5 Minutes with Chey Birch of Black Chicken Remedies

It is said that Black Chicken is an ancient crone, renowned for her healing powers and ability to transform her appearance at will. For centuries they came, with their problems and ailments, to sit at her feet. They came for comfort, for salves, for oils and herbs, for creams and cures. They came for comfort, for salves, for oils and herbs, for creams and cures.

What are your top five, must-have beauty products?
1. A good body brush is essential to do my dry body brushing in the morning
2. At the moment I have fallen in love with Konjac sponges too for the face - they are great for a light exfoliation and feel amazing!! Who would have thought they were made from potatoes!
3. Of course moisturising the body with Love your body oil.
4. Moisturising the face with Love your face serum.
5. I have always been obsessed with hand creams and balms and trying to find one that works and didn't leave me greasy is quiet hard so I have made one myself! Called Balm Of Ages, I cant stop using it!

What is your daily beauty routine?
I consider beauty broader than what we put on our skin so my routine starts in the morning with a warm water with lemon, ginger and honey to kick start the system (Its an Ayurvedic method) I then dry body brush most mornings to help my body with detoxification and cleansing.

I swim 1-2 Klm everyday as exercise is critical for maintaing good circulation and skin tone. I complete my routine by cleansing and moisturising (Love your face serum and Love your body oil of course!) Thats basically it - simplicity works!

What is your biggest beauty secret?
I drink water all day! A huge glass before I get out of bed and then about 2-3 litres everyday! Its basic but helps your body on so many levels and in particular detoxification. It sounds weird as a beauty tip but if you love your liver and your kidneys your wont regret it!

Do you have a beauty icon?
I dont really have a beauty icon. The definition of beauty to me is something that is beautiful on the outside as a result of what is being resonated on the inside. So when the body is in its greatest harmony its beautiful. To me beauty radiates from the inside out - the people that I find beautiful are people who take care of what they express on the outside i.e.. are gentle with their words, thoughts and deeds. There are many aspects to beauty so its hard to generalise.

What was your inspiration behind creating Black Chicken Remedies?
About 17 years ago while working in banking I discovered aromatherapy and was amazed by the potency of essential oils for healing. My new passion occupied my every thought. I read everything I could about oils and their properties and experimented day and night with the support of enthusiastic friends and family. My knowledge and experience grew day by day. I remember the day in Aromatherapy class when I learned if we put essential oils on our body, within 20 minutes they can be detected in the liver, this started me thinking what ingredients were in the beauty products we use every day? When I learned just how toxic many of these products were I knew I in my heart I could create truly authentic products that heal rather than harm.