Totem Eco was founded by husband and wife Toby and Katie Gibson, who made the shift to Berry with their family in search of a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

For the second year in a row, Totem Eco has been awarded Gold for Best Sensitive Natural Deodorant for their Honey Myrtle Natural Deodorant Stick at the Clean and Conscious Awards. 

The brand focuses on providing ethical and non-toxic body-care products in recyclable packaging. They also received a Silver award for Best Zero Waste Body Brand for their Blue Gum Natural Deodorant Stick.

“We didn’t want to leave a plastic legacy behind us,” Toby Gibson said. 

A study by Monash University highlighted that environmental impact is becoming a growing consideration for Australian consumers. 64 percent of participants in the study said that it’s important for the products they are purchasing to be produced locally. 59 percent said packaging made from recyclable materials was also an important factor.

“It’s great that the market is moving towards a greener future” Toby said, “with that comes a lot of greenwashing, a lot of brands are trying to jump on that train.”

Cosmetics and personal care is one of the leading industries that falsely labels products as sustainable or makes environmental claims. 

“People are creatures of habit…” Toby continued, “a small change in your daily habit like your deodorant or soap over a lifetime is a massive change.”

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), over 70 percent of cosmetic and personal care businesses involved in a sweep raised concerns about claims they made about their products and were investigated for ‘greenwashing’.

Totem Eco are transparent about the ingredients in their deodorant and soap products, which are 100 percent vegan, natural, palm oil free, sustainable and ethically produced.

Toby said one of the most important values of their business is their transparency, “your integrity is everything, a savvy consumer will see right through that,” he said. 

Totem Eco are regulars at the Berry Market hosted at the Showgrounds on the first Sunday of the month, and the Berry Farmers Market held at the Bowling Club on the fourth Sunday of each month.

Totem Eco's award winning Natural Deodorant in Honey Myrtle

You can visit Totem Eco to view their full range of products or reach out if you have any questions.