Here at Naturel Haus, we’re deeply drawn to founders who build from lived experience - where ritual isn’t a trend, but a way of being. Few embody this more beautifully than Sophie Marshall, the founder of Gentle Habits.
Born from burnout, saltwater roots, and a quiet return to presence, Gentle Habits is a brand shaped by intention, ethics, and the joys of slowing down. In this conversation, Sophie shares her journey from decades in the surf industry to creating ritual-led products that support grounding, transparency, and conscious living - reminding us that the smallest, gentlest habits are often the most transformative.
From the moment I discovered your brand, I have been inspired by everything you do and you are also a WA gal! It is completely unintentional but so many of the incredible women I have interviewed so far have come from the West! Do you think there is something in the water here and how did your childhood shape you?
There must be something in the saltwater! Growing up in WA shaped my love for surfing + the coast, those roots have never left me.
You spent many years in the surf industry in product/development roles, was this back in West Aus? In what ways has that background influenced how you approach product design, sourcing and brand building at Gentle Habits?
I worked in the surf industry for 27 years and starting back in WA when I was 15yrs old. It gave me a deep appreciation for quality, lifestyle-led design, and building products that people live in. Working for the surf brands and learning the core of what these things are has carried directly into how I approach Gentle Habits - as a lifestyle brand, not just a product based brand.
Could you take us back to that moment in 2020 when you realised you needed a “ritual” to slow down and how that led to launching This Is Incense and then Gentle Habits?
In 2020, I found myself completely burnt out. Lighting incense became my pause to slow down and be present amongst the chaos - a simple ritual that shifted everything. That moment birthed This Is Incense, and from there, Gentle Habits was then born - creating more products to help people explore small, grounding practices every day.
Ethics and transparency in production is really important to us, we support brands rooted in ritual and lifestyle with aligned values of conscious integrity - how do you think about sourcing and materials?
We’re intentional with every material- if it doesn’t align with conscious, ethical sourcing, we don’t use it. We work directly with local suppliers where ever we can, try to make products in-house to help support local jobs to ensure every step is values-driven.
When it comes to fragrance, incense sticks, diffusers – fragrance is often a ‘grey area’ in non-toxic living. Your grounded incense notes mention “essential oils … phthalates free” and your website has an “Ingredients Glossary” (which we appreciate).. Could you share how you approach fragrance ingredients, transparency around them, and how you screen for possibly harmful components?
We don’t use wood cores, phthalates and be as clean as we can. Every scent is created with a blend or 100% essential oils and or a blend with parfum which is IFRA certified and phthalate free - you can find our full glossary online. Most incense brand don't provide the insight into the ingredients. Lighting incense is a way to cleanse, ground and reconnect to self.
Ethical production also goes beyond ingredients: manufacturing, labour, packaging. Could you share how Gentle Habits ensures ethical practices along the value-chain - from manufacturing to packaging to distribution?
Ethical production runs through everything we do - no third-party warehouses. Our team hand-packs every order in our local warehouse and hand writes each note. We choose low-waste materials and use hardly any plastics, support flexible work for mums and dads, and reinvest in our local community.
The term “gentle habits” suggests small, consistent rituals rather than big, dramatic changes. How do you think about the art of ritual in our busy modern lives, and how do your products support that?
Personally I am a 'non-toxic girl but love your incense and this ritual so much - it can do a lot for our mental health and ground us, especially through dark times - lighting incense can also cleanse your space and aura and do so much to make you feel calm and at ease.
Gentle Habits are about the everyday-rituals that don’t overwhelm and are easily layered into your life, but invite presence. Lighting incense, tea in the afternoon, underwater stillness and back to nature-all these moments can anchor you.
In your personal routine you talk about incense, yoga/pilates, and nature. How does your personal life inform the products you create (rather than the other way around)?
My lifestyle is my product inspiration, from early sun on my face to journaling with incense lit - I create what I live and love. And what I am missing and needing!
Sophie Marshall at home in Yamba, NSW
You often speak of being “grounded” and “present”. Our readers are seeking wellness and a mindful, restful life, how do you maintain authenticity with this ethos and think about how we can avoid ‘ritual’ becoming just another buzzword?
For us, ritual isn’t a trend - it’s our everyday and why we exist as a brand. We live what we create. I stay authentic by tuning in daily, letting my own Gentle Habits I do shape the way for our brand.
Within two years you grew your brand into a million-dollar business and broadened your product range significantly. We are so inspired by an entrepreneurial spirit. As you scale what are the biggest challenges in maintaining quality, ethos and the ‘small brand feel’ you began with?
Growth is beautiful but I’m protective of our ethos and say no to a lot of things to ensure this. We’ve stayed self-funded, kept fulfilment in-house, and treat every customer as if they’re our first and this will never change.
You moved physically to Yamba with your family to align with a slower, more grounded lifestyle. How has the location, environment and lifestyle shift influenced the brand story and operational decisions (e.g., supply chain, manufacturing, local vs global)?
Yamba changed everything as this is now my home. It’s allowed for inspiration and it mirrors the life we’re building, having a slower pace, closer to nature and creating community jobs. It’s influenced how and why we make decisions.
What are the biggest lessons you've learned in building a lifestyle brand (not just a product brand) which has meaning, purpose and commerce all together?
The biggest lesson is Purpose always leads. When your brand is built from truth, people feel it. We’re not just selling incense and Dive Masks, we are sharing a lifestyle that gently supports you.
When working with retail stockists (you’ve grown through indie retail, even in your global expansion), how do you ensure the brand stays aligned with your values rather than purely chasing distribution?
We say no more than we say yes to ensure we have a manageable list. Our stockists need to live and breathe the same values and we grow slowly, and only where it feels aligned.
At Naturel Haus our ethos is non-toxic, thoughtful, meaningful wellness in the home. From your vantage point, how do you see the future of home-ritual/lifestyle brands evolving in terms of non-toxic materials, transparency and functionality?
Home is our sanctuary. I see the future in transparency, multi-functional products and simple, easy designs that nurtures your mental, emotional and physical space.
From everything you have learnt in your own life and in being true to your own gentle habits, what is the one piece of advice you would give a close friend on how best to ground yourself in a daily ritual?
Start small. Light a stick, set an intention, and sit with it. Rituals don’t need to be perfect - they just need to be yours.
Check out the Gentle Habits Sound Studio, playlists designed to listen while you chill.
