Do You Know These 3 Southern Skincare Brands?
These three Southern skincare brands are making waves in the South. Learn more about the lines and the women behind them.
Southern women know the importance of maintaining healthy skin. Perhaps thatβs because, from a young age, weβre schooled on eye serums, face creams and everything in between. If you heard your mother or grandmother speak of the miracles of Noxema, Pondβs or, dare we say it aloud, mayonnaise, you were probably raised in the South. Thankfully, things have changed quite a bit when it comes to having healthy skin, and there are several Southern brands leading the charge. Today, weβre sharing the scoop on three of the luxurious Southern brands that are modernizing skincare in our region and beyond.
Mama Bath and Body
Mama Bath and Body uses real, raw ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and herbs to create a natural brand with products straight from Mama Earth. Emilie Sennebogen Bryant founded the company in 2002 while working in the film industry in Los Angeles. After straddling the world of skincare and film, Emilie moved to Atlanta to focus on her brand, Mama Bath and Body. Since its official launch in 2004, Mama Bath and Body has grown to be a beloved handmade bath and body brand around the United States. Their offerings include a variety of soaps, oils, menβs products, baby products, bath salts and other items in a range of scents including grapefruit tangerine, honey almond and peppermint rosemary. Each product is created from scratch using the best ingredients available. βWe exclusively use essential oils in our products and have for years β long before they became popular. We have also started growing our own herbs and distilling hydrosols, and we are working on a [new] line of skincare products that has been a long time coming,β Emilie explains. In addition to two retail spaces (with a third in the works), Mama Bath and Body products are sold online and in a variety of retailers across the country. Donβt just take it from us: the widespread availability of the line beyond Southern states is a true testament to their popularity and reliability.
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The brand uses real, raw ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and herbs to create a natural brand with products straight from Mama Earth. Image: @mamabathandbody
Pure MD
Nurse practitioner (Masters in Nursing from The University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Healing Waters medspa founder Amanda Gorecki began Pure MD because she saw a need for products that felt good on womenβs skin, had a great texture and, most of all, worked. Initially, the products were created specifically for Healing Waters clients. However, after receiving rave reviews from users, Amanda decided she might be onto something more. Now, the brand has products for all skin types and all ages with more on the way. βRecently, we began to target and turn around inflammation in the body. What we found with the whole aging process is that it goes down to the cellular level. More than that, inflammation is the first step in aging. If we can turn the inflammation cascade around, we can slow down the aging process.β If thatβs not music to your ears, weβre not sure what is. With a recently launched collection, Skin Dtox, focusing on this very concept, PureMD is facing aging head-on. Beyond creating products that work for anti-aging, Amanda has also focused on a skincare regimen for teens that simplifies a routine into three effective products. Not only are these products easy to use, but theyβre packaged beautifully and geared specifically towards teen users. But Amanda says not to let names like βG.O.A.Tβ (Greatest of All Toners) Β and βLit x 2β (a two-in-one cleanser) intimidate you from trying them for yourself. Essentially, if you havenβt yet, you need to get started with a skin care routine, even if that means using the more simplistic PureMD teen line.
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PureMDβs robust product selection has something for any skin type. Image: @puremdskincare RELATED:Β Weβre Obsessed with The Jade Facial Roller β Hereβs Why
Sapelo
Sapelo came about organically: through friendship. Cindy Edwards and Stephanie Duttenhaver immediately hit it off and decided to take the leap when, as Cindy describes it, βdiscussions about βanti-agingβ products and procedures became more frequent.β Thatβs when Stephanie shared her desire to create a skincare line, and Cindy jumped at the chance. The rest is history. Savannah-based Sapelo uses familiar ingredients like chamomile, honey and rosemary to bring to life their paraben- and sulfate-free products. βSapelo represents the future of skin care. We have educated ourselves on skin physiology. We are passionate about healthy skincare, and we believe our brand is the vanguard in a revolution that will change the way the world thinks about skincare products,β Stephanie says. Leave it to two Southern women, inspired by their Southern surroundings, to tackle the skincare industry. In fact, their backyard environment is part of what Cindy and Stephanie use not only as inspiration but as a necessary reminder as well. βWe remind our customers to use Sapelo twice a day β just like the tides,β explains Stephanie. The two take pride in their Savannah roots and their thoroughness. βLike great whiskeys, Sapelo is made in small batches in Savannah with careful attention to detail. Like great whiskeys, beautiful skin should be smooth and clean. And better than great whiskeys, you donβt have to advertise your age!β Cindy and Stephanie say with a laugh.
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Nicole Letts
Nicole is a life-long Southerner and freelance journalist based in Atlanta who relishes sharing the stories of inspiring Southern businesses and residents. When sheβs not weaving her next tale, you can find her stitching cheeky needlepoint canvases or perusing area antique shops.