"I think it's really important — doing something you're passionate about and that you love."

For Zoe Fraser, what she loves is natural and organic well being products. So she is thrilled to finally be doing what makes her heart sing, having set up her own niche online shop and gift service in spring 2019.

Having suffered from eczema all her life, Zoe has always been an advocate of natural ingredients and organic products, having made it her life's mission to find the best on the market.

Also having a desire to run her own business, the time was finally right when she and husband Will, together with their two young children, returned to the Dorset countryside in 2013 after five years living in Sydney, Australia.

Now living on site at Milford Abbey School near Blandford, where Will is a housemaster, the natural inspiration she needs is right outside her door, as the family's home looks out onto the beautiful rolling hills of the Milford scenery.

Having done several years of research, Zoe has now set up ZoCo Wellbeing, an online market place selling some of the best natural wellbeing products available, all sourced from small business, several in the local area.

Items such as candles, body oils, face creams and aromatherapy products are packaged up in 100 per cent organic cotton bags, and delivered with handwritten notes for a personal touch.

Zoe is keen to build the brand into a company people can put their trust in to guide them through the wealth or natural products currently on the market.

"I've always been the person growing up evangelising about certain creams," she laughs, "I was a big Liz Earle fan back in the day, so she was a big influence.

"I think there are so many products on the market, but the way they smell just has nothing on the products that use pure essential oils.

"I thought I would have a small collection – do all the hard work for people, find brands that they can trust. I want the brand to become synonymous with somewhere they can really trust.

"They are all small businesses, which I really believe in. I believe in empowering them. And all the products are made in small batch quantities, so they all hold quality as their number one."

Zoe, who has a background in online marketing and social media, stocks brands including Tisbury-based Bramley, Shaftesbury-based The Botanical Candle Company, Ila face products and beauty creams and Evolve, which is also now found in the national Anthropologie chain.

Her latest addition is the Australian brand One Seed, which creates perfume from 100 per cent natural ingredients with at least 80 per cent organic content from its studio in Adelaide. As well as having a link to her time down under, Zoe is proud that the company has chosen ZoCo Wellbeing as its only UK stockist.

"With all the brands, I don't sell the whole line," she explains. "I'm learning as I go what sells.

"I've got ten brands at the moment. I may go up to 15. I really want to bring on a CBD (cannabidiol) brand – I really want to try CBD oil because I think that's a really interesting product.

"When I launched I didn't think 'I want to be a beauty brand' – it's more about wellbeing, self-care, bringing nature into your home and how that can affect you."

As well as selling the individual products, Zoe has created a range of gift bags, including one for men, one for new mums and babies which includes products with no scent, and a relaxing set featuring products using lavender and geranium.

"I feel like I'm a fanatic," she laughs," but if I can bring it to people I'm introducing them to things they really like, they just didn't know were there.

"It's stressful, because I've got to make money, but I feel like there is a market and I'm loving it.

"Doing something that your passionate about, success will follow. It just makes me happy."

 

zocowellbeing.com