Unable to find skincare products that met her needs and wants, Claire Waite decided to make her own.
The 22-year old is the founder of Toad Tranquility, a line of organic, handmade skincare products she produces in Salmon Arm.
Waite explained she has poured her own blood, sweat and tears into this entrepreneurial endeavour, driven by a desire for a product with ingredients she could trust and would want to use herself.
“I’ve always struggled with my skin,” said Waite. “I’m a redhead and I have very fair skin, and I wanted to create something that was very organic and you didn’t have to worry there was harsh chemicals in it and stuff that was going to react badly with your skin.”
“Also, you look at the back of most products and you can read maybe two names on them and the rest of it is just chemicals and dyes and stuff. You have no idea what it is and how it’s going to react to your skin. I wanted to create something that was natural, where you could read all of the ingredients on the back.”
Towards the end of last year, Waite said she delved into the process of creating a line of products that would meet those goals. She said it involved a lot of trial and error, and input from family and friends.
“There was a lot of late nights and a lot of testing things out and things not working,” said Waite. “It was a lot of back and forth. I tested all the products myself and my mother did as well. She was very excited.”
Toad Tranquility’s first line of products launched this March. It includes body scrubs, hair masks, bath bombs, a lip scrub, foot scrubs and more. If what you’re seeking isn’t included in the line, Waite said she also does custom orders.
Waite’s products are sold in Salmon Arm at DeMille’s Farm Market and Shuswap Health Foods. She also sells them at the Enderby Farmers Market, held downtown on Cliff Avenue between 8 a.m. and noon on Fridays. Products and other information are available online at toadtranquility.com.
Asked about the origin of the brand name, Waite said “toad” is something her father, Gary, has called her since she was a young child.
“It was very sentimental,” said Claire. “When I was coming up with a name I had quite a few different ideas and finally, it just came to me and I was like, this is perfect.”
lachlan@saobserver.net
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