A Vegan Chat with Shelby Clark from Oz Green Oasis

We recently discovered the wonderful & incredibly sustainable
Oz Green Oasis.

Oz Green Oasis is an Australian online retailer focussed on being kind to the earth at a reasonable price with all of their products vetted through a thorough review process.

This extensive process ensures that you are getting only the best products on the sustainable market in Australia.

We featured the brand here last month and were now lucky enough to chat with founder Shelby Clark, who is on a mission to reduce harmful products being used and at the same time offer an affordable way to do it for all Australians.

Shelby has been kind enough to share her story and has even given us all a very special offer as part of Earth Day last month!

Be sure to read to the end to grab the deal 🙂

We hope you enjoy the chat with Shelby Clark!

1. What was the inspiration to turn a passion into a business?

After finally navigating the COVID gauntlet, I returned to Australia and began exploring opportunities with purpose-driven brands and/or green jobs. I wanted to work on something I believe in, contributing to the climate solution for both people and the planet. During this search, I discovered that most Australians wanted to buy more sustainable products but don’t because they think sustainable products don’t work, cost too much & it’s hard to tell what’s genuinely sustainable and what’s just greenwashing.

And they are correct! Traditional retailers like Coles and Woolies offer the lowest prices on green/sustainable products, but often, these products are of poor quality, reinforcing the perception that green products don’t work. While there are some excellent online retailers that offer high quality organic products with sustainable packaging, they tend to be pretty expensive & risky as many have almost no reviews.

This situation is unlikely to change any time soon due to the concentration of retail power. Since I believe sustainable products are the future, Oz Green Oasis was born to fit perfectly in the market gap, supporting the shift to green sustainable products – starting with skincare (as that is a market I know well). It was designed to address Australian concerns and make it easy to find verified sustainable products that deliver results at affordable prices.

2. What would you say sets OGO apart from other online stores?

I think there are 2 key differences. One – every product is verified to have proven performance, which we ensure by only offering products with a minimum of 50 consumer reviews and a rating of 4 stars or higher. Two – every product is verified for sustainability – both in packaging and formulas. Oz Green Oasis does the verification and transparently shares the information on every product page to help consumers assess performance and sustainability credentials – quickly and easily. Additionally, we offer affordable options in every category – facial cleansers start at $16.95, facial moisturisers in the $20s, and serums in the $30s.

3. Where do you hope to see the business in 3-5 years?

Expanding into the top 12 billion-dollar categories and offering Australians a one-stop shop that makes eco-easy for everyone – especially food, as it is crucial to the health of people and the planet.

4. Tell us about your most popular vegan product?

It is still early days – we just celebrated our 1-year anniversary on Earth Day, 22 April.

The three most popular products across categories are: 1. ACURE Brightening Facial Scrub – I definitely understand why it is always on the best scrubs lists; 2. Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap – I think that is due to its versatile 18 different uses combined with Dr. Bronner’s commitment to the environment, from their fair-trade ingredients to their recyclable post-consumer recycled packaging – and all that at an affordable price! 3. Woohoo Australian made Aluminium-free deodorant stick.

5. What are some of your favorite vegan products?

On Oz Green Oasis, I love the Woohoo moisturisers – I can effortlessly change the moisturiser depending on the season or my skin’s needs. Also, I indulge in the Cloud 9 Deep Cleansing Balm for a bit of pampering after a tough day!

In general, I enjoy the Impossible Plant-Based Beef Mince so I can make my sister’s awesome recipe for comfort food from my childhood – Cincinnati Chili. I am a bit of a junk food junkie so always have Darrell Lea raspberry twists & Natural confectionary co Vegan Fruity Flavoured Lollies in my pantry along with Proud & Punch Chocolate That’s Bananas in my freezer! I do try to be healthy with air-popped popcorn!

6. Do you have a brand you would love to one day work with or stock? And Why?

I would actually like to create an Oz Green Oasis brand that works with local innovators to create smart and scrappy green/sustainable products that do things differently in terms of product formulas and packaging for Australians. I aim to deliver delight and surprise along with results.

7. You did Veganuary recently, tell us about the experience?

I finally completed Veganuary successfully, I guess the third time really is a charm!! Not perfect, I had a few vegetarian days, but it was definitely better😉! My biggest learning is to keep an eye on my iron levels as mine dropped🙁, but so did my weight 😀! I now do much better meal planning to ensure I get lots of iron daily and indulge in more dark chocolate while cutting back on coffee!

8. Where is your favourite vegan/vegetarian restaurant here or abroad?

I think Ethiopian food has some of the most delicious vegan/vegetarian dishes in the world! I crave Ethiopian injera and shiro, but I’m cautious about trying it in other countries since injera is made from teff, which isn’t common. Any recommendations for a great Ethiopian restaurant in/near Sydney would be much appreciated! My favourite vegan restaurant is my local Pilgrims Cronulla. Everything I’ve tried there is delicious – though the brekkie burger is my favourite – especially when paired with one of their juices or, even better, shakes – all with a beautiful view!

9. What more can the average person do to live more sustainably?

I recommend 3 simple steps where you can live more sustainably as well as save money & the planet!

1. Stop single use plastic waste simply by bringing your own reusable bottle. If you love fizzy drinks like I do, invest in a SodaStream/Soda King!
2. Buy used – I love my local buy swap sell sites & gumtree – you also meet the coolest people!
3. Recycle your product packaging, your e-waste & more – you could even make some money by selling old furniture or clothing you no longer love or make someone’s day by donating it!

 10. Who should we interview next?

Each year Australians waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food, about 312kg per person and can cost up to $2,500 per household per year so I would recommend you interview an inspiring Australian who Fights Food Waste –

• Ronni Kahn, OzHarvest Founder
• Katy Barfield, Yume Food Founder & CEO
• Krista Watkins, a leader in agricultural innovation and the co-founder and Managing Director of Natural Evolution

I don’t know them, but I sure would love to hear from them!

Final Thoughts

Shelby, thank you so much for sharing your story and the ‘why’ behind founding this fantastic business.

To celebrate our chat & the one year anniversary of Oz Green Oasis on Earth Day, we are thrilled to announce that Oz Green Oasis will be giving you all 22% off for the month of June!
*T’s & C’s Apply

Simply use the code: LGV22 to gain access to this great deal 🙂

To see all these amazing products, visit the Oz Green Oasis page here.

LGV!

T’s & C’s: Excludes shipping & gift cards. Single-use only. Not valid with other offers. Expires 11:59pm AEDT 31/05/2024)