BAO • Making Skin Happy

6 reasons, no fluff 🌿

People ask me all the time why BAO customers keep coming back — so I put it in writing.

Here’s the answer, swipe by swipe 👇

🌿 Your skin feels calmer — no artificial fragrance, no harsh sulphates, nothing for it to fight against.

💧 Your skin stays hydrated all day — hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and nourishing plant oils doing the work quietly in the background.

✨ Your skin glows on its own — no shimmer, no filters, just skin that’s actually well looked after.

🛡️ Your skin barrier gets backed up — baobab, rosehip, jojoba, shea butter and sunflower oil working with your skin, not against it.

🧴 Your routine gets simpler — a few products your skin loves beats ten it merely tolerates.

😌 You stop chasing “perfect” — and start getting skin that just behaves itself.

That’s happy skin. That’s the whole point of BAO.

⬇️ Tell me — which one of these is your skin still waiting for?

“Can I use BAO if I have cancer?”

It’s a question someone very close to me recently asked.

The answer wasn’t difficult for me because I know why BAO exists.

Beth, who created BAO, was living with a chronic health condition that required chemotherapy drugs. The treatment left her skin dry, sensitive and in need of extra care.

Rather than accepting that, she created the skincare she wanted to use herself.

Natural, handmade skincare made with carefully selected botanical ingredients. No artificial fragrance. No parabens. No mineral oil. No palm oil. No SLS or drying sulphates.

One term that sometimes comes up in conversations like this is **”carcinogenic.”**

A carcinogen is something that has been shown to increase the risk of causing cancer. None of the ingredients we use in BAO are recognised as known human carcinogens based on current scientific evidence.

That doesn’t mean BAO is a treatment for cancer or for the side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy—it isn’t. If you’re having cancer treatment, always speak to your oncology team before introducing any new skincare.

What BAO does offer is something much simpler.

Thoughtfully made, natural skincare that focuses on helping skin feel calm, hydrated and comfortable.

That’s why I bought BAO.

Because making skin happy has always been the goal. 💛

Buying BAO has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and It has also been one of the hardest.

I genuinely thought that if people discovered BAO, the products would sell themselves but what I’ve learnt is that building trust takes far longer than making a beautiful product.

Every market, every reel, every email and every conversation is another chance to find people who care about what they put on their skin.

I wouldn’t swap this journey for anything because I believe happy skin starts with good ingredients, not clever marketing.

BAO is handmade in Dorset using ingredients chosen by Beth because they have a purpose, not because they’re fashionable.

If you’ve supported BAO by buying, sharing, commenting or simply telling a friend, thank you. You’re helping a small business grow in exactly the right way.

I am still learning every day, still showing up and still convinced that natural skincare deserves to be shouted about.

What advice would you give the version of yourself from 18 months ago?

Psoriasis can be incredibly frustrating.

It isn’t just about your skin. It can affect confidence, make you feel self-conscious and leave you wondering why it’s flared up… again.

The reality is that psoriasis is influenced by so many things. Stress. Diet. Sleep. Hormones. The weather. What you put on your skin. It’s rarely a straight line.

BAO isn’t a cure for psoriasis, and I’d never tell you it is.

What I do believe is that treating your skin gently and consistently, alongside looking after the rest of yourself, can make a real difference.

This photo is proof of that for one of our lovely customers. The psoriasis hasn’t disappeared, but it is noticeably calmer, less flaky, more supple and much less irritated than when they first started using BAO.

And yes… we don’t have a before photo.

That would’ve required me to be much more organised. 😂

If you live with psoriasis, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

What’s made the biggest difference to your skin?

It might be a product, a lifestyle change, or something your dermatologist recommended. Share it below—your experience could be exactly what someone else scrolling today needs to read. 💛

Before buying BAO, I thought running a skincare business would mostly be about making lovely products.

Turns out that’s only a tiny part of it.

It’s about finding stockists who believe in what you’re building. Meeting brilliant people who inspire you. Standing on a beach on a Wednesday evening playing rounders. Writing emails that hopefully connect with someone. Getting hopelessly lost on the way to events. (Some talents are still developing. 😅)

And then there are the conversations that completely change how you think.

Looking back, it’s been 6 months of learning, growing and plenty of moments that have reminded me exactly why I bought BAO in the first place.

Not to chase perfect skin.

But to build a brand that helps people feel happy in the skin they’re already in.

Thank you to everyone who has supported BAO so far this year. Whether you’ve bought a product, shared a post, recommended us to a friend, or simply followed along, you’ve helped make this journey one worth rating.

Special shout out to EMILY ENDEAN for the beautiful BAO Photos at the weekend Royal Arcade Boscombe.

How would you rate your 2026 so far out of 10? 🌿

You probably thought I bought BAO because I love skincare.

The truth is, it started with an organic apple.

I know that sounds a bit strange.

But I remember eating it and thinking how amazing it tasted compared to the apples I’d eaten before.

Then another thought popped into my head.

If I care about what I eat because it’s feeding my body…

Why don’t I think as carefully about what I’m putting on my skin?

That one question changed everything.

I googled “organic skincare poole” and I started reading ingredient lists.

Then I discovered BAO and became a customer.

Not long afterwards, the opportunity came up to buy the business from Beth.

It felt like the natural next step.

Today, every time I pack an order, I’m reminded that BAO isn’t about chasing perfect skin.

It’s about choosing ingredients you feel good about using.

Simple.

Natural.

And made to make your skin happy.

I’d love to know…

Have you ever had a tiny moment that completely changed the way you thought about something?

PS:- Thank you Martha Keith ✱ Business Secrets Club for day 1 of anyone else in?

3 things nobody tells you about markets.

Not how to put up the table
Not how early you’ll need to wake up.

The things fun things that make a difference to how you feel about a market

🔹You can have slow sales and still have a brilliant day.

Today wasn’t my busiest market and the beautiful Royal Arcade did turning into a bit of a green house but I did have a fab day, full of conversations and lovely people. Success isn’t always measured by the card machine.

🔹You’ll always find a market bestie.
There’s something about standing behind a stall together selling your wares that turns strangers into friends. Today I was next to Mirek, who was the most fantastic neighbour, full of fun and the joy of being there.

🔹You’ll chat to people you’d never normally meet.
There were lots of other stall holders and customers from completely different walks of life who I spoke to today. Some buy. Some don’t. But almost every conversation makes you think, makes you smile or reminds you why you started.

That’s the bit nobody tells you.
Markets aren’t just about selling products.
They’re about building community.
Thank you to Ninetyfive & Co • 95&CO Royal Arcade Boscombe for creating today.

Also, I have never felt more compelled to find out about the history of a venue. My Grandad was born in 1921 in Boscombe and it fascinates me the fact he probably walked through the arcade many years ago. Different times, same arcade, different chatter between people, same connection.