I’m Carrie, the face and heart of Bodhi & Fae, a botanical skincare and family wellness brand based in Kent.
This business didn’t begin as a business, it began with my daughter through desperation and stubbornness.
When Penny was a newborn, what first appeared to be a small skin issue quickly became something far more serious. She had contracted herpes on her face from a stranger’s touch (thanks to broken skin on her cheeks from her stay in intensive care where her tubes had been taped), and what followed were severe, repeated outbreaks every six weeks on her fragile newborn skin. Doctors told us it was lifelong, there was nothing that could be done, it lives in the nerves. As a female, it would likely appear every cycle, and the normal triggers of stress, emotional overwhelm, illness, sunlight, wind etc etc.
Those early months were filled with hospital visits, fear, and the overwhelming feeling that I should somehow know how to help my own child… but didn’t. What I did know was how cruel the world can be, especially when it comes to appearance, and the crippling self esteem issues that can arise from that. She was too young for antivirals but to be honest, I wouldn’t want a lifetime of medication for her anyway. I didn’t want to accept that nothing could be done.
So, I started searching and leaning into my lifelong love of herbalism. Plants had to hold the answer. I dove deeper into traditional plant remedies, ancestral herbal knowledge, and the ways families once cared for skin long before modern skincare existed. I devoured clinical studies, paper after paper of scientific evaluation, trying to understand not just what plants had been used for historically, but why they worked, how they interacted with the skin, inflammation, and the nervous system itself.
Slowly, the pieces began to come together, and what had once felt like helplessness began to turn into understanding. As I started making simple remedies at home, something powerful began to happen. I watched her skin calm and stay clear for longer between outbreaks. Her smiles returned where discomfort had once been. With every small change, I felt a fire growing deep within my belly.
Bodhi & Fae grew from that journey. Today I create small-batch botanical balms and skin rituals designed to support sensitive skin and calm the nervous system. But an equally important part of Bodhi & Fae is sharing that knowledge. Through “teaching through play” kits, families and children can make their own simple plant-based skincare, rediscovering the confidence that we can care for ourselves and our loved ones using the wisdom of nature.
At its heart, Bodhi & Fae is about bringing that knowledge back into everyday life.
Festival visitors will find a little pocket of botanical calm and a nervous system exhale.
My stall will be filled with handcrafted plant-based skincare remedies; soothing balms for dry or sensitive skin, grounding foot balms, nourishing lip care and botanical bath rituals designed to calm the body and settle the nervous system. I also have a small selection of natural accessories such as pumice stones and konjac sponges.
Alongside the skincare, there will also be the magical nature-led play kits for children and families. These invite people to reconnect with plants in a hands-on way by making their own bath potions, skincare blends and simple remedies while learning about the herbs that have supported families for generations.
Everything is handmade in small batches using carefully sourced botanicals, with the belief that skincare can be more than just something we apply. It can be a ritual, a learning experience, and a way of restoring confidence, comfort and smiles through the healing power of plants.
Website link is https://www.bodhiandfae.co.uk/
Socials are: https://www.facebook.com/bodhiandfae
https://www.instagram.com/bodhiandfae/
To secure your OUR VIBE festival tickets here is the Eventbrite link-
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981492156380?aff=oddtdtcreator
