Our Story | Twig Botanicals

Well, hello.

I'm Katie:  herbalist, naturopath, and the person who makes everything in this shop. I  love making potions - in the kitchen, for healing and for skin.

Twig started in my kitchen, the way many handcrafted businesses do. I was studying herbal medicine and becoming increasingly frustrated with the natural skincare options available. Partly because most of what I could find was either full of things I didn't want on my skin, or simply didn't work well enough to justify the price tag, and partly because I wanted herbs in ALL my skincare!

The deodorant was the final straw.

I had a cupboard full of them. Natural ones, expensive ones, ones with good reviews and promising ingredients lists. Every single one had worked for about a week before letting me down completely, leaving me smelly and self concious. As someone who understands what goes onto skin goes into the body, I wasn't willing to go back to conventional options. So I set out to make the best natural deodorant possible with simple, natural ingredients...

My customers tried it at the local markets and loved it, and from that one jar in a kitchen in Lake Macquarie, the rest followed.

That was over ten years ago. My studio is much more dedicated to TWIG now and the range has grown, but the way I make things hasn't changed. Everything is still handmade by me in small batches. I still source organic ingredients wherever I can, many of them local. I still wildcraft herbs from this region when they're in season, chickweed and plantain from the property, calendula from the garden, and infuse them slowly into the products you'll find in this shop.

What I love most about making plant-based skincare is that it connects directly to what I do as a practitioner. I'm not a beauty brand that added herbs for marketing. I'm a herbalist who makes skincare because I understand what plants can do, and I want that to reach people in their everyday routines, not just in a clinic.

Thank you for being here. For trusting me with your skin, and for supporting something made by hand, with intention, by one person in a small apothecary in Lake Macquarie.

I truly appreciate all the support and kind words of all my customers.

Much love,
Katie