ABOUT
Some knowledge is taught. Some knowledge is inherited.
I grew up in Grahamstown, South Africa, in a family where nature was the first medicine. My grandfather was a herbalist. My mother knew which plants healed, which roots soothed, which remedies to reach for when the body needed care. Plant wisdom was not something we studied, it was simply how we lived.
For most of my adult life I worked in the corporate world, as an accounts analyst for major media companies including Paramount. But alongside that career, I had always been quietly passionate about plants, aromatherapy and natural formulation. I trained in both, not to build a business, but simply because it felt like coming home.
It was knowledge I kept for myself. Until the morning I needed it.
My hair started falling out. I tried everything the market had to offer. Product after product, each one promising results and delivering very little. I was frustrated and exhausted. Then one morning I woke up feeling guided. Back to my kitchen. Back to what I already knew.
I brewed herbal teas and used them as my base. I replaced fillers, emulsifiers and microplastics with premium organic butters and botanicals, in concentrations most commercial brands would not dare. I drew on my South African roots, my botanical knowledge, my aromatherapy training, and three generations of plant wisdom passed down through my family. My hair grew back. Fuller and stronger than before.
I gave the products to neighbours. They loved them. I gave them to friends. They came back asking for more. I refined every formula until I was certain it was ready.
I called it Umthi - a Xhosa word meaning tree - because trees have always moved me. Rooted. Ancient. Generous. And because the name brings me closer to my Xhosa heritage and to my late mother.
Umthi is what happens when a corporate career, a personal passion, a family legacy and one very frustrating morning in the kitchen all collide. Every product is non-toxic, planet-kind and built on a truth that three generations of my family already knew: when you go back to nature with real knowledge and real respect, it never lets you down.
I am so glad you found us. And if you ever want to know which product is right for you, just send me a message. I still read every single one.
With warmth,
Lolita
Founder,
Umthi
GET 15% OFF FOR YOUR FIRST ORDER
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive news and updates.