Things We Love - Aermeda
Things We Love - the people, products and brands that we’re inspired by!
What better brand to start off our new Things We Love series than the beautiful and artisan soap creator, Aermeda
What: Handmade, Artisan Milk Soaps & Shaving Soaps
Why We love it: Thoughtful, considered luxury. Conscious beauty. Slow and artisan processes. No nasties.
Aermeda - Considered Luxury
Hailing from Coastal Otago, in New Zealand’s South Island, Aermeda is a small artisan soap producer offering luxurious, handmade and consciously created soaps + shaving products.
We spoke with founder and craftsperson; Jules Lawrence about her journey of developing Aermeda, her slow + ethical product design ethos and the art of making a truly beautiful soap. Read on to learn more!
The Journey from Medical Science to Artisan Soap Craft
They say a journey starts with a single step and in Jules’ case, the transition from a career in medical research and academia to owning her own creative business was quite literal. Following on from her Father’s passing and with the blessing of her supportive husband, in 2015 Jules set out on the experience of a lifetime; walking (solo!) across America on the Pacific Crest Trail. 5 months and 4,500km’s later, Jules emerged freshly reconnected to the stillness, gratitude and clarity that time in nature and solitude so readily affords.
The experience offered up many learnings and the nature of being alone + taking only that which could be carried, provided the grounds to gently explore themes of trust, both in her own instincts and in the experience itself. The saying common amongst walkers that ‘the trail will provide’ became a mantra to lean into and the lack of distractions also offered an opportunity to explore her creativity. As Jules puts it, “in that quiet and solitude, you begin to feel grounded and centred, moving into the space to be, just being. It provides space to ask questions, learn about yourself….in solitude, there is creativity.”
Though the new business concept was yet to fully emerge, the seeds were beginning to form of creating something the embodied the things she was grateful for along the way; the closeness to nature, the concept of simplicity, the art of taking things slowly and the act + beauty of carving out time to reconnect with yourself and the world around you.
Aermeda is born
Back at home, on her beautiful property in New Zealand, the idea for Aermeda was conceived when Jules was inspired to make goats milk soap using the milk from her very own herd of goats.
Blending time-honoured practices, the highest quality natural ingredients and conscious craftsmanship that deeply respects the environment, Aermeda soaps are a luxury offering that is environmentally sound from the conception through to the ingredients, production method and packaging.
While she says that to the onlooker, the parallels between science and soapmaking may not be overt, Jules shares that to her, soapmaking is both an art and a science and that “creating soaps can be a meeting point between creativity and chemistry’. With this approach in mind, Jules has implemented exacting safety standards and careful selection and production methods to ensure that the resulting product is of the highest standards; both beneficial to your skin and considerate to our planet.
Enriching Beauty
Each distinctive bar has been thoughtfully conceived to have its own distinct purpose and ability to enrich your bathing routine.
Combining milk (goats milk or plant-based), therapeutic grade botanical essential oils and beautiful, pure natural clays and butters, the process to create artisan soap is slow and considered.
It can take up to 8 weeks to cure/harden the soaps, after which, each soap is then individually cut and finished by hand. There are no dyes used in production, so the beautiful hues of each cake are the resulting blend of natural ingredients, this is beautifully illustrated by the bright, sunny yellow of the Annatto soap which is achieved via the infusion of natural oils.
Even the ropes used in the soap on a rope range are dye-free, their gorgeous, gentle colours created from recycled cotton blends.
We love the goat milk-based walnut and coffee scrub with its herbal citrus blend of essential oils + the the warm and spicy aroma of the almond milk, turmeric and apricot scrub - but with so many lovely options, it’s hard to choose! Special mention goes to Jules’ new goat milk shaving soaps with tussah silk….not just for the gents, these beautiful shaving blocks provide the perfect excuse for indulging and adding a little luxury into your everyday routines!
Sandra Kaminski readers have been offered a special 10% discount on all purchases throughout October - just head to the Aermeda website and use the code Aermeda10 during checkout!
Aermeda milk soaps are:
Cruelty-Free
No Plastics
No Palm Oil
No Sulphates
No Parabens
No Petrochemicals
No Synthetic Colours
No Artificial Fragrances
All recyclable packaging
