About birchyard

My wife Claire grew up in Bega, about forty minutes from where we live now on the south coast. I came from Orange, did a commerce degree at Charles Sturt, spent twelve years in procurement for a building materials company out of Parramatta. Claire spent those same years formulating skincare products for a contract lab in Wetherill Park. We met at a friend's place in Mudgee in 2014, got talking about supply chains of all things, and figured out pretty quickly that between the two of us we had a reasonably complete set of skills for running a product business. That realisation sat in the back of our heads for about five years before we actually did anything with it.

Before birchyard, I was travelling to Sydney every second week and Claire was commuting an hour each way to the lab. We had a daughter in 2018 and the commuting stopped making sense almost immediately. Claire kept formulating on a freelance basis from home, I kept the procurement job remote for as long as they'd let me. By early 2020 we had about forty thousand dollars saved specifically to start something, a lease on a small shed in Eden, and a shortlist of raw material suppliers Claire had been building quietly for two years. The decision moment was actually pretty undramatic. We sat down in March 2020, looked at the savings, looked at the shed lease we'd already signed, and agreed we'd be idiots not to go.

— Still in Eden, still packing orders ourselves. — Robert, Robert Graham

Our team

• Claire Graham — Head of Formulation: Claire spent eleven years as a contract cosmetic chemist at a lab in Wetherill Park before co-founding birchyard with Robert in 2020. She develops every formula in-house, runs all stability testing, and manages the supplier relationships for raw actives including the Kakadu plum extract sourced from a Northern Territory grower collective. If a batch doesn't pass her check, it doesn't ship, full stop.
• Renata Hollis — Fulfilment and Operations: Renata grew up in Bega and worked in logistics coordination for a produce distributor in Nowra for six years before joining birchyard part-time in early 2023. She manages pick-and-pack, Sendle bookings, and wholesale dispatch to stockists in the ACT and southern NSW. During the November and December peak she regularly processes over 300 orders a week out of the Eden shed.
• Declan Varga — E-commerce and Customer: Declan studied digital marketing at the University of Wollongong and spent three years doing e-commerce support for a homewares brand in Canberra before moving back to the coast in 2022. He came on with birchyard in mid-2023 to manage the Shopify backend, handle customer emails through birchyardco.com, and run the occasional paid campaign. He's based in Merimbula, about twenty minutes from the Eden workshop.

Frequently asked questions

How long will my order take to arrive?

Standard shipping with Australia Post takes 3–8 business days depending on your location. Express orders via StarTrack typically arrive in 1–3 business days. Remote and regional areas may take a little longer — we'll send you a tracking link so you can keep an eye on it.

Do you offer free shipping?

Yes. Orders over $75 qualify for free standard shipping anywhere in Australia. If your order falls under that threshold, standard shipping is calculated at checkout based on your postcode.

Can I return a product if I change my mind?

We accept change-of-mind returns within 30 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original sealed packaging. Opened skincare products can't be returned for hygiene reasons unless they're faulty. See our full Returns Policy for details.

Are your products suitable for sensitive skin?

Several of our products contain active botanical ingredients — including Kakadu Plum, Tea Tree, and Rose Hip — which may not suit every skin type. We recommend checking the full ingredient list on each product page and doing a patch test before first use if you have known sensitivities.

Where are Birchyard products made?

All products are developed and produced out of our workshop in Eden, NSW, on the South Coast of Australia. Robert Graham started Birchyard there and the whole range is still made in the same region.

Do you offer gift wrapping?

Yes, gift wrapping is available at checkout for $6.50. We use kraft paper and a simple card — nothing fussy. You can add a short message and we'll include it with the order.

Do you do wholesale or stockist enquiries?

We do. If you're a retailer interested in stocking Birchyard, send an email to wholesale@birchyardco.com with your business name, location, and the products you're interested in. We'll get back to you within 3–5 business days.

Can I get a custom or personalised order?

We don't offer personalised product formulations, but we can sometimes accommodate bulk gifting orders with custom packaging for corporate clients. Email hello@birchyardco.com to discuss what you're after.

Customer reviews

• 5/5 “Actually works on dull skin” I ordered the Kakadu Plum Brightening Serum after reading about the vitamin C content and it arrived within two days — faster than I expected for standard post. I've been using it for about three weeks and my skin tone has noticeably evened out. No irritation at all, which is a win for me. Will be reordering.
• 4/5 “Good scalp mask, strong smell” The Eucalyptus and Tea Tree Scalp Detox Mask does what it says — my scalp felt a lot less itchy after the first couple of uses. The eucalyptus scent is pretty intense, so if you're sensitive to strong smells just be aware of that. Packaging was solid and arrived well protected.
• 5/5 “The eye cream is genuinely good” I've tried a lot of eye creams and most do nothing. The Vitamin C and Rose Hip Recovery Eye Cream is the first one I've noticed actually making a difference to the fine lines around my eyes. The texture is light and it absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue. Already on my second tube.
• 4/5 “Solid body polish” Bought the Native Kakadu Plum Body Exfoliating Polish mostly out of curiosity and I've been pretty happy with it. My skin feels noticeably smoother after a few uses and it doesn't leave the shower floor as oily as some others I've tried. The 250ml tub is a reasonable size for the price.
• 5/5 “Face mist I actually use daily” I was a bit sceptical about a face mist at this price point but the Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Face Mist has become part of my morning routine. It doesn't feel sticky and layers well under SPF. Delivery from Eden to Melbourne took four days with standard post, which is fine.
• 4/5 “Good product, slight delay to Tassie” The Kakadu Plum serum took about seven business days to reach me in Hobart, which is pretty normal for here. The serum itself is good — not a miracle product, but I've noticed my skin looking less patchy over the past month. Customer service responded quickly when I asked about the delay.

From the journal

• How we finally found a Kakadu plum grower worth trusting — After six months of dead ends, we drove four hours north and shook hands with someone who actually knew the fruit.
• A practical guide to the scalp mask, from someone who tested it badly — I got eucalyptus oil in my left eye the first time I used this and that was entirely my own fault.
• What packing orders looks like in a coastal summer heat — We pack everything in the back room off our kitchen, and January on the south coast tested that arrangement in ways we did not plan for.
• The skin shift that happens every March on the south coast — By the first week of March the humidity drops, the easterly eases off, and my skin reminds me it has its own opinions about the change.