Our Story
A corner of Wild Rose's herb garden.
Wild Rose is a botanical skincare company that prides itself in strong ethics, sustainability and effective, yet natural products. All items are handmade, packaged and shipped from our homestead workshop located on Kalapuyan land in the so-called Willamette Valley of Oregon.
Founder of Wild Rose Herbs, Ashley Bessler (Ash).
The founder of Wild Rose, Ashley Bessler (Ash), formulates our products using the best, most ethically-produced ingredients available. Ash has studied as a folk herbalist with an emphasis on topical applications over the past eighteen years. Ash is responsible for product design, formulation, web design, customer service, wholesale management and ingredient sourcing. If you ever need to contact Wild Rose, you're very likely to speak with Ash directly.
Lina of Wild Rose blending Ink Balm
Lina has worked alongside Ash since Wild Rose moved to Eugene in the Summer of 2022. Lina executes several product manufacturing processes and packs orders with care. A close friend and collaborator, she assists Ash on many fronts making her an invaluable member of the Wild Rose team.
Ash straining an oil infusion for Gingermint Muscle Rub
Ash straining an oil infusion for Gingermint Muscle Rub
Wild Rose strives to provide unique and natural products with maximum value and minimal waste. All products are very concentrated and made with the highest quality ingredients from suppliers with exceptional ethics. We believe in full transparency - we're proud of our products, right down to the packaging, and invite customer questions.
We use food-grade equipment to produce all of our products
Wild Rose is our response to an economy where the ecological, political and social costs of manufacturing are veiled. Our goal is to minimize the social and environmental toll of our products by choosing sources that are non-GMO, sustainably harvested, organic or fair trade. Many of the fresh botanicals needed for our recipes are grown just outside the workshop in our organic permaculture gardens.
Calendula flowers blooming in our permaculture gardens
Wild Rose offsets the inevitable environmental impact of our business by donating a portion of our annual profits to environmental and social justice groups. Past donations have gone to Cascadia Wildlands, Northwest Indian Language Institute, Unete Center for Farm Worker Advocacy, Women’s Crisis Support Team, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, The Confederated Tribes of the Lower Rogue, Wildlife Images, NEST, Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project, Black Mesa Indigenous Support, Peaceful Uprising and Units'ot'en Camp. Your purchase directly supports the vital work of these amazing groups!
Pressing an oil infusion for Renewal Healing Salve
The Origins of Wild Rose
The name Wild Rose was conjured from memories of one of my earliest experiences with plant identification. At age sixteen I acquired my first field guide to wild edible and medicinal plants. I confidently wandered through the alpine meadow close to my home, determined to identify every shrub, grass and flower in sight. The book was large, and the technical language was difficult to understand. I hesitantly identified a handful of herbs, though I wasn't certain of any. I began the walk home, feeling insecure about my future as a botanist.
The edge of the meadow lead me to a group of low, unimpressive shrubs that I had passed many times before. As I walked by, I spotted a few small, pink flowers beginning to bloom. Call it instinct, or inter-species communication, but I knew at first glance that this modest shrub was definitely a useful plant. A few flips through my guide led me to the Wild Rose (Rosa woodsii or Wood Rose, in this case). I returned to this spot in the fall to harvest rose hips for tea. Being the first herb I learned through intuition, I will always be drawn to the beauty and usefulness of this humble bush.
The edge of the meadow lead me to a group of low, unimpressive shrubs that I had passed many times before. As I walked by, I spotted a few small, pink flowers beginning to bloom. Call it instinct, or inter-species communication, but I knew at first glance that this modest shrub was definitely a useful plant. A few flips through my guide led me to the Wild Rose (Rosa woodsii or Wood Rose, in this case). I returned to this spot in the fall to harvest rose hips for tea. Being the first herb I learned through intuition, I will always be drawn to the beauty and usefulness of this humble bush.
