Björk and Berries

Björk and Berries is a Swedish natural fragrance and body-care house based in Stockholm and led by its founder, Isabelle Lewenhaupt. The company operates under the legal entity Natural Fragrance of Sweden AB [1] and builds its scents and formulas around Swedish botanicals, seasonal contrasts and folklore. Its name points to that idea directly: björk is the Swedish word for birch, the tree the company treats as its signature ingredient.

The brand grew out of a foraging project in the forests of northern Sweden, where Lewenhaupt handpicked wild leaves and berries to capture the essence of the local flora. Editorial accounts place the formal founding of the label in 2012 [5], while the underlying project dates back further, to around 2006 [5]; the company's own telling describes it more loosely as "a small project in northern Sweden" begun more than fifteen years ago. The first fragrances reached the market in 2016, after several years of development.

The starting point was Fäviken, the Lewenhaupt family farm in northern Sweden, which the company cites as its inspiration and where it grows herbs used in some products. Isabelle Lewenhaupt, who has a background in marketing and advertising, founded the project and remains its chief executive and owner [2]. According to the brand, the early ambition was to "preserve and share the magic of Swedish nature and beauty traditions with the world" — a mission Lewenhaupt still frames the company around.

After the foraging beginnings in the mid-2000s and the establishment of the label in 2012, Björk and Berries spent several years on research and development before launching its first fragrance products in 2016, working under the perfumer Jérôme Epinette. The company has also collaborated with perfumer Pierre Wolf; both are described as New York–based with Swedish heritage.

A turning point came around 2019–2020, when the Lewenhaupt family took over the business and rebranded it. The relaunch happened, by the founder's account, on the day COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020 [5]. International retail followed: the brand entered the United States through Saks Fifth Avenue at the start of 2023 [5], adding to a European presence that includes Le Bon Marché in Paris and Liberty in London [5].

Björk and Berries trades as Natural Fragrance of Sweden AB, with Isabelle Lewenhaupt as owner [1][2]. The company reports no acquisitions and operates as an independent house rather than part of a larger group.

The company positions itself as an eco-luxury fragrance and body-care brand that, in its words, blends "raw botanical beauty with innovation and craft." Its concept rests on translating Swedish nature — pine, birch leaves, the swing between dark winters and near-constant summer light — into what it calls sensory experiences. Lewenhaupt has summarised the philosophy as "Sweden in a bottle" [5]. The brand explicitly explores what it describes as the intersection of nature, mythology and modern aesthetics, and product names such as Faluröd, Fjällsjö and Mareld draw on Swedish landscapes and language.

Fragrance is the company's primary category, alongside body care and a smaller home range; the FAQ also lists shampoo and conditioner among its products. Its eau de parfum line is extensive, with scents including White Forest, Never Spring, Fjällsjö, Botanist, Mareld and Faluröd. Editorial coverage identifies White Forest and Never Spring as best-sellers, with the newer Fjällsjö line referencing mountain lakes in northern Sweden [7]. The Botanist eau de parfum has been reviewed as an earthy composition built on green apple and cassis at the top, black tea and green notes at the heart, and patchouli, vetiver and birch at the base [6].

Across its body and skincare formulas the brand uses what it calls an organic Swedish complex, combining three core botanicals: birch, chamomile and sea buckthorn [7]. Birch is treated as the central, "life-giving" ingredient. The fragrances are built from a mix of natural extracts and selected synthetic raw materials, using an organic fermented alcohol made from vegetable production waste.

Björk and Berries describes its products as vegan and cruelty-free, and the company says its formulas contain no parabens, PFAS, silicones or sulphates; the range is also stated to be gluten-free. On packaging, it says the bottles and pumps for its hand and body washes, lotions, shampoo and conditioner are made from fully post-consumer recycled plastic, and it has set a goal of using only recyclable components and FSC-certified paper. Production is split between Sweden and France, with the home collection made in France and the remainder in Sweden. The company reports no third-party certifications for these claims.

Björk and Berries has been profiled in the Swedish industry publication Scandinavian MIND, in a feature interview with Lewenhaupt framed around the goal of becoming "the leading Swedish natural fragrance house." Its founder has also given a Q&A to the London pharmacy and retailer John Bell & Croyden on the brand's ingredients and philosophy, and the Botanist fragrance was reviewed by the men's style blog Carl Thompson in 2022.

The brand is active. It operates a direct-to-consumer store carrying current collections, with a 2026 copyright notice, and continues to expand internationally following its 2023 entry into the US market. Its products are distributed across Europe and the United States, with the company headquartered in Stockholm and manufacturing in Sweden and France.