I first discovered PEMF therapy at Saint Haven, where BEST CELLF’s mats form part of the club’s recovery offering. I had never heard of the therapy before and had no idea what to expect before settling down on the mat for a half-hour session. All I had to do was lie there with a blanket over me and an LED light above my face. If this is wellness, I remember thinking, sign me up.
I still remember floating out of my first session – my body felt lighter, my mind quieter, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the experience. It prompted me to reach out to Candice Johnston, founder of BEST CELLF, the Australian business helping bring PEMF technology into homes and wellness spaces across the country.
Candice and I have stayed in touch ever since, and she was kind enough to send me a PEMF mat to use at home, which has since become a regular part of my own wellness routine – more to come on that.
We recently caught up to talk all things PEMF, from the journey behind launching one of Australia’s most exciting wellness businesses to the science behind the technology, and why this quietly powerful modality is resonating with everyone from elite athletes to busy parents seeking a little more balance.
Before we dive into the technology itself, I’d love to start with your story. What first introduced you to PEMF, and what was it about the experience that sparked such a deep fascination and ultimately led you to create BEST CELLF?
I’d known about PEMF for many years through the equine industry, where it’s been used in Australia for quite some time to support horses. At the same time, I’ve always been fascinated by longevity and exploring different ways to support the body, so when PEMF kept popping up in my research, I completely fell down the rabbit hole! I became obsessed with understanding everything I could about how it worked, what the research said, and where it fit into a modern wellness routine. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to incorporate it into my own life and share it with the people I love.
What surprised me was how difficult it was to access PEMF therapy in Australia. Unless you lived near a clinic or practitioner, it wasn’t something many people could experience regularly, particularly low-intensity, low-frequency PEMF (the most widely studied). Being in the wellness industry already, I felt a strong pull to change that. I wanted to make this technology more accessible to Australians, and that’s really where the journey to BEST CELLF began.
For those discovering PEMF for the first time, how do you explain what Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy actually is, and what is happening within the body when we use it?
I like to explain PEMF as another form of therapy inspired by nature. Just as we use light therapy to mimic the sun, grounding to reconnect with the earth or hot and cold exposure to challenge the body in beneficial ways, PEMF draws inspiration from a natural phenomenon that has always existed around us.
Every day, lightning strikes thousands of times around the world, creating pulsed electromagnetic fields that ripple through the Earth’s atmosphere. Our bodies evolved in the presence of these natural electromagnetic fields, but modern life looks very different. We spend far more time indoors, surrounded by buildings, screens and electrical devices, with much less exposure to nature than previous generations.
PEMF gently introduces these low-frequency electromagnetic pulses back to the body. Because our bodies rely on tiny electrical signals for everything from nerve communication to muscle function, supporting that electrical environment can have a cascade of biological effects that help the body function as it was designed to.
Wellness can often feel overwhelming, with endless products, supplements and routines competing for our attention. What do you think it is about PEMF that resonates so strongly with people seeking a simpler, more sustainable approach to wellbeing?
I think people, including myself, are craving simplicity again. There are so many wellness trends, supplements and biohacks competing for attention that it can become exhausting trying to keep up. What I love about PEMF is that it has decades of research behind it in both human and veterinary medicine, yet it’s incredibly simple to use. You don’t need to remember another supplement or carve out hours in your day – you simply lie on the mat while reading, watching TV, meditating or winding down before bed.
Another thing that makes it unique is that the gentle electromagnetic field passes through the entire body, so you’re not just targeting one area; you’re reaching every cell. Combined with its great safety profile, it becomes a really versatile wellness tool that can complement almost any lifestyle.
I first discovered BEST CELLF through Saint Haven, Australia’s leading wellness club, where members have access to your PEMF mats as part of the offering. What did that partnership with Tim Gurner and the Saint Haven team mean for you and the business in its early stages?
That partnership was a huge milestone for BEST CELLF. Saint Haven approached us after experiencing ongoing issues with another PEMF supplier and wanted to trial our systems. As a relatively young Australian business, it was an incredible opportunity, but it also gave us confidence that what we’d created genuinely stood up in a premium wellness environment.
Today, our mats have become an integral part of the Saint Haven experience, and we regularly hear from members who first discovered PEMF there before welcoming a BEST CELLF PEMF mat into their own homes. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch that partnership grow, and it certainly helped establish our credibility during those early years.
Your BEST CELLF community is incredibly diverse – from busy, burnt-out parents (hello, me!) to athletes, executives and wellness enthusiasts. What are some of the most memorable stories or transformations you’ve witnessed from people incorporating PEMF into their everyday lives?
While I can’t always share some of the more personal stories, the feedback that stays with me most often comes from those living with persistent discomfort for years, either from injury, surgery or chronic disease, who suddenly find themselves moving more freely or getting back to activities they’d stopped enjoying. Of course, everyone’s experience is different, and PEMF is not a magic fix – it’s a piece of the puzzle. But hearing someone say they finally slept through the night, picked up their grandchildren again, enjoyed a walk or sport without thinking about discomfort or just feel more ‘themselves’ again – that’s what reminds me why I started BEST CELLF in the first place.
Like any wellness practice, the benefits often come through consistency rather than a one-off session. For someone curious about PEMF but unsure where to start, what would a realistic, sustainable PEMF routine look like, and what changes might they notice over time?
Consistency is definitely more important than duration, especially with the low-intensity, low-frequency PEMF systems we design. For someone starting out, I’d recommend just 10 to 20 minutes once a day. Once that becomes part of your routine, you can gradually increase to 30 to 60 minutes, once or twice daily, depending on your goals. We also create personalised protocols because everyone’s needs are different.
The first thing many people notice is simply feeling deeply relaxed. Better sleep, less tension and waking up feeling more refreshed are probably the most common early changes we hear about. Beyond that, everyone’s journey is unique. Some people notice changes quite quickly, while for others it’s a gradual process, which is why I always encourage people to think of PEMF as a long-term wellness habit rather than a quick fix.
The name BEST CELLF is such a clever nod to becoming the best version of ourselves at a cellular level. What does living as your “best self” mean to you personally?
Being my BEST CELLF means doing the small things every day that shape the person I want to be – for myself and for those around me. Those things are heavily centred around nourishing my body and my mind through wellness modalities, physical activity, good nutrition, creative projects and hobbies. Fortunately, my work falls into my creative and critical thinking pillar! All of these things combined keep me feeling amazing in every way. I feel like I’m continually challenging myself while, at the same time, supporting myself, and I know that’s the perfect balance for me. That’s my BEST CELLF!
To learn more, or to purchase a PEMF mat, visit BEST CELLF.
