A passion for low-tox living and a $5 note led this Aussie mum to found a six-figure natural skincare brand

Saf Organics founder Tegiye Mimi-Ozalp started her Australian-owned and manufactured natural skincare brand in 2019 — with only $1,500 — by saving every $5 note she received as change in a jar to make her vision a reality.

The award-winning skincare brand has just celebrated its fourth year in business after starting as a side hustle in Tegiye’s kitchen, and is now a six-figure business being manufactured and distributed across the country.

Saf Organics is an Australian-owned and made plant-based organic brand as a low-tox alternative with 100% organic and cruelty-free ingredients and its products are formulated to nourish the skin with clean Australian ingredients.

The brand sells hair, skincare, body and bath, and health and hygiene products. 

Mum-of-four Tegiye said when she became a mother, she was looking at product labels and was confronted by the chemicals in food, cosmetics and body washes. It was then that she decided to embark on her low-tox journey.

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Tegiye started playing around with ingredients in her kitchen and made a natural deodorant. She thought this could be a business, but as a stay-at-home-mum didn’t want to dip into their savings to bring her vision to life. 

So, she decided to collect every $5 note and put it into a jar until she had enough to launch Saf Organics. For months she sold her kids’ old toys and clothes for $5 until she finally had enough to buy bulk ingredients and packaging for her first batch of deodorant.

“I was a stay-at-home mum with a one-year-old and a two-year-old and we had one income, which would get paid monthly. It was so hard just living off one income,” she said.

“I had a passion for low-tox living as well and I was making my own deodorant from home. That’s when the idea came about that we should start this as a business.

“We had very little money in our savings account and I didn’t want to dip into that. So I thought every $5 note I touch, I’m saving it, and that’s how it all started.”

During the first 48 hours after Saf Organics launched, the brand sold out and in its first year won two Australian low-tox awards.

“The customer response has been amazing,” Tegiye said.

“When we first launched our first month, it was with the help of Instagram and word of mouth basically that really got things going.”

Today Saf Organics has a total of 12 staff members, including Tegiye and her husband, who resigned from his job to join forces with his wife.

Tegiye has also rebranded Saf Organics to turn the small brand into a boutique brand.

“We’re trying really hard at the moment to get into health food stores because I feel like, after our rebranding, we’re now ready to hit a shelf somewhere,” she said.

When asked what advice she would give people looking to make their side hustle into a profitable business, she said to “just go for it.”

“There is always a problem and there’s always a solution,” she said.

“If you’ve got the solution, it’s a hustle, go for it. Don’t stop and hold back. 

“Yes, I’ve got four kids, but I still make time to get things done because I’ll wake up at five o’clock in the morning and I’ll do what I have to do before the kids wake up and before the day starts. 

“So I feel like if you’ve got something that you know is worth it, don’t hold back. There’s someone out there that needs it.”