Peek Inside A Natural Skin Care Studio That Feels Like Home

It's a rainy, gloomy Friday in Brooklyn, but a quick trip into an industrial lobby, through a courtyard, and up the oldest working elevator in NYC leads to the bright home base of Soapwalla skin care, the antithesis of a stereotypical production line. The space is calm, joyful, and deliciously scented.

"I feel very lucky that this is where we get to hang out," says founder Rachel Winard, who started the company after being diagnosed with lupus at a young age. Winard was desperate to find products that didn't aggravate her extremely sensitive skin, so she began experimenting with mixing and matching food-grade ingredients in her own kitchen.

Surrounded by shelves of mixers, bowls, and oils, Winard explains that she's part chef, part alchemist. "The way we formulate and produce our products, we treat it much more like food than a traditional skin care lab would." She rigorously sources natural ingredients from farms she trusts and lets them shape the products she's making.

Stacie, one of three other employees in the Brooklyn HQ, has used her training as a librarian to implement organized systems throughout the space. "It's really helpful. That's partially why it's calm in here—it's highly organized," Winard says, explaining that raw materials are put away as soon as they come into the door and move throughout the room in a circle on their journey back out. "We're efficient, but since we have a pretty small space, everything has to have multiple uses. Everything has its place."

While the studio is tranquil on the surface, things can get pretty hectic when overnight orders need to be sent out in a flash or an ingredient delivery falls through. For those moments, Winard has created space to settle back into the body. A boxing session at the bag in the kitchen and a quick yoga flow usually does the trick to quiet the mind, boost mood, and enhance creativity.

Two books that are essential to Winard's work are The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Brown, which she references weekly for insight into every plant and herb out there, and The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. "This book has been with me since 1992, when I first read it as a professional violinist," she raves. "I've recommended this book to more friends than I can count, and I redo the work every 10 years. It's invaluable and the best way I've found to really tune into my creative side in an honest and authentic way."

If you're looking to create some natural beauty remedies of your own, or just dip your toes into the space, she recommends getting your hands on Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar ("The instructions are clear, the recipes are fun, and the writing leaves you itching to get in your kitchen to start whipping up magical elixirs"), Skin Cleanse by Adina Grigore, and The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood.