Essential Oil Free Skincare for Everybody.

Wildcare transitioned into a completely essential-oil-free skincare line in 2021.

First and foremost, EO-free does not mean unscented. Our products remain deeply aromatic through hydrosols, botanical distillations, fresh plant infusions, tree resins, and whole-plant extraction methods—without the use of concentrated volatile essential oils. The fragrant nature of locally sourced farm and our family garden-grown herbs, delicate flower petals slowly infused in fresh-pressed oil, fresh PNW resins, roots, leaves, and nutrient-dense botanicals takes the spotlight.

We believe stronger products do not equate to higher efficacy.

There is power behind gentleness and strength in botanicals that are harvested and processed at just the moments for peak active compounds to lend their magic to our formulas. This transition allowed us to create a gentler and more inclusive skincare line for sensitive skin, children, pregnant individuals, immunocompromised communities, and those seeking to reduce their daily exposure to concentrated fragrance.

Our intention remains to offer a collection that could be shared more openly across households, bodies, sensitivities, and all stages of life.

Hydrosols played a major role in shaping this philosophy. Their subtle yet powerful nature continues to remind me that softness and effectiveness are not mutually exclusive. As a botanical distiller, I also became increasingly aware of the immense amount of harvested plant material, water usage, discarded hydrosols, and ecological impact often involved in large-scale essential oil production in this industry— organic or not. If a single ounce of essential oil can require hundreds of pounds of plant matter, it naturally raises questions around sustainability, reciprocity, sourcing, and our long-term relationship with the living world.

Over the years, conversations with growers, distillers, and suppliers deepened my awareness surrounding harvesting practices, wildcrafting, labor, and the cultural and ecological imprint behind many ingredients moving through the global market. Those experiences encouraged me to move toward slower, more ecologically conscious methods of formulation while becoming more deeply connected to where our ingredients come from and how they are processed. This does not mean I am against essential oils, nor that one path is above another. I continue to respect essential oils as potent medicinal plant preparations with deep historical significance across ritual, perfumery, preservation, beauty, and healing traditions. My own experiences with skin expressing as sensitized, and my childrens expressions with allergies and sensitivities simply continued to guide me toward gentler and more intuitive ways of working with plants in skincare.

The beauty of the human body is that we each respond differently. My hope is simply to encourage greater curiosity and awareness around the ingredients we work with daily and the systems behind how they are grown, harvested, distilled, and formulated. It goes far beyond organic or not. Our process centers timing, quality and regional botanicals as much as we can.

Scent has the power to connect us instantly to memory, emotion, ritual, and healing. This pathway reflects what feels most aligned for my body, my children’s, my practice, and the ecological relationships behind the ingredients we work with every day.

Thank you for trusting Wildcare with your skin and for growing alongside us.

There is power in gentleness.

With so much love,

Cortney Herrera
founder + distiller