Founder.I.Am – Nina Hargrave – Serene Body Health

Introducing Nina Hargrave: The Founder of Serene Body Health

Nina Hargrave, founder and natural perfumer of Serene Body Health, began her journey into natural perfumery as a form of self-care during a period of profound personal loss. What started as a creative outlet while navigating grief transformed into a passion for blending botanical ingredients with a purpose. Nina’s love for plants, rooted in her background as a horticulturist, inspired her to create Serene Body Health six years ago—a brand dedicated to harnessing the power of natural scent to support emotional and physical well-being. Her fragrances not only reflect the beauty of nature but also offer a holistic approach to self-care and mindfulness.

We are thrilled to have Serene Body Health as part of the Sensoriam Collective.

And what a privilege to interview Nina Hargrave as part of our Founder.I.Am series.

How did you become interested in natural perfumery? How long has Serene body health been around?

I started blending plant oils around 8 years ago. I used this as a creative outlet when I was experiencing difficult times. I lost my mother and sister to illness and started working with essential oils for self-care and to get through grief. I started Serene Body Health 6 years ago in 2018.

What or who inspires your work in creating fragrances?

I am inspired by nature and specifically botanical ingredients. The emotional health benefits of these ingredients and how I can combine and create really interesting, healthy and meaningful scent combinations. I am fascinated by neuroscience and how the brain processes scent through the limbic system. How scent is linked to memories and emotions. How we can use meditation and mindfulness practices combined with scent to rewire and improve our brain health and overall health.

How have your life experiences lead to you becoming an entrepreneur and launching your own business?

I started out as a horticulturist. My love of plants has led me to working with plant oils, resins and botanical essences. The selfcare aspect of this business was inspired by my own journey of working through grief, creating the first 5 aromatherapy perfumes to support my emotional health, while also moving into a career of studying mindfulness and mediation and becoming a qualified meditation teacher. I started selling my first range into stores and it’s gone from there.

'In my family, I was surrounded by Illness. This showed me the importance of the connection between our minds and bodies and how our stored emotions, If left unresolved, can contribute to physical Illness. During this awareness phase, I became interested in the ingredients within the cosmetics, perfumes, and beauty products I was using. Through research, I discovered the most toxic products were used in the perfume industry. This knowledge shocked and moved me so much that I created my own range of luxury, natural perfume products to replace the toxic items I used. I am so happy to offer luxurious, healthy products that smell wonderful and help support the general health of people who wear my fragrances.'

What was your previous experience in the world of perfume?

I had no experience in the world of perfume. I wanted the brand to sit within the realm of perfume but also be in the wellness category. The world of perfume is fascinating to me, yet I never really wore perfume and I still can’t smell synthetic fragrance without feeling ill or getting a headache! I still have my mother’s original bottle of Chanel No. 5. It would be about 15 years old and I have never worn it. It's just a reminder of her.

What is Serene Body Health all about for you? 

Serene Body Health is about transporting us into the present moment through the power of natural scent. It's about using natural scent as a tool for supporting our body’s health in a holistic and scientific way. We like using evidence based facts to support the brand's philosophy rather than spiritual belief systems.

What makes your products unique?

I think the fragrances are quite unique in themselves. The scent combinations smell quite unique. This is what I’m told! We are also genderless and sell to all genders. We create fragrances in bases of oils, alcohol and magnesium. We use a combination of medicinal plant oils, resins and floral absolutes. The new scent with Ali Oetjen has a combination of herbal and vegetable seed oil, like basil and cucumber seed, mixed with frangipani and very strong medicinal oils like citronella, lemon scented tea tree, lemon and lemongrass, It smells, fresh, earthy and tropical and also works as a natural insect repellent. It's really unique and innovative. I’m also currently experimenting with sourcing upcycled plant ingredients for future perfumes and products, this is an area we are definitely moving into, a more sustainable approach to our ingredient choices.

How do you choose and source your natural ingredients?

I get an idea in my mind about an ingredient that inspires me and that I want to work with. If I’m collaborating on a scent, the partner will suggest some ingredients they like or a theme and I usually find I can source what ‘m looking for from my main US supplier. But I’m always on the hunt for interesting ingredients and how they are sourced and processed.

Are there specific regions or suppliers you prefer for certain materials?

I always source my Australian Ingredients from small suppliers here in Australia, for example I source my sandalwood from Western Australia and the Australian Rosewood comes from a small grower in Byron Bay. For all other ingredients, I have a very trustworthy and ethical American supplier. We are currently sourcing upcycled botanical ingredients for future perfumes as well as possibly incorporating these into some existing fragrances.

How would you describe the character or personality of your fragrances?

I would describe them as earthy, rich, powerful, unique and from the earth and of course super healthy! Connecting us to ourselves and to the earth.

PURCHASE LIFT BY SERENE BODY HEALTH AT SENSORIAM

This scent is designed to help you focus, give clarity, uplift and energise you with happiness.

PURCHASE AMPLIFY BY SERENE BODY HEALTH AT SENSORIAM

Rich with personality, this scent is designed to warm you with a sense of wellbeing and recharge you to take on the day and night.

PURCHASE GROUND BY SERENE BODY HEALTH AT SENSORIAM

What aspects of your work bring you the most satisfaction or joy?

Creating and formulating the products and collaborating with like-minded, passionate people.

Do you have a story or a moment / memory in business so far that you cherish deeply?

The moments of creating a new scent that has something special about it. Working on the perfume with Rachelle Robinett has been an incredible and pretty flawless experience, so has working on the new scent with Ali Oetjen. These processes have been very rewarding for me. Collaboration and formulation I think are my strengths.

What change do you want to see in the world?

That’s a big question! I would like to see more community and kindness in the world. Social media is an amazing tool to use for awareness but it’s also responsible for creating an individualistic idealism, where anyone can be an expert and we are not necessarily working together for the common good of people and planet. In terms of ingredients I would like to see more natural ingredients suppliers processing up-cycled ingredients.

What challenges do you face in the world of natural perfumery?

We face the ongoing need for educating the public about what is actually in most conventional perfumes and why they are harmful. We also face synthetic fragrance being constantly around us and in our environments, our hotels, department stores, this makes people immune to synthetic scents and so it can be challenging to convert people to natural scent when their noses are not used to it. 

What’s your dream for the future?

My dream for the future is to stay healthy. I want my children to be emotionally mature and reasonably resilient. I would love my business to grow and to build a strong community. I would love a strong philanthropic aspect to the business in the area of youth mental health. I see Serene as being an accessible, inclusive, International brand. 

Finally when do you wear each of your scents?

I change my scent constantly. I can change my fragrance 3-4 times a day and sometimes I don’t wear a scent at all. I wear White Gothic a lot when I go out somewhere nice. My favourite perfume oil is Aware, I use this for meditation and I wear it as a perfume. When I want to feel empowered and sexy I wear Amplify or Nestinari. I wear Lift if I need to pick myself up and I still use Rest at bedtime or if I just feel anxious or overwhelmed.