From our bar carts that sport Cathead Vodka from Mississippi and Kentucky bourbon to our kitchen cabinets stocked with Big Spoon Roasters Peanut Butter and Poirier’s Cane Syrup, even that Billy Reid jacket and Ann Mashburn skirt in our closet, our editors show off their Southern pride anywhere they can. Our cubicles and offices could double as a regional memorabilia museum with shrimp-shaped piñatas, Mardi Gras necklaces, West Virginia-made letterpress prints, Topo Chico bottles from Texas, and Rifle Paper Co. notebooks galore
But the latest place to gather Southern-made items is our vanities. From Savannah to Nashville, a new burst of beauty start-ups have launched lines of natural apothecary products including everything from bath oils to lip balm and cleansers. Here are our staffers five favorites.
Clary Collection Bath and Body Oil
Started by two new mothers in Nashville, Jen Auerbach and Adriel Denae, Clary Collection specializes in all-natural products like stretch-mark oil and balm that are effective for grown-ups but safe for little ones too. While their packaging is stunning (the balm tin was inspired by a vintage shoe polish tin that Jen found), the formulas inside have become mainstays in our showers and tote bags. Apply a few pumps of their chartreuse Bath and Body Oil in the shower for an extra layer of moisture or add a smidge to your baby’s bath for extra skin soothing boost.
Buy It: $42; clarycollection.com
Little Seed Farm Grapefruit Lemon Bar
Another Nashville company, Little Seed Farm’s bar soaps are not only an easy dose of aromatherapy, they also last longer than other bar soaps while cleansing with a mix of essential oils and herbal ingredients. Our favorite Grapefruit Lemon bar has an uplifting scent with turmeric to help brighten skin. Bonus: you can find them in some Target stores.
Buy It: $7; littleseedfarm.com
Sapelo Skin Care Gentle Seaweed Cleanser
Our production manager and Savannah native Rachel Ellis tipped us off to this company started by Stephanie Duttenhaver and Cindy Edwards who test Southern ingredients like magnolia oil oyster shell calcium in a lab near Savannah’s salt marshes for new cosmetic uses. If you have sensitive skin, try their Gentle Seaweed Cleanser.
Buy It: $38; sapeloskincare.com
Little Barn Apothecary Blue Yarrow + Geranium Cleansing Oil
Our editor for all things video Abbi Wilt is a fan of this Atlanta-made cleansing oil that uses blue yarrow and geranium oil to deep clean pores without irritation. It’s especially effective at removing waterproof eye makeup without making you look like you’ve been watching a particularly sad scene in Steel Magnolias.
Buy It: $32, littlebarnapothecry.com
