Sligo artist and designer, Karen (Kaz) Kearney, is on the crest of a wave since diving into the Atlantic Ocean, during the lockdown, to bring a blissful new therapeutic experience into people’s homes.
The creator of Soak bath salts and scrubs launched her natural beauty business with sustainable handmade Irish products designed to heal, to calm the mind and relax the body.
Soak’s uplifting herbal bath salts and scrubs help create beautiful skin while relaxing in the tub or shower. They each come in three beautifully scented varieties, and ingredients include Atlantic sea salt, Irish seaweed, homegrown herbs and fragranced essential oils; all-natural products that are practically good enough to eat!
Bedtime Bliss is a lavender and seaweed formula for relaxation, while Joy Connects is a sage, lime and seaweed mix to help with clarity and vitality that helps to uplift your mood after a stressful day at work.
Breathe Deep revitalises, with powerful orange, peppermint and eucalyptus, and is excellent to clear sinuses, or after a workout.
Bedtime Bliss
On the beauty front, Soak herbal bath salts and scrubs to help detoxify, cleanse, tone and smooth. They improve rough skin and skin elasticity, thanks to the anti-aging and anti-cellulite properties of seaweed.
Described by the creator, Karen Kearney, as ‘functional beauty’, the therapeutic benefits of natural salt and seaweed include easing muscle and back pain and joint stiffness, as well as relieving dry and inflammatory skin conditions.
Sea therapy, and the power of salt water and its natural ingredients, is known for both physical and mental healing, Karen Kearney says. “My own son, who has ADHD, is a different person since he discovered surfing on the west coast and the freedom of the water. He literally glows with health and vitality, inside and out.”
Another Soak USP is ‘no mess’, according to the brand’s founder!
“I often tried bath salts, but most natural ones leave a residue of petals, seaweed and sticks. Coffee scrubs have a similar messy effect in the bath or shower.
“Having to clean up after a relaxing bath seems counterproductive”.
With Soak, all the herbs and seaweed are ground to a fine powder, so the bath just needs a quick rinse, and there’s no mess or clogged pipes.
Soak is sold online at soakbathsalts.com and retail stockists include health stores, pharmacies, cafés and eco-living stores stocking sustainable brands.
Joy Connects
Sanity, Savings & Sustainability
Soak appeals to the growing number of consumers concerned about wellness, sustainability and natural production, according to Karen Kearney.
“The Soak brand is focussed on mental health and happiness. A warm bath is a simple indulgence and, often, the hug that we need. Easy self-care, at home, is important”.
A proportion of sales go to a mental health charity, this year to Liquid Therapy in Donegal, which harnesses the power of surfing for children’s mental health.
The luxurious salt soaks and scrubs come in heatproof glass containers that can be reused as vases, drinking glasses, or for storage. Beautifully packaged and presented, they can be recycled, as can the recycled packaging.
Soak ingredients are local and sustainable, sourced mainly in Ireland or Europe, limiting air miles.
It is the only brand that uses 100% Atlantic Sea salt, for example. Other brands use Dead Sea Salt from Israel, Epsom salts, which are essentially magnesium flakes, or Himalayan salt, which entails a lot of air miles.
The lavender, sage and mint are grown in Karen Kearney’s Sligo garden. Irish seaweed is hand-harvested in the west of Ireland, and essential oils are from trusted Irish suppliers and are certified cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.
The RRP of the Soak Herbal Bath Salts is €21, while Bath Scrubs are priced at €24.90. A limited-edition Soak Gift Box set is available in the premium wellness range too.
Plans for the business include the upcoming launch of candles to complement the scent range {Bedtime Bliss, Joy Connects, Breathe Deep}. The candles will be made with pure essential oils and sustainable soy wax, making them toxic-free. Check out www.soakbathsalts.com
The handmade Irish beauty brand also scooped a top accolade at the recent Irish Tatler Wellness & Spa Awards.
