British Natural Skincare

Take a look behind the scenes at how Hedgewild started, as well as our 100% natural ingredients; all sourced from the British countryside.

 

I believe that it should be easy to find truly eco skincare, that has transparent marketing and cuts out the green washing.

Kitty Campbell stands in front of cottage in Stowting Kent

Who are we?

Well, I say we, I really mean me! My name is Catherine (Kitty) Campbell, part military wife, part mummy, part bee enthusiast, part trying to live a sustainable (ish!) life and founder of Hedgewild.

How it all began

It was 2017 and I was on a mission to find a baby balm for my newborn daughter that not only acted as a moisturiser and a barrier, but also ticked all my 'green' credentials. A lot of the natural products I found contained ingredients that were unpronounceable or had been shipped halfway across the world, came in plastic packaging, or quite simply didn't work. In other words… I was being ‘greenwashed’ by clever marketing and fancy branding.

I thought (in my somewhat sleep deprived state), wouldn't it be wonderful if I could find a product that soothed my baby’s skin, was truly environmentally friendly, used local, sustainable ingredients, was plastic free and respected and positively impacted our environment? Needless to say, this product didn't exist so I set about on the seemingly impossible task of creating it…

 

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Once I started researching ingredients, I was shocked at how many products contained oils, butters and waxes that are shipped from all over the world and how many of these ingredients are farmed and processed in unethical ways. As a family who are trying to reduce our carbon footprint, shipping ingredients for 1000’s of miles wasn't an option for me when formulating my recipes. I wanted to champion the AMAZING crops we grow right here in the British countryside, support our farmers and know that by doing so I have full traceabilty of ingredients I know how they are farmed and carbon footprint is kept to a minimum.

It's been hard trying to find what I want solely in Britain and has meant I have had to get creative! But it is wonderful working with like-minded companies, growers and producers and discovering the diversity of what is out there.

I only work with suppliers that practise bee-friendly farming, from the big scale producers right down to the individuals growing fabulous botanicals in their gardens; rest assured that everything that goes in to a Hedgewild product is going towards helping our dwindling bee population. This means no bee harming pesticides, biodiverse farming, organic farming and ultimately an awareness of the impact of farming on our bee population.

If you're looking for natural skincare made and sourced from the British countryside, then look no further.

 

Natural Ingredients, Exclusively Sourced from the British Countryside

All the oils, botanicals and waxes found in our 100% natural skincare balms are grown and produced in Britain. We are celebrating our amazing farmers and the crops they grow. By doing this we have full control, full traceability and have a low carbon footprint. Here are the main ingredients we use in our balms and why we have chosen them; 

 

  • Starflower Oil

    Soothing and moisturising

    Best for: soothing eczema, dermatitis and other inflammatory skin complaints.

    Starflower (also known as borage) is grown throughout the UK and is an important crop for feeding bees in the flowering season (if you can find starflower honey - buy it! It's delicious!).

    Starflower oil is one of the richest natural sources of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) you can find, meaning it is excellent at soothing inflammatory skin complaints.

    Starflower oil is also very moisturising and does not clog pores which is why our balms contain a very high percentage of this ingredient.

  • Calendula oil

    Antibacterial and healing

    Best for: healing, soothing, and relieving sores such as nappy rash.

    Calendula oil is thought to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties which make it useful in healing, soothing, and relieving sores such as nappy rash. This is why we use it in our Baby Balm.

    We hand dry and infuse small batches of fresh flowers to ensure the quality of the calendula oil. The flowers are sourced from an amazing organic medicinal farm in Devon which practises sustainable, bee-friendly farming.

  • Evening Primrose

    Anti-inflammatory and healing

    Best for: soothing properties for inflammatory skin conditions.

    Like starflower, evening primrose oil is also very high in GLA, giving it soothing properties.

    It is very moisturising, readily adsorbed and is really beneficial in the healing of sore, cracked and dry skin. This is why we include a high proportion of this cold-pressed oil in our universal soothing and baby balms.

    When flowering between June and September it is an important source of pollen for bees and other pollinators.

  • Essential Oils

    Calming and restorative

    Best for: soothing and calming.

    Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants, normally by means of distillation. Although there are hundreds of different essential oils grown all over the world, we only use oils that are grown in the UK.

    Our supplier in the East of England is committed to pesticide free farming. At flowering time the fields have bumblebees, hoverflies, honey bees and butterflies and many other birds & insects. The herb fields are also a haven for skylark and linnets.

    One of our favourite essential oils to use is English lavender for its soothing and calming properties.

  • Beeswax & Honey

    Reviving and moisture locking

    Best for: protecting and healing.

    Raw honey is packed with skin reviving nutrients that help speed up the skin's healing process; one of the reasons we use it in our Mummy Balm. It is moisturising and soothing and has also been proven to have antiseptic qualities.

    Beeswax acts as a natural barrier; keeping nasties out while locking in moisture. It is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties and helps to keep skin supple and smooth.

    The beeswax and honey used in our products is sourced from hives less than 2 miles away. The bees forage on a mix of garden flowers, wild meadows and farm crops.

  • Wheatgerm Oil

    Repairing and moisturising

    Best for: boosting the skin's natural repairing process.

    This oil is extracted from the kernel of the wheat grain. It is packed full of vitamins such as A, B and E and is beneficial in boosting the skin's natural repairing process. This is why we include a high percentage in our Mummy Balm, to help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and for repairing sore and cracked nipples!

    The wheat crops used for wheatgerm production are grown in the UK, meaning lower carbon emissions.

  • Poppyseed Oil

    Calming and brightening

    Best for: calming and brightening the skin.

    The white English poppies used to make this cold-pressed oil are grown in Lincolnshire which has the ideal climate for growing this crop.

    The oil is obtained by pressing the freshly harvested seeds. Poppyseed oil is very high in antioxidants which help calm and brighten the skin. It is a very light oil meaning that is it easily adsorbed and does not clog the pores.