OZYBUSHGIRL | Meet the Maker

INTERVIEW DI VON ESSEN

This month we chat with Jody of Ozybushgirl about her unique products – available at Handmade in the Hunter Markets. Try them out for yourself – markets will be held at Sobels Wines from 9am until 2pm on Saturday 20 & 27 August and Saturday 10 & 17 September.

We love the name of your stall - how did you come up with it?

The name came about as I've worked as a Bush Regenerator for over 15 years, plus my love of all things plants and our beautiful natural bush.

Can you please tell us a bit more about your products?

My products all share the goal of helping my customers (and their pets) deal with common ailments. For example, my Calendula Salve is a versatile ointment tough enough to take on the most debilitating of skin conditions but also gentle enough for our children and pets; it really is a miracle product that brings relief to so many people.

I grow my own Calendula flowers and infuse them into oil, clean my own wax from local apiaries, and then add beautiful ingredients from all over Australia, such as lanolin, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil and tea tree oil. Unlike other calendula products, my unique blend leaves the skin feeling like velvet and with no greasy residue.

Who are your products created explicitly for?

Calendula is for sufferers of a vast range of ailments like eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, tinea, cold sores, skin grafts, burns, scars, acne, insect bites, hot spots, itchy skin, haemorrhoids, sunburn, cuts – even new tattoos! It's safe to use externally from head to toe as a salve or in soap.

Pet Calendula also works exceptionally well for dogs that bite at their feet, grass irritation and allergy, crusty ears and ringworm. For horses, use it for rain scald, greasy heel, ringworm and dandruff. All animals can benefit from this product, and it's also gentle enough for cats. My Beetlejuice Insect Repellent is a unique blend of essential oils added to demineralised water that deters mosquitos, flies, leeches, ticks and bull ants. And it smells like a chai latte, so no chemical fumes or reeking of citronella!

For decades, I've been using Calendula for myself, my family and my pets. It's An ancient flower with extraordinary healing abilities and has always been my go-to for anything that hurt, itched, bled or stung!