The Australian Mum Who Tried to Bottle Nature for Her Daughter’s Eczema and Created One of Australia’s Most Beautiful Botanical Skincare Brands

Cedarwood Road skincare has quickly become one of the products families are talking about, and walking into almost any supermarket or beauty store today shows why: shelves overflowing with products promising to be natural, clean, organic or gentle. For parents trying to make informed decisions about what goes onto their family’s skin, the choice has never been greater, yet somehow it has never felt more confusing. Ingredients lists often read more like science textbooks than skincare, marketing claims can be difficult to decipher, and many families are finding themselves turning products over and reading labels more carefully than ever before.

It reflects a much broader shift in the way Australian families are thinking about wellbeing. Parents are increasingly asking where ingredients come from, how products are made and whether “natural” genuinely means what it says. For many, particularly those navigating sensitive skin or eczema, that search becomes deeply personal. It isn’t about following the latest wellness trend or finding the newest beauty product. It’s about trying to ease discomfort, restore confidence and find something they feel comfortable using every single day.

That search is one Rochell Toia understands intimately. Before Cedarwood Road became an award-winning Australian botanical skincare brand, it was simply one mother’s determination to help her daughter. There was no business strategy, no investment pitch and no five-year plan. There was only a parent watching her child struggle with severe eczema and wondering whether there had to be another way.

Today, Cedarwood Road has become one of Australia’s most distinctive handcrafted skincare brands. Every product is still made by hand. Every botanical ingredient has been carefully selected for a reason. Every soap, body butter and essential oil blend reflects the same philosophy that inspired the business from the beginning: that nature has an incredible ability to restore us, both physically and emotionally.

After spending time with the Cedarwood Road collection ourselves, it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t simply another skincare brand entering an already crowded market. From the beautifully handcrafted soaps that immediately caught our daughters’ attention to the botanical roll-on perfumes that have become everyday favourites, every product feels intentionally created rather than mass produced. It is the sort of collection that naturally invites you to slow down, turning something as ordinary as moisturising your hands into a small daily ritual.

As parents ourselves, it was impossible not to become equally fascinated by the story behind the products. Like so many family businesses, Cedarwood Road wasn’t created because someone wanted to start a company. It was created because someone refused to stop searching for answers.

How One Mother’s Search for Answers Became Cedarwood Road

Every parent knows the feeling of wanting to fix something for their child. Whether it’s a scraped knee, a broken heart or an illness you can’t immediately make disappear, there is an instinctive desire to protect the people we love most. When your child lives with eczema or persistent skin irritation, that feeling can become relentless as you cycle through creams, appointments and advice, hoping the next recommendation will finally be the one that helps.

For Rochell, that journey stretched across years and two daughters. Her youngest daughter first developed eczema as a baby. Like many families, the initial advice centred around steroid-based creams and ointments. While these treatments are widely prescribed and help many people manage eczema, Rochell couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted to understand whether there was another path she could explore alongside conventional treatment. Years later, when her eldest daughter developed severe eczema as a teenager, one particular moment changed everything.

“I took my eldest daughter for a blood test one day, and the nurse said that she couldn’t put a needle through ‘that’ because there was so much scarring and dry skin on the inside of her elbows; it actually felt like leather,” Rochell recalls.

For any parent, those words would be heartbreaking. Looking at her daughter’s skin that day immediately brought back memories of something she had experienced years earlier during a family camping trip. At the time, her youngest daughter’s eczema had unexpectedly improved while spending time outdoors surrounded by fresh air, sunshine and nature.

“I thought back to that camping trip years ago and said, ‘What if I can bottle nature and fix her skin?'” she explains. “I actually used to tell people, ‘If you wanna get rid of your eczema, just take a camping trip!'”

While the comment is shared with a laugh, it reflects something many parents instinctively understand. Time spent outdoors often seems to bring a sense of calm, not only emotionally but physically as well. Whether it’s the slower pace, fresh air or simply stepping away from the pressures of everyday life, nature has a remarkable way of helping families reconnect. For Rochell, that observation became the beginning of something much bigger. Rather than accepting that skincare simply meant finding another cream, she began researching botanical ingredients, studying traditional plant knowledge and experimenting with handcrafted soaps before eventually creating nourishing body butters that she hoped would support her daughter’s skin.

“The doctors would only recommend using steroid-based ointments and creams; to me, they are just band-aid fixes and don’t actually fully fix the problem. She needed something that was going to help with her skin permanently. First I started making the soaps, and then the body butters, and the body butters are what really started to show a difference.”

It is important to note that every person’s skin is different, and eczema is a complex medical condition that should always be managed in consultation with qualified healthcare professionals. What Cedarwood Road represents is not a promise or cure, but one mother’s deeply personal search to create products she felt confident using within her own family. That authenticity is perhaps what resonates most strongly throughout the entire Cedarwood Road story. There is no sense that this journey began because someone identified a gap in the skincare market. Instead, it began with love, persistence and an unwavering belief that nature deserved a place in the conversation. That search for answers eventually became Cedarwood Road skincare, built entirely around the botanical ingredients Rochell discovered during that process.

