and anti-bacterial oils like clove, eucalyptus, rosemary if one of us is sick. The list goes on! I also use them to make basic, natural cleaning products.

Question: What importance and benefits do essential oils have in maintaining health and wellness at home?

Magdalena Roze: Essential oils have been proven to be a very safe and effective way to heal and protect the body and helps to heal by supporting and enhancing the body's own healing system. Oils such as lavender, patchouli and hyssop have calming properties which are perfect to diffuse before bed, lemon, tea tree and citronella essential oils hold anti-viral and energising effects making them perfect to uplift or use as cleaning products, and oils such as cedarwood, sandalwood and eucalyptus are known for their ant-inflammatory benefits and can be mixed with carrier oil and rubbed into the chest or temples to reduce symptoms of a cold.


Question: Which of the Oil Garden products are your favourite and why?

Magdalena Roze: Lavender oil is perfect for rest, relaxation and calm and a great one for promoting a good night's sleep too (including babies and kids!). The Refresh and Renew essential oil blend by Oil Garden is uplifting, energising and makes the air smell fresh and clean (speaking of which, it's a great one to add to DIY natural cleaning products too). Also, Oil Garden's Women's Balance Silk Bath Oil is the most gorgeous way to unwind and treat yourself with a hot bath after a long or stressful day.


Question: How do you use essential oils to treat and reduce headaches, hayfever and other conditions?

Magdalena Roze: With hundreds of natural, plant-based chemicals within each drop of essential oils, the very ingredient that gives it its scent is also what provides it with special healing abilities!

Hayfever:
To ease hay fever and seasonal allergies, lemon, peppermint, grapefruit and lavender essential oils are best thanks to its soothing effects. Lavender is a natural antihistamine and relaxes and soothes muscle tension while peppermint is known to reduce inflammation and clear sinuses to help you breathe easier. To combat and relief symptoms of hay fever, try combining a couple of drops of each essential oil with water to a diffuser morning and night!

Sleep:
Essential oils such as lavender, marjoram, sweet orange and chamomile have been traditionally used in aromatherapy to assist with sleep. Chamomile has been known as one of the best natural sedatives, making it ideal for a good night's rest and lavender is hailed for its impressive medicinal properties and therapeutic uses ranging from mood stabiliser, pain reliever and to relieve sleeplessness. Mix a couple of drops to carrier oil and spray over your pillow for a perfect night's sleep!

Immunity:
When it comes to immunity, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon and tea tree are the go-to essential oils to help support a healthy immune system. With natural antibacterial properties, these oils have been used throughout the ages to boost immunity, as well as to treat cold sores, mild acne and warts. Try diffusing tea tree oil at the first signs of a common cold, or mix a couple of drops of Eucalyptus with carrier oil and apply to your chest to help clear sinuses quickly.

Headaches:
Peppermint, rosemary and lavender are great to help relieve headaches, nervous tension, sinusitis and nausea. Lavender assists to relax the mind and body, while Rosemary holds powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties to provide pain relief and improve body circulation. Peppermint oil is also a common essential oil to treat headaches and migraines due to its menthol properties, which relaxes muscles and relieves pain. I love applying diluted peppermint oil directly to my temples or breathing in lavender oil to relieve pain during headaches.

Energy:
For energy try essential oils with orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime, lemongrass and ginger. These oils have an energizing and revitalising aroma to boost the mind and body when suffering from mental and physical fatigue. They also stimulates mental alertness to help refocus and increase productivity levels. Diffuse a couple of drops in the office or at home to reinvigorate your environment and help improve energy.


Question: How have you implemented a holistic and natural approach to everyday health for your family?

Magdalena Roze: For us, good health starts with nature so we eat real food, and try to source as much as we can from our farmer's markets and local producers. There's nothing better! Our 3 year old son Archie cooks a lot with us which I think has helped him develop a love of food! We try and spend lots of time outdoors, especially at the beach, it's our vitamin Sea! It can be hard getting time to ourselves with the kids, but we've made self-care a priority. Yoga is my favourite way to start the day because it's not only gently physical but clears my mind and nourishes the soul. And of course, we use essential oils for everything from relaxation to cleaning to clearing stuffy noses!


Question: How did moving to Byron Bay positively influence your families health and wellbeing?

Magdalena Roze: Moving to Byron Bay has been a game changer. It's a slower, more mindful pace of life and being surrounded by the ocean and rolling green hills is very grounding. People here seem to have a lot more time to say hello or have a chat at the shops, as well as a good work/life balance so you can't help but be influenced by that. It's definitely taught me to be more patient. Byron Bay is a hub of wellness too and I've learned so much about good health from people like my acupuncturist as well as the other mums I spend time with. I feel very lucky to be a part of a strong community.


Question: Do you have a morning routine? Can you share that with us?
Magdalena Roze: Most mornings, I'm woken up by one of the kids- either baby Charlie for a feed or Archie coming into our bed- so the day generally starts when the sun rises, then I make a cup of tea and some breakfast for Archie. At least a couple of times a week my partner Darren will then take the boys to the river so I can do yoga. I like to rub an essential oils blend I've made myself on my wrists to get me in the zone. When I finish we all go up the road for a coffee and try and do the crossword (this is one of our favourite nerdy things to do!) before Darren goes to work. The rest of the morning depends on the day, so sometimes I'll do some work, go to the farmer's markets or head on an adventure somewhere in the hinterland.


Question: What's next, for you?

Magdalena Roze: I'm working on writing another cook book and I'll be hosting some exciting food events in 2019. I'm also working on the third season of my food podcast "The Pass", as well as a number of collaborations with brands I love. We also hope to do some more travel as a family next year.


Interview by Brooke Hunter