The Tinderbox Story

Tinderbox is all about enhancing the vital life force that flows within. It is our best intention to make pure plant products that sustain this intrinsic spark, coaxing it to burn more brightly.

Tinderbox is a small, earthy business based on herbalism. It evolved from an authentic love of plants, a passion for healing and exploring the myriad ways of creating pure and safe products for family and friends.

In 1982 there were very few natural products on the market. We opened a shop in the small township of Balingup, in Australia's South West; a unique and unusual shop, as people discovered. The business blossomed as more people were drawn to Tinderbox to try these pure plant products that really seemed to work.

Through positive word of mouth, the business grew 'organically' from strength to strength, reaching more concerned and discerning people through select, compatible outlets; mainly health stores.
The commitment to use only quality ingredients from the plant world and to ensure the end product is not corrupted with any hidden chemical additives has remained a salient objective of the business to this day.
 

Did you know? All Tinderbox products are suitable for vegetarians and most products are vegan-friendly, with only a few products containing beeswax or honey.

The Tinderbox range includes: a comprehensive range of herbal teas, brews, blends and elixirs; gorgeous skin-care products; home accessories; natural incense; seductive, pure plant perfumes; a delicious gourmet collection; divinely smelling massage oils for every type of use; aphrodisiac and pregnancy products as well as aromatherapy options.

These are no ordinary products, but an experience of healing and well-being at affordable prices.

Each product has been created with herbs whose healing principles we have grown to understand. We care about the ingredients being of the highest quality and with high standards of quality control, we ensure that the herbs we use are clean, fresh and efficacious, with their colour and aroma still intact. Utmost consideration is given to the inherent potential of each plant source.

Every botanically-based product is hand-made in small batches; so we do not resort to the usual odious preservative systems that can be potentially hazardous to your health. We try to use organic ingredients wherever possible. Quality is the salient objective over quantity. It is all beautifully packaged in recyclable or reusable containers. Many Tinderbox products are packaged in blue glass; which is the most healing and protective colour for vessels containing fragile botanicals.

Tinderbox skincare products are absolutely not tested on animals, nor do we use any animal-derived ingredients. The Tinderbox team is committed to species preservation and has been involved in local conservation projects at a high level over the years. We believe that humans occupy an important part in the intricate web of life that is not at the apex of creation but deeply interconnected with all sentient life.

Over time, we have gathered hundreds of unsolicited testimonials affirming the herbal integrity and life-force inherent in our products. This is indeed gratifying and we continue to listen closely to our customers to evolve with their needs.

Out Of the Box

Tinderbox doesn’t just think outside the box, sometimes it questions why there was ever a box to begin with. And other times, it joyfully builds its own: vibrant, unexpected and wholly original. With myriad different herbal creations, Tinderbox is a wild and wonderful apothecary, blending the old and the new, the scented and the medicinal, the sacred and the everyday.

Drawing from a vast palette of raw plant materials; roots and flowers, resins and seeds, oils and leaves, we compose remedies and body care with both precision and poetry. Each formulation is its own universe, crafted not just for efficacy, but also for delight: to please the senses, to uplift the spirit, to nourish the body and to honour the plant kingdom as healer, muse and ally.

This is not mass production. This is herbal artistry. This is Tinderbox, where imagination leads, nature provides and every product carries the signature of something both deeply traditional and wildly free.

There is no single formula for what we do, only a guiding spirit that honours intuition, intelligence and integrity. At Tinderbox, we follow the plants. We listen to their stories, their chemistry and their subtle energies. We blend not by trend, but by truth, what the body needs, what the soul craves and what the Earth offers in season.

Every tincture, tea, perfume, balm and oil is handcrafted with care, born from curiosity and refined through decades of experience. Some creations come to life like lightning. Others steep and unfold over time. All are expressions of a living herbal tradition, one that’s always evolving, always rooted, always inspired.

We don’t just make products, we make companions for life’s journey, whether to soothe, spark, soften, awaken, protect or restore. With over a hundred offerings and counting, Tinderbox is a celebration of creative herbalism, a place where form follows feeling and where Nature is never just an ingredient, but the intelligence behind it all.

Quick facts about Tinderbox products:

- Every botanically-based product is hand-made in small batches; so we do not resort to the usual odious preservative systems.

- Organic ingredients are used wherever possible.

- It is all beautifully packaged in recyclable or reusable containers.

- All Tinderbox products are not tested on animals.

- When you order from Tinderbox, the products are packed in reused, recycled or biodegradable packing material.

In short, Tinderbox products are:

- free of harsh chemicals
- free of synthetic preservatives such as parabens
- free of genetically-modified organisms
- free of synthetic colours
- free of synthetic fragrances
- not tested on animals

Further Exploration on the symbiosis between humans and plants:
Newsletter Article: Gratitude to Plants who transform light for human healing