June News 2021

Listen Up Ladies

Olive & Bee is proud to sponsor this Podcast by Listen Up Ladies, interviewing Maggie Chretien of @thepenninsulamumma.

Maggie talks about using Olive & Bee – but we didn’t stage this – just a great coincidence!

To listen click here

APA Article

Last Month I was interviewed by fellow physio Jenny Phillips about my journey from physiotherapist to manufacturing intimate cream!

Here’s the interview:

Member interview
APA Continence and Women’s Health physiotherapist Jenny Phillips, MACP, interviews Olive & Bee founder, APA Continence and Women’s Health Physiotherapist Claire Osterstock, APAM.

Claire completed her physiotherapy degree at the University of South Australia, graduating in 1998. She obtained one of the esteemed new graduate positions at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and worked there for her first year out of university. Like many young physiotherapists, Claire then moved to the UK for a year, and worked in a rehabilitation hospital, fitting in travel throughout Europe whenever she could. On returning to Adelaide in 2001, Claire worked in private practice for some time. She decided to set up her own private practice, opening Adelaide Physiotherapy and Pilates Studio in 2006.

It was during this time in her own clinic, working with women with pelvic pain, that Claire recognised the need for an intimate cream or lubricant that was suitable for women with sensitive skin and allergies. She set about developing her own cream, which took a great deal of experimentation, as well as learning about such things as patents and safety approvals, that were certainly never taught in the physiotherapy course. Olive & Bee Intimate Cream has now gained increasing success, seeing Claire take out the prestigious C3 China Canvas Challenge, winning a trip to China in 2019. Olive & Bee Intimate Cream has now become so successful, that Claire decided to cease clinical work and close down her private practice in late 2020, to focus solely on the Olive & Bee. What an amazing success story!

What made you start your practice (clinically) in the area of WMPH?

When I started working in private practice, I began to see a lot of patients, especially young women, with chronic pain. This often included pelvic pain, and I wanted to learn more about this so that I could help them further.

What is one of your favourite memories of your clinical physiotherapy career?

One day an older lady walked into my office and put a $50 note on the desk. She said ‘I want $50 worth’. She had just been in a clinical trial for a product I was working on, which is now known as Olive & Bee Intimate Cream. The cream really helped with vaginal dryness, a common side effects of cancer treatment. I realised that I must be onto something, and decided it was time to commercialise this all-natural moisturiser and lubricant!

What has the APA meant to you over your career?

I have always been a member of the APA, which helped me feel part of the physiotherapy community. I have also received huge support and encouragement from APA staff and fellow physiotherapists, in transitioning my career into a manufacturing business.

What does this year look like for you?

I have set up a manufacturing facility for Olive & Bee in Mount Barker, South Australia, and I now have two employees there. We are just keeping up with demand, so this year we need to look at scaling up the business. Olive & Bee has sold into over a dozen countries to date, and this year we will be looking further at increasing exports.

Favourite patient problem to treat?

Pelvic pain was always my favourite problem to treat. Now I spend my days solving very different problems, such as choosing production equipment and negotiating UK customs!

One piece of advice for physiotherapists wanting to get into the area of WMPH?

If you have a product idea, continue to pursue it! With your physiotherapy problem solving skills and persistence, you can go from idea to product on the shelf.

To find out more about Olive & Bee Intimate Cream check out https://www.oliveandbee.com.au/