How I Work

Forage & Soothe is built on care, attention, and limits.
The work is designed to be steady, considered, and sustainable.

This page exists to clarify how decisions are made, so the relationship between maker and customer remains respectful, grounded, and long-lasting.

Working Within Real Constraints

This work takes place within the constraints of a single human body, a small studio, and living systems.

Products are made in small batches to allow for:

  • close attention to formulation and quality

  • responsiveness to ingredient variability

  • care for long-term personal and ecological capacity

The pace is intentional.
Consistency matters more than speed.

Botanical material drying under controlled conditions to preserve integrity.

Botanical Intelligence as Context

Plants are understood as living materials shaped by place, conditions, and time.

Each botanical carries:

  • ecological limits

  • chemical variability

  • cultivation and sourcing realities

Formulation decisions account for efficacy, safety, and the ecological context of the plants themselves — including how they are grown, harvested, extracted, and supplied.

Care includes restraint.
Appropriate use matters as much as effectiveness.

Extraction method selected based on effectiveness, stability, safety, and intended use.

Practicing Agrology

My training and practice as an agrologist shape how I work with plants at every stage.

Botanicals are used thoughtfully, with decisions informed by:

  • cultivation practices

  • ecosystem impact

  • seasonal and supply constraints

  • long-term stewardship

Some botanicals are locally harvested by me, with care and restraint, while some are left in their natural habitat, observed and appreciated but untouched.

Others are sourced from trusted growers and suppliers whose practices align with quality, traceability, and ecological responsibility.

Practicing agrology means working within living systems, with respect for their limits, rhythms, and relationships.

Field observation informs sourcing decisions, even when materials are ultimately cultivated or purchased.

Science as an Applied Practice

My background as a food scientist and formulator informs every product.

Ingredients are selected based on:

  • demonstrated tolerability

  • functional relevance

  • compatibility with sensitive systems

This is applied science — tested in use, refined over time, and guided by observation rather than trend.

Evidence informs decisions, and revision remains part of the process.

Function Leads Formulation

Ingredients serve different roles within a formulation.

Some ingredients — such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, preservatives, or texturizers — support safety, stability, and usability. Their value lies in performance and reliability.

Products are designed with clear intent — some for targeted botanical support, others for daily care, comfort, texture, or sensory experience.

Botanical intelligence means choosing appropriate materials for each purpose and being clear about what a product is designed to do.

Sensitivity is Contextual

Many formulations are created with sensitive systems in mind. Individual responses vary based on context and use.

Responses vary depending on:

  • frequency of use

  • cumulative exposure

  • personal thresholds

  • overall context

Each product includes guidance to support informed, responsible use. Care here is expressed through clarity and choice.

Structure as Care

Generosity is embedded into the system through clear structure.

Shipping, pickup, delivery, and gratitude offerings are designed to:

  • value time and labor openly

  • reduce ambiguity

  • support sustainability over the long term

When something is offered, it reflects what the system can support with integrity.

Growth With Intention

Forage & Soothe grows laterally.

Growth shows up as:

  • deeper relationships

  • refined formulations

  • strengthened community

  • improved systems

Some seasons are quieter.
Rooting takes time.

Who This Work Resonates With

This way of working tends to resonate with people who:

  • value care over convenience

  • appreciate clarity and limits

  • understand variability as part of living systems

  • prefer thoughtful design to optimization theatre

Alignment here is mutual and evolving.

A Living Practice

This work continues to change as knowledge deepens, bodies shift, and ecosystems respond.

Adjustments are made deliberately and communicated clearly.

The goal is a relationship grounded in trust, realism, and care — sustained over time.