Three years ago a wife, a
mother, a sister had the world at her feet. She had two beautiful little girls,
a husband, and was about to build their dream home. She was an international
flight attendant and had a great sense of self worth....until. One fateful day
her husband ran off, her younger sister was diagnosed with a Melanoma, and on
top of everything else, she was forced to take a redundancy from what she
thought was her dream job. Sonya Driver was left to raise her two young girls
alone.
Abandoned, unemployed,
and using what little energy she had left to lift her shattered spirit, she
promised herself to be a strong positive influence for her fragile younger
sister Rachael. For most women in the same circumstance it would be hard not to
lock yourself away and let depression eat you up.
Sonya however, is not an
average woman. This is where her life truly began....
“I remember the day all
too well. In a second my life plan exploded into dust. My marriage was over via
a phone call, and my dream home complete with a fireplace was all but a
fleeting memory. My two gorgeous little girls kept asking me why I was crying
so much. It’s been 3 years and they still ask why we can't be a family. I
remind myself daily that Lady Di once was a single mum, and so I refuse to
accept any element of shame associated with being a single parent. I even have
the family stickers on the back of my car. 1 lady, 2 girls and a fat dog.”
Sonya said.
Despite all the chaos and
emotional pain that was engulfing her life, Sonya knew that if she didn’t shift
her focus and energy into something uplifting then it would only be a matter of
time before her battered self esteem would crumble. She drew herself wearily
from the ground and decided to volunteer in East Timor to care for the poorest
of the poor. She shampooed the hair of women that had never had their hair
washed, fed hungry children, and comforted the sick.... “To be honest I was
battling grief and anxiety and I couldn’t shake it. I knew deep inside my
spirit that I needed to face a different kind of struggle and help bring
comfort to others. I knew it would heal my wounds better than any medication
ever could.”
After a month in East
Timor and a new determination, Sonya came home, inspired by the women who
struggle day to day living in the poorest conditions.
“It was time to make a
positive change. I was still deeply affected by my sister Rachel’s cancer
scare. She was also a young mum with two very small children and I
couldn’t bare to think of what we would do if the cancer had travelled “too
far”. I’m so grateful that the melanoma was on the front of her arm where she
noticed the changes quickly. Anyone with a younger sibling who has been
through a traumatic experience would know the helpless feeling you get when something
like this happens.”
But from a dire situation
came Sonya’s inspiration. Tanning had always been a favourite past time for the
two sisters, but now that was definitely not an option.
“Sun protection was
something I started looking into. I loved to spend hours in the sun tanning my
pale complexion, so I knew this was going to get interesting. Much to the
amusement of our kids, Rachel and I started using spray tans. I mean from what
everyone claimed it was a much safer option.”
Curious about these claims,
Sonya started researching the ingredients used in the tanning products she was
using.
“I was appalled at the
petrochemicals and synthetics that manufacturers were using to create these
tanning products. Rachel's scar was deep and new and we didn’t want any toxic
ingredients on her skin. From what I had learnt, much of what we put onto our
skin gets absorbed through our blood stream.”
The fact Sonya felt so
passionately about what her sister was putting on her skin after her diagnosis
led her to create a true organic tanning product that both women and men can
use. Her Eco Tan range recently made Australian history by becoming the first
and only tanning products to be certified by the Organic Food Chain under the
Australian Government.
“To be honest, manufacturing
an organic product has been a tough battle, both personally and financially,
but I believe what I’m doing is important. It’s a lot cheaper and easier to
manufacture synthetics, money has never been my motivation. I want to look back
on my life and feel I left a legacy of something positive, and wasn’t just a
consumer on this earth.”
Sonya says creating the
range has been a mix of blood, sweat and tears and has taken its toll on her
family. “My girls have days when they ban me from talking about my business.
I’ve spent thousands of hours sourcing and researching ingredients. I made
small batches myself and my kitchen was turned into a lab as I experimented on
my family and friends.”
It’s been an eye opening
journey. “I almost wish I didn’t know as much as I do, it’s stopped me buying a
lot of cosmetics on the shelves. I get so annoyed at the misleading natural and
organic claims. It makes my blood boil!”
Sonya still lives in a
tiny house without a dish washer and yep, she’s still a single mum. Her organic
mission highlights to the best of us that no matter how dark your world turns,
never give up and know you are worthy, strong and have value!
Synthetics and nasty
ingredients have had their day. There are amazing Australian products out there
that are affordable so we need to read the ingredients on labels and look past
fancy marketing. Ask yourself, what’s the integrity of the company?
Petrochemicals, nasty preservatives and synthetics, not really the words you’d
associate with beauty?
Please contact me for any
further information.
Sonya Driver 1300 596 118
Sunless
Tanning is a growing trend throughout Australia, and according to one
Australian study, more than 9% of the population over the age of 18 use fake tanning products, 28%
of which are women aged 18-24.
