Nice to meet you

I am Cortney Herrera— intuitive dreamer, mother of two, passionate gardener, photographer & the alchemist & distiller that brought Wildcare to life. For a handful of years before we had kids, my husband Alejandro and I had a weekly practice of bopping around California in an adventurous & whimsical way; With eyes closed we would point to a location on a map within a certain radius, and let ourselves be surprised with the landscape we were led to. Wandering is in our nature, and we feel that kind of play was necessary to formulate an appreciation for all facets of beauty and question the word beauty altogether. No matter where we are, beauty can be found when one stays present, curious, vulnerable in the spirit of reciprocity.

FOUNDED IN 2015__ We brought Wildcare to life with a dedication to create effective, holistic skincare that encouraged a sense of place, peace and plant-speak, as translated through each plant-led product. Our ethos is built upon biomimicry, drawing from my unique intuitive dreams, visuals, scent memories, and mediumship from nature— so much so, that almost every one of our formulas have arrived from a direct iteration of my dreams - a relationship deeply built on trust, connection and patience. Through our products we hope to spark intimacy, delight and wonder.

STUDIES & MENTORS__ I am currently enrolled in an Advanced Herbal Mentorship Program with Ethnobotanist & Clinical Herbalist Ash Ritter of Black Sage Botanicals (read towards the bottom for a proper introduction) since 2021. Each week is spent with a new plant, deepening my relationship with phytochemistry, ethnobotany clinical applications & energetics. Continuing education as an earth-speaker and formulator is critical to my practice. My background in Hydrosol distillation specifically includes educational courses with distillers and formulators such as Cathy Skipper, Marco Valussi & Jade Shutes in addition to self-driven research & the research shared from long-time distillers such as Ann Harmon, Jeanne Rose with personal studies through the actual logging of hundreds of distillations over the last 9 years. I received my first more formal introduction to working with plants in a clinical setting with a mentor, through an Herbalism Internship in the Pacific Northwest almost 15 years ago. I am a graduate of The Oregon Culinary Institute with food and recipe-building as an important part of my heritage.

OUR FORMULAS__ Everything we create is a catalyst for emotional discovery first. Our formulas are charms of repair and a medium to encourage engagement and connection within yourself and without. In addition, our formulas have been built upon the culinary groundwork of creating a cohesive recipe, speaking through my background in chefworks, and considering how each unique ingredient marries, relates or grows with the other, whether it be a connection via senses, memory or landscape. I like to look at our skincare the same way I look at the food I eat; When I feel joy from the organic and garden-grown fruits, flowers, leaves, and fresh-pressed unrefined oils I apply on my skin, my skin radiates that joy back to me through its texture and tone. Our bodies are constantly speaking to us- reflecting what we’re feeling, thinking, consuming and applying. This foundation has propelled my focus on the connectedness of holistic care – internally & externally throughout various modalities of healing and energy work. My desire is that our skincare is a joyful and loving experience you offer yourself and FEEL, as you remember your connection as a part of the natural world.

WHOLE BEING SKINCARE__ We’ve coined Wildcare as ‘Whole-being Skincare’ because we feel above all else, beauty begins as a relationship, a feeling & an experience. It actually has nothing to do with what we see. I tend to view most things as a simple energy exchange— the intention that we can be supported by the living things that already surround us if given proper care and attention. I believe that what we FEEL from the skincare we work with vs what we see it does, creates more effective long-term results. We are in harmony; We are not separate than. We communicate back and forth with the plants we cover ourselves in everyday. When you cleanse, moisturize, mist- you are anointing yourself in plants. They have the ability to shift not just your skin, but your spirit. Whole-being skincare is the notion that they call to you, you call to them, many times unknowingly until we realize they show up when we’ve been speaking something into existence. When you are present to working with skincare at this degree, your whole being has an opportunity to be reclaimed and renewed; The dialogue between you and nature stays open, you’re brought to the garden and your whole-being is integrated. Beauty begins when you feel.

Shoutout to my shining star sisters

Wildcare is a family business. While it’s just myself behind the daily scenes of Wildcare, each sister has a hand some way or another in this business- whether directly or indirectly.

Ash is a desert dwelling ethnobotanist, herbalist and educator. Her botanical medicine studies have spanned the past 18+ years through various clinical, academic & traditional settings and I’m lucky to be receiving weekly mentorship and herbal training under her wing. If you haven’t checked out her classes & herbal candy-of-the-month club yet, run- don’t walk. They typically sell out the same day a new flavor drops. We’re on a similar creative wavelength, plotting a collaboration and are always bouncing future business ideas back and forth. Ash’s works.

Mo is a mother, artist and poet living in the Pacific Northwest. Her works most often consist of drawings, sculpture, books, html & cat houses, and intermedia installations sourced from dreams and other found materials. She‘s also had her illustrations weaving in through the designs of Wildcare designs! Mo's works.

Thank you for being here.

With love,

Cortney Herrera,
founder, formulator & distiller

All of our products are made with care and integrity in the Pacific Northwest.