Herban Lifestyle, maker and purveyor of handcrafted natural and organic bath and body products, has opened its first storefront in Fairfax, Va., adjacent to the Mosaic District. Prior to renting the 1,000-square-foot studio and store space, business owner Mary Kearns sold Herban Lifestyle products for five years on Etsy.
"Until March, I was doing everything out of my house," Kearns explains. "I realized it was taking over [the place]." Her new space is divided into a retail storefront and a "really big studio" that lends itself to classes and events.
Herban Lifestyle's products are made from organic vegetable oils and use pure essential oils for fragrance. The company even produces
beer-based soap. "The hops in beer are good for the skin," Kearns says. "Beer is good for your hair—it gives it a good shine. So [the soap] is a novelty item but it has practical value, too."
Using natural and organic products is part of Herban Lifestyle's emphasis on using "green, repurposed and earth-friendly materials," Kearns explains. She will share those values through hands-on
workshops, now that her new space will allow her to conduct them. "We have room for about 12 people to spread out and work with their hands."
Kearns, who was in behavioral research prior to starting Herban Lifestyle, "started making stuff with my hands a stress reliever," she says. While the workshops she is offering will capitalize on the growing trend of make-your-own things, she hopes that they will also help people connect with the sources of their bath products and with each other. "So much of what we do is virtual these days. We need the hands-on to ground us and balance it all out."
Herban Lifestyle is open now, but will celebrate its grand opening in its Fairfax location on February 8. Kearns' products are also available at several specialty retailers in the District including
Salt & Sundry at Union Market and
Bouquets and More and
Lettie Gooch on U St.