🌱 Meet the Founder of Aloe Bud: A Deep Dive into the Self-Care App

Artwork by Peri

🌿 How small reminders can create meaningful change

In this interview, we speak with Serenity, the developer behind Aloe Bud, a self-care app designed to make mental wellness feel simple and approachable. Inspired by personal experiences with burnout, Aloe Bud focuses on gentle, low-pressure reminders that help users build small but meaningful habits. We dive into the story behind the app, its thoughtful design, and the impact it’s had on its growing community.

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 1. Could you introduce yourself and share the story behind creating Aloe Bud? What inspired you to build it?

I’m Serenity, founder of Aloe Bud, a self-care reminders iOS app. Our Android app is coming soon. Aloe Bud began with a difficult period in my life during the 2016 presidential campaign, when I experienced burnout while working on the Hillary Clinton campaign. At the time, I carried a lot of guilt and shame around burnout and mental illness, though I understand those experiences much differently now.

What I needed most then was a reminder that it’s okay to take care of yourself. That idea became the foundation for Aloe Bud: a gentle self-care app designed to make mental health support feel small, approachable, and easy to use. Our origin story is rooted in helping people build emotional regulation and wellness habits through tiny, low-pressure reminders instead of overwhelming routines.

2. Aloe Bud focuses on gentle self-care reminders rather than pressure or guilt. What made you take this approach?

As someone who doesn’t respond well to being told what to do, I realized the reminder needed to feel like it was coming from me. It’s my present self gently nudging my future self, a supportive, gentle nudge, not demanding.

Over six months, we collaborated with our community and a mental health clinician to shape a gentle tone of voice that carries through everything we write. Together, we explored language that reduces feelings of shame or guilt—for example, choosing “hydrate” instead of “drink,” or “fuel” instead of “food.”

3. Was there a personal experience or moment in your life that directly influenced the concept of “reminders from yourself to yourself”?

When I was at one of my lowest points, I noticed a coworker had these small, positive sticky notes on their desk. In that moment, I realized I needed something similar, a simple reminder to myself that I would get through what I was facing. Sometimes, it really can be as small as words on a sticky note.

4. How did you decide which daily activities and self-care prompts to include in the app?

Working with a mental health clinician, I learned more about executive dysfunction and ADHD, especially which everyday tasks can feel unexpectedly difficult and why reminders can help. Self-care often means supporting ourselves through these small but important activities that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

5. The tone of Aloe Bud feels very supportive and looks so aesthetically cute. How did you design Aloe Bud to make it feel encouraging without being overwhelming?

Growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, I was surrounded by pixel art from the games I loved, Mario, Donkey Kong, Sonic the Hedgehog. That nostalgia still brings up a lot of joy for me, so it felt natural to weave it into the app. Self-care should feel playful and rewarding, something that sparks a little dopamine as a treat.

Artwork by Peri

6. How has the user community responded to the app? Have there been any stories or feedback that really stood out to you?

Our community has always been incredibly supportive of everything we create. Whenever I read through App Store reviews, I’m reminded why we do this; their words are so affirming and make the work feel truly meaningful.

7. What is your absolute favorite feature to use on the Aloe Bud app and why?

For me, it’s the push notifications. I’m not usually a fan of them, but when they come from an app you genuinely like, they feel different; you’re much more open to engaging with those gentle self-care reminders. For me, even if I don’t open the app, just seeing the notification makes a world of difference.

8. How do you personally define “self-care,” and has working on Aloe Bud changed your own habits or perspective?

To me, self-care is about supporting yourself in ways that help you feel both emotionally and physically well. Since using Aloe Bud, I’ve definitely gotten better at remembering small things, like brushing my teeth, and those tiny wins really add up. Working on Aloe Bud has also made me more aware of what I need in the moment and how to care for myself more intentionally.

9. Looking ahead, what are your hopes or future plans for Aloe Bud? Are there any new features or ideas you want to share with us?

We have a lot of ideas at Aloe Bud, and one of the next big projects we’re excited about is bringing progress to life through a garden visual. After we launch Android, we’d love to show your progress with flowers and plants, where the more activities you complete, the more seeds you earn to plant in your garden. We also want to build in a community element, so the experience feels even more connected and rewarding. Aloe Bud already uses a gentle, encouraging approach to self-care and a pixel-art style, and this idea builds naturally on that foundation.

10. Is there anything you’d like to add to Aloe Bud that we didn’t get a chance to touch on?

Aloe Bud is an app that grows and changes with you, so you might need more reminders one month and fewer the next. Think of it as a reflection of how you’re feeling in the present moment and what you’re working on. We encourage you to adjust your activities, reflections, and reminder times whenever it feels right. ──────────────────────── End of Interview ──────────────────────

💡 MY KEY TAKEAWAYS

➜ Aloe Bud stands out for transforming self-care into gentle, judgment-free reminders rooted in the founder’s personal journey through burnout and mental health struggles. ➜ A standout insight was how Aloe Bud is designed to feel like a message from your present self to your future self, turning reminders into something personal rather than directive.

Wallpaper by Peri

🔎 WANT TO LEARN MORE? | Links Below
Download the Aloe Bud App
Learn more about Serenity Peri's Artwork can be found at Peri's Pixels

What would you ask the Aloe Bud founder?

*Originally posted in Team Happy People Discord Server