Can Nature Inspire Better Skincare? The Cedarwood Road Skincare Story

Ask Rochell what Cedarwood Road is really about, and she doesn’t begin by talking about ingredients. She talks about camping. For many Australian families, camping represents something that has become increasingly difficult to find in everyday life. Phones are put away. Bedtimes become a little more flexible. Conversations happen around campfires instead of television screens. Children spend entire days climbing rocks, exploring rivers and collecting sticks instead of counting screen time. Camping slows life down. That feeling became the emotional foundation of Cedarwood Road.

“Camping has always been our happy place, the place where you can just sit down and do absolutely nothing all day. There is something about being surrounded by trees and a campfire and just watching the flow of the river that can really restore you,” Rochell says.

Rather than trying to recreate the campsite itself, she wanted to recreate the feeling people experienced while they were there.

“That trip taught me that nature has an incredible way of restoring us, not only physically but emotionally too. Cedarwood Road was born from the idea of bringing a little piece of that feeling home. Every product is designed to capture that sense of simplicity, calm and connection with nature.”

Perhaps that’s why Cedarwood Road feels different from so many skincare brands. It isn’t trying to convince people to buy another beauty product. Instead, it quietly encourages something many parents desperately need more of: permission to slow down. Whether it’s taking an extra minute to massage in a nourishing body butter after a shower, enjoying the aroma of a botanical soap at the end of a busy day or rolling on a naturally scented perfume before heading out the door, these products invite you to pause rather than rush. In a world where self-care is often presented as expensive weekends away or elaborate wellness rituals, Cedarwood Road reminds us that sometimes the smallest moments become the most meaningful.

Finding the Courage to Build Cedarwood Road Skincare

Many parents quietly dream about turning a passion into a career. They imagine what life might look like if they could spend their days creating something meaningful rather than simply working to pay the bills. For most, however, the timing never feels quite right. There is a mortgage to pay, children to support and the comfort of a regular income that can be incredibly difficult to walk away from. For Rochell, Cedarwood Road began while she was still working in aviation, where she had built a successful twelve-year career. It was a role she had once genuinely loved, but over time something had changed. Although she continued turning up to work each day, her heart was already somewhere else.

The more she experimented with creating botanical skincare and the more she learnt about natural ingredients, the more she found herself imagining a different future. It wasn’t simply about making products. It was about building something she could genuinely call her own.

“I wanted to do something and make something that I could be proud of, that I can say, ‘I did that,'” Rochell explains.

Like many life-changing decisions, the moment of clarity didn’t come from a business seminar or entrepreneurial podcast. Instead, it came from reading a book that challenged her to think about what really matters at the end of a life well lived.

“Believe it or not, I read a book called The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying and that book really resonated with me because here I was doing a job that I once absolutely loved but was just not inspired anymore.”

One particular passage stayed with her long after she had finished reading.

“One of the regrets in this book was, ‘I wish that I had let myself be happier,’ and I realised that I was just not happy there anymore.”

Those words became impossible to ignore, especially given how much time she spent thinking about them.

“Every moment I was standing on an aircraft or boarding a flight, I was thinking about the day when I wouldn’t be doing that anymore. The more and more I thought about it, the more and more I thought about this book.”

Eventually, the question stopped being whether she should leave. Instead, it became whether she would regret not trying.

“So I just took the risk and said I’m doing this, I’m following my dreams, something many people choose not to do.”

It is a decision that resonates deeply with many parents. Children have a remarkable way of changing our perspective. Suddenly success isn’t always measured by promotions or salaries. It becomes about showing our children what courage looks like, following through on the dreams we’ve quietly tucked away and building a life that feels aligned with our values. Looking at Cedarwood Road today, it’s hard to imagine Rochell doing anything else, and it’s easy to see why Cedarwood Road skincare resonates with so many families.

Why Handmade Still Matters

With Cedarwood Road skincare, there is no ambiguity about what handmade actually means. In today’s world, “handmade” has become one of those words that appears on almost everything. Yet the reality is often very different. Many products marketed as handcrafted are produced in large-scale facilities with only the final stage completed by hand. Consumers have become increasingly sceptical, questioning whether handmade really means what it claims.

Every single product still passes through Rochell’s own hands before it reaches a customer. That isn’t because she hasn’t grown the business. In fact, Cedarwood Road continues to expand into retailers across Australia, with plans for even broader distribution in the future. She continues making each product herself because she believes the process is inseparable from the quality.

“Every product still passes through my hands, and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of,” she says. “It means I know exactly what’s going into every jar, bottle and bar of soap. I’m not focused on producing the highest volume possible; I’m focused on producing the highest quality possible.”

