Meet Peter and Sonia
My name is Sonia and I live with my husband Peter, two daughters and a menagerie of animals on a 2-acre property in Noordhoek, a rural suburb of Cape Town.
Peter has been a doctor for 35 years. He has a small practice in the nearby township of Masiphumelele. He has a particular interest in nutrition and dieting and has written a book on the subject. Although he is trained in western medicine, he has an open mind and a keen interest in alternative medicine.
I have a BA degree in psychology and am currently studying clinical herbalism at the Homegrown Herbalist School of Botanical Medicine with Dr Patrick Jones. I have also studied with Dr Sulak and completed the Healer Medical Cannabis Wellness Advisor Training course. This is a doctor-developed cannabis training and certification course. I also joined the School of Natural Skincare and completed their make up course. One of the amazing things about this field is that there is always more to learn, more to understand, more to research and to discover.
Journey of heightening awareness
I have always been concerned about the side effects of pharmaceutical medications. I have noticed how people take one medication and then need to take another to counteract the side effects of the first one. I am not against pharmaceuticals, they do have their place, but so does alternative medicine.
All the chemicals in the products that we buy in the shops and the pesticides that the farmers spray on our food are also of concern to me.
My journey into the natural world began after I lost my mother and my sister to cancer. Soon after that I was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma on the side of my face. This experience altered my awareness and I became curious about natural healing.
My research started and I spent countless hours studying how we can work with nature to heal the body. With all the knowledge I gained, I developed a deep and enthralling passion for plants and was blown away by their medicinal properties and astonishing healing powers. During my research I discovered how toxic and potentially carcinogenic some “trusted” commercial skincare and cosmetic products are. Research has shown that these nasty ingredients have been linked to cancer, hormonal disruptions, skin and eye irritations, dermatitis and general weakening of the immune system. Realizing how important it is to look after our bodies, I started planting medicinal plants with specific properties and therapeutic benefits to create our products. Ingredients that we cannot grow in our garden are ethically sourced in South Africa.
I believe, the more we rely on medicinal plants and herbs for our everyday health, the better our health and this world would be. Taking care of our bodies naturally helps to avoid complications and illnesses that can occur later in life.
Creating a garden
To be outside in the garden, building the soil, planting and caring for the plants is one of the most therapeutic practices I have ever experienced. Gardening has taught me to observe, listen and enjoy a deeper connection with the plants.
We have a beautiful medicinal herb garden and a greenhouse filled with a variety of medicinal plants. We planted a variety of fruit trees and have a large vegetable garden. With miniature horses, chickens, geese and a pig on the property, we have no shortage of organic fertilizer. We have an impressive water purification system and an extensive sprinkler system which drives the purified water from our borehole to all the plants.
We are passionate about organic growing and keeping our plants free from pesticides and harmful chemicals.
Creating Enchanted products
Once the plants are ready, it is time to harvest. Once harvested, they go into the Freeze Dryer. Once the plants have been freeze dried, they are stored in glass bottles with oxygen absorbers in a dark cool cupboard. When we need them, we grind and infuse them for 8 weeks in an organic carrier oil. When the infused oil is ready, we strain the oil and store it in dark amber bottles in the fridge. These are the oils we use to formulate the Enchanted products.
Considerable time and attention is invested in our hand-made products. All our products are made from natural ingredients, are non toxic and organic.
Our products are derived from plant sources and are vegan friendly.
We are against animal cruelty and therefore all our products are cruelty free.
For our packaging, we use eco-friendly, recycled materials wherever possible.
Our medicinal plants are sent off to a laboratory in Pretoria for analysis. This is to establish the potency of the phyto-cannabinoids in the plant.
