B&B chats to Lily, Founder of Salt + Steam
Lily is the wonderful lady behind the sustainable body care company Salt + Steam, which she started from her home in North Yorkshire. We were so excited to come across Lily's product range and fell in love with the fresh, playful branding and fun names for her delicious facials steams, and scrubs.
Lily's product range covers everything from facial steams, scrubs, face masks, bath oils and salts. We caught up with Lily to chat about all things Salt + Steam, how she finds the day-to-day of running a business and her top places to visit in her hometown of York.
What inspired you to start Salt + Steam?
I loved buying luxurious bath and skin care products but felt frustrated by the lack of cruelty-free and eco-friendly stuff. Everything was packaged in plastic, or contained loads of hard-to-pronounce chemicals, or was super expensive - so I had a go at making my own!
What do you love most about being a business owner? What do you find most challenging?
I love being able to manage my own time, particularly as I'm also a Mum, so it means I can be flexible and spend time with my daughter. It's also super motivating to watch all the hard work you put in have an impact on something you're building for yourself. That being said, running a business is very consuming and it sometimes feels like you the work never ends when you're pulling all-nighters and working on the weekends.
What's your greatest personal achievement with Salt + Steam so far?
Getting our products stocked in so many lovely independent businesses across the UK has been my greatest achievement - it's given me so much confidence! When I started, I wondered if anyone would like the things I was making, so it's very validating when people want to stock our stuff!
What’s your main source of inspiration when designing and making your products, and what’s your favourite product that you sell?
I wanted to create natural products, with a big variety of scents so that there was something for everyone. I think about the kinds of things I'd like to use, and then make them! My favourite product is our Flower Child facial steam - it's so pretty and it smells divine - and makes my skin feel so glowy!
What would be the one piece of advice you'd give someone that wants to turn their passion into a business?
Research, research, research! It's so important to do your research when you're turning an idea into a business - make sure you know who your competitors are, make sure you're compliant with any legal requirements, and make sure you know your business inside out before you launch it.
Check out our Wellness Bundles, featuring Lily's gorgeous products. To see more behind the scenes, and keep up with the latest Salt + Steam product launches follow Lily on Instagram @saltandsteam