Founding Essence
Di Mattingley, the origin of Nunchi Oils
Scent has always played a healing role in Di Mattingley’s life—a quiet companion to breath, memory, and moments of calm. A sensory tether to presence. A way of returning home—to the body, to the moment, to a softer, kinder place within.
Born of lived experience and deep restoration, Nunchi Oils was founded in 2017 on the Mornington Peninsula. While navigating through a mental health breakdown, Di turned inward—toward grounding rituals of meditation, yoga, mindfulness, and the ancient alchemy of essential oils. She went on to teach meditation and yoga, eventually studying aroma psychology and the powerful ways scent can soothe the nervous system, shift our inner landscape, and support emotional clarity.
In time, Di began blending her own mood sprays and body oils—gentle tools for quiet transformation. Small moments of joy and release. Acts of self-tending that created calm amidst the noise of daily life. Simple gestures, made meaningful through repetition and ritual.
“I believe that when something is created from the heart, this intention is carried in every drop.” — Di Mattingley
Nunchi Oils—named after the Korean concept of intuitive awareness—was never rushed into being. It unfolded gently. One blend at a time. One mindful pause at a time. Di nurtured it slowly, guided by instinct, presence, connection to local community and long walks through nature.