The Ives: Magnesium Products For Sleep, Anxiety + Well-being

The Ives is a Stratford-upon-Avon-based start-up, – that makes magnesium products for sleep, anxiety + mental health issues (for people of all ages: from 1-100)

Trudy Armel launched the business during lock-down in December last year (2020), because her son was suffering with anxiety and sleep issues upon starting school. So she set out to do something about it.

“Our product, “Dreamer,” – was made for my son. He was suffering with anxiety and sleep issues at the time. He was only four. It was hard to get him to talk about what was happening in his head. I needed to find a way to connect with him, so that I could get a hold on how best to support him,” said Trudy.

Determined to find a solution, Trudy went on to create a massage oil, which was made with magnesium and essential oils: “More than half of us are lacking in daily magnesium levels. A lack of magnesium can be linked to high stress, depression, sleep issues, cramps, and much more,” added Trudy.

Then, Trudy sourced her own glass bottle suppliers, built a website, made her own formulas (in small batches to sell at markets and on her website), and it went from there.

Trudy’s ‘The Ives’ products are naturally-made with just six ingredients. They’re vegan, sustainable, served in refillable glass bottles, and they’re hand-made. Her ‘Dreamer’ magnesium oil product is for everyone aged 1-to-100. It’s made with magnesium from two miles below the earth’s crust, and it’s blended with pure essential oils.

The Products Include:

1. A 50ml dropper for children and family (made with magnesium, lavender, and chamomile).

2. A 50ml roller for children and adults (made with magnesium, lavender, and chamomile).

3. A 100ml spray blend for adults, for muscle ease (restless legs, and inflammation, etc), – made with magnesium frankincense, and ylang ylang.

4. A 100ml pillow spray, with pure essential oils (made with lavender, ylang ylang, and vanilla).

5. And last but not least, a 10ml roller ‘Day Dreamer.’ There’s two versions of these: one for handbags, and one for school bags. Both are made with magnesium, lavender and vanilla, or bergamot and peppermint.

Prior to launching her business, Trudy was a Procurement Specialist for a major energy company for 13+ years, – until she was unfortunately made redundant last year, in Christmas 2020. In her own words, Trudy “never imagined at the age of 40 that [she’d] be starting [her] own business,” – especially in an area that was totally different to her long-running career.

That being said, her interest in natural health had stemmed from the tragic loss of her father (who passed away from cancer many years ago). Since launching her business, The Ives, – Trudy has gone on to win various awards for her efforts:

In June 2021, her “Dreamer” product won a “Commended” Mama And Baby Award under the “Self-Care” category.
The Ives secured 10th place in ‘The Top 21 Mental Health Companies of 2021,’ by Tech Round.
Trudy won a table top entrepreneur award from The Sun.
And Trudy spoke on BBC Radio about sleep issues in children, and mental health.

Find out more here: https://theives.co.uk