Chey Birch

I'm Chey Birch - founder of Black Chicken Remedies and the person who personally formulates every product you'll find in this range.

I started Black Chicken Remedies 16 years ago not as a business plan, but as a personal necessity. I was living in Bondi in the early 2000s, suffering from irritated skin and sinus issues that nothing I tried could fix. A naturopath finally asked me to look at what I was putting on my body every day. When I did, I was horrified. The products I was using were full of synthetic chemicals I couldn't pronounce, let alone want near my skin.

So I started blending. On my dining room table, in a little bowl with a black chicken painted on it, I combined essential oils and botanical extracts to create a natural remedy for my own skin. That blend became the Love Your Body Oil - and it's been unchanged ever since.

Formulating Australia's First Natural Deodorant Paste

One of the things I'm most proud of is formulating the Axilla™ Deodorant Paste - Australia's first natural deodorant paste. At the time, the market was dominated by synthetic antiperspirants. I wanted to create something that actually worked without aluminium, parabens or synthetic fragrance. It took time, testing and a lot of real-world feedback to get the formula right.

Axilla is now trusted under more than 2 million armpits worldwide. The fact that it has become Australia's favourite natural deodorant is something I think about often - because it started with one person (me) trying to solve a very personal problem.

Formulating Australia's First Natural Deodorant Paste

My Aromatherapy Training

I began studying aromatherapy over 20 years ago, from the chemistry of essential oils, plant families, therapeutic properties, contraindications, blending ratios and clinical application.

My biggest takeout was that Aromatherapy isn't just about nice-smelling products - it's the therapeutic application of plant-derived essential oils and botanical extracts to support physical and emotional wellbeing.

That foundation underpins every formulation decision I make.

Why I Still Formulate Every Product

I am asked regularly whether I plan to hand formulation over to a contract manufacturer. My answer is always no. The products work because they are made with aromatherapy intent and the highest quality natural ingredients I can source. The moment that changes, the products stop being remedies and become just cosmetics. That's not what Black Chicken Remedies is.

Our approach is informed by ancient remedies that have been used for thousands of years by healers across different cultures. Within each product are generations of therapeutic knowledge. We don't make skincare to look, smell or feel good - we make it to make a genuine difference.

What I Write About

The blog articles I write for Black Chicken Remedies draw on 20+ years of aromatherapy study and 16 years of hands-on formulation experience.

When I write about deodorant ingredients, skincare actives, or the science of essential oils - I'm writing from direct, first-hand knowledge of how these ingredients behave and what they do in a real formulation.

I believe people deserve honest, ingredient-level education about what they put on their skin. That's what I try to provide.

Credentials & Highlights

20+ years studying aromatherapy and natural ingredients, with hands-on practice in essential oils and botanical extracts
Founder & sole product formulator, Black Chicken Remedies (est. 2010)
Creator of Australia's first natural deodorant paste - Axilla™ Deodorant Paste
Products stocked by Go Vita, Adore Beauty, and hundreds of independent health retailers nationally
Black Chicken Remedies products sold in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, Dubai and the USA
Multiple industry award-winner for natural deodorant and skincare