That philosophy feels increasingly rare. In a culture that often celebrates scaling as quickly as possible, Cedarwood Road has chosen to grow without sacrificing the personal connection that inspired the business in the first place. There is something reassuring about knowing the person whose name appears on the brand is also the person carefully blending the ingredients, pouring the soaps and packaging each order.

“When someone buys from Cedarwood Road, I want them to know there’s a real person behind every product who genuinely cares about what they’re putting on their skin.”

After receiving the collection ourselves, that care is immediately obvious. The packaging feels thoughtful rather than excessive, allowing the products to speak for themselves. Every item arrives beautifully presented, making the experience feel more like opening a gift than unpacking a skincare order. Our daughters were instantly drawn to the handcrafted botanical soaps, not only because they looked beautiful but because each one felt unique. They quickly claimed the crystal-infused essential oil roll-on perfumes for themselves, enjoying the gentle botanical scents that felt fresh rather than overpowering. As parents, we appreciated that the products encouraged small moments of mindfulness throughout the day instead of simply becoming another bottle sitting on the bathroom shelf.

It is easy to see why Cedarwood Road has become such a popular choice for gifting. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful birthday present, a teacher gift, something special for a new mum or simply a way to encourage someone to slow down and care for themselves, these products feel genuinely meaningful. This is exactly why Cedarwood Road skincare continues to grow through word of mouth and repeat customers.

Looking Beyond the Buzzwords

Walk through any beauty aisle today and you’ll quickly notice that almost every brand claims to be natural, clean, botanical, green or organic. While many companies are making genuine efforts to improve their formulations, the growing popularity of these terms has also created confusion for consumers trying to understand what they are actually buying. Parents, in particular, are becoming increasingly curious about ingredient lists. Many are downloading apps, researching unfamiliar ingredients and trying to make informed decisions without becoming overwhelmed by conflicting information online. Rochell understands that uncertainty better than most.

“There is so much greenwashing out there, so many big brands claiming their products are all natural, but when you look at the ingredients, it tells you something different,” she says.

Rather than chasing trends, she wanted Cedarwood Road to represent something much simpler.

“I wanted Cedarwood Road to be a brand that does what it says. My goal wasn’t just to make another natural skincare brand; it was to be part of the change I believe the industry needs, giving people products they can truly trust.”

That philosophy extends throughout the entire Cedarwood Road skincare range, which is waterless and created without fillers or unnecessary preservatives, allowing the carefully selected botanical ingredients to take centre stage. Rather than relying on water to make up the majority of the formulation, each product has been intentionally developed around nourishing oils, botanical butters and naturally derived ingredients selected for their individual characteristics.

For parents beginning their own lower-tox journey, Rochell offers advice that feels refreshingly practical rather than overwhelming.

“Read every single label and every ingredient; if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it probably shouldn’t be on your skin. When I see an ingredient which I have never seen before, I Google it to find out what it is. It is hard work, but so many brands hide behind words to make it sound better than it actually is.”

That same practical mindset is baked into every Cedarwood Road skincare product, from ingredient sourcing through to final packaging. It’s a reminder that becoming a more informed consumer doesn’t require perfection overnight. Like many parenting journeys, it begins with curiosity, asking questions and making small changes over time.

Every Petal Has a Purpose

Perhaps one of the most distinctive elements of Cedarwood Road is the way botanicals are incorporated throughout the range. Beautiful petals are visible within many of the products, immediately creating a sense that each item has been crafted rather than manufactured. It would be easy to assume those flowers are simply decorative, but they are not.

“For thousands of years, many people have turned to petals for their healing and skin-loving properties long before modern skincare existed,” Rochell explains.

She speaks about calendula, rose petals and other botanicals with the enthusiasm of someone who has spent years studying not only what they are, but the traditions behind them.

“Every flower I include has been carefully selected for a reason. Calendula has been treasured for centuries for its soothing properties and rose petals have long been used in natural skincare for their gentle, comforting qualities and their ability to help nourish delicate skin.”

This leads to the sentence that perhaps best captures the entire philosophy behind Cedarwood Road.

“For me, the petals are never just decoration. They tell the story of the plants, the traditions they come from, and the intention behind every bottle.”

That intention is what sets Cedarwood Road skincare apart, with every botanical ingredient tied to a purpose rather than simply added for appearance. Nothing appears to have been added simply because it looks attractive or photographs well. Instead, every ingredient contributes to a much bigger story about slowing down, reconnecting with nature and appreciating the rituals that bring moments of calm into busy everyday lives. It’s a philosophy that runs through the entire Cedarwood Road skincare range, not just a handful of hero products.

To explore the full Cedarwood Road skincare collection, including their handcrafted botanical soaps, body butters, essential oil roll-ons, body oils and beautifully curated gift sets, visit https://cedarwoodroad.com.au/.

Disclaimer: Parenthood360 was provided with Cedarwood Road products for editorial consideration. There was no obligation or guarantee of coverage, and all thoughts, opinions and experiences shared in this article are independently our own. This feature contains both a founder interview and our genuine impressions of the products after using them.