OUR STORY

 

 

                                                                                      

 Blossom & May is an independent, family run company offering a range of hand-made, natural aromatherapy and skin-care products from the heart of the English countryside.

Thanks to our obsession with using the finest natural ingredients where possible, our range is suitable for use with sensitive, hypo- allergenic skin and those seeking an alternative to their everyday beauty regime.

We are based in West Sussex, under the shadow of the South Downs National Park and aim to use local ingredients where ever possible; supporting local bee clubs the WGBKA and WSBKA by using wax and honey from their members as well as our own productions ensures continued protection of the noble Honey Bee for future generations.

Using this local Honey and Pure Beeswax, carefully combined with garden herbs, minerals and the finest essential oils, Blossom & May is able to produce gentle yet effective solutions to all your skin care needs.

To achieve the greatest benefit from these wonderful ingredients, we have drawn on over 40 years of experience in formulating and manufacturing beauty treatments, to create a range of affordable products that have the quality of application found in even the most prestigious of brands.

Available at local farmers markets, craft shows, independent retailers and now On-line, we have a loyal following of dedicated customers and hope that you can find a product to suit your needs too; try us and feel the benefit to your skin immediately!

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How did it all start?

Founder Janet Carter made her first pot of 'Balm' some 46 years ago; having exhausted commercially available options at the time and in desperation to find a product to suit her highly sensitive skin, Janet set to the task of making her own. Drawing on a love of natural therapies and a scientific knowledge gained with the Milk Marketing Board and later as a teacher, Janet studied and experimented in her farmhouse kitchen. With some careful work she produced a rich, heavily nourishing cream using ingredients to hand, such as her own Propolis laden Sussex Beeswax; it worked!

What happened next, Janet was not expecting; with an excess of the 'Balm', she handed it out to the local agricultural community and soon found a plethora of people knocking on the door, all wanting more and willing to pay for it; they were now 'customers' and a business was born!

From these humble beginnings, Janet went on to trade internationally with her own-name brand of products for some 25 years, rapidly growing in popularity and eventually opening her own beauty parlour in Chichester. These golden years saw her creations for sale in America and South Africa, even gracing the shelves of Bloomingdales in New York.

After selling the business and 'retiring', Janet once again found local people coming to her for the products they needed; they missed her personal touch and of course the promise of local ingredients. Janet keenly obliged, secretly happy to once again be producing bespoke products from her farmhouse kitchen.

Being a dedicated beekeeper and supporter of the resurgence in local trading, Janet began to take regular stalls at farmers markets and craft fairs across the South East, selling her honey and providing an outlet for the growing local demand that her range was once again experiencing.

Trading as 'HONEYBEES' for some 10 years now, the demand for her wonderful and evolving range has kept on growing!

SO, in 2012, Janet and grandson, James decided to take the plunge and set forth to create a fresh look for this classic and sought after range of natural skin care products. Steered by Janet's tatty book of secret formulations, a clear vision for new packaging and a deep respect for the beneficial simplicity of fine ingredients; they pooled ideas, worked hard and created something wonderful.

 BLOSSOM & MAY WAS BORN!!