We take a minute to talk to Emma, alchemist behind Byron Bay Bath Bombs
Emma, you have always been a DIY queen. When did you start making body and bath products and why are they so important for you? We had a huge Tea Tree plant in the backyard when I was growing up. I used to try and make perfume from it. Intuitively, I'd put it in air tight jars with dads bee's wax and olive oil that he would use to polish his Camphor furniture. I've always been attracted to plant scents and I guess I started making my own skin toners and bath products in my early twenties when I had access to workshops and the internet.
"Being an eco friendly business you need to use the most local when possible, this creates a lower carbon footprint."
There is nothing more luxurious than taking some time for yourself. Time being one of the scarcest resources for most of us. Running a hot bath and watching a beautifully scented bath bomb slowly disintegrate is the ultimate afternoon luxury. How do you hope for your products to promote self-love and ritual? These little bath bombs I'm making are more than just a physical item. It's all about the ritual. The practice of self love. Taking time for yourself, to shut off from your phone and the world. Having a bath is truly the best place to be with yourself. It's just you in the bath nude. Probably the only place you really get to look at your naked body and appreciate every part of it.
Why is using high quality natural ingredients important for you? Our skin is the largest organ. Anything you put on your skin will slowly sink into the bloodstream.
It's crazy some of the chemicals that people are brainwashed into using on their skin, pretty much every store bought body wash, shampoo, face wash will have some chemical in it thats either toxic or a carcinogen. Carcinogens cause cancer! We don't need this stuff. We have always used natural ingredients as medicine so why the change? Natural ingredients are so important for the planet, our skin and our lifelong wellbeing.
As someone who grew up here on the North Coast, how does this region support you through your creative endeavours? How does it inspire you? Honestly, this region is magical. It's a healing place. I just did a small road trip and visited some beautiful country, but nothing beats coming home to the Northern Rivers. Most people live a healthy lifestyle and I love that. People sit around talking about what they are growing, swapping Scoby's and dancing under the full moon.
But there is also this huge group of digital nomad entrepreneur types that have moved here from the city. I think they offer the free spirited hippy child-like person that I am, a great example of how to run a successful small business.
Byron Bath Bombs is all about reducing waste. I love that so much! Why is it important for small businesses to take responsibility for their environmental footprint? What kind of measures do you take to ensure Byron Bath Bombs is an eco brand? I think it's so important, naturally I live a pretty much plastic free life so when I started the business there was no way I was ever going to package my product in something that would end up in landfill or couldn't be reused and recycled. Thank goodness.
You use native Australian oils in your products. Can you talk a little about why you do that? Being an eco friendly business you need to use the most local when possible, this creates a lower carbon footprint. It's also how you get the most active, high vibrational ingredients. I'm trying to source all of the native extracts and oils from local producers. Especially for my new product The Big Scrub
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