By Taylor Ness
Herban Lifestyle in Fairfax. Photo by Taylor Ness.
When I walked into Herban Lifestyle’s new location in Fairfax, I was greeted by the delicate scents of coconut, lavender and everything else that one would associate with handmade soaps. The store was originally an Etsy page that creator and soap connoisseur Mary Kearns ran out of her home. Now, antique bookcases, wooden tables and wire baskets hold Herban Lifestyle’s organic soaps, perfumes and lotions. The sustainable shop is just around the corner from the Mosaic District in a simple loft, accented with folded paper wall décor and mini chalkboard signs. Products like herbal shampoo bars and men’s shaving oils are both innovative and long-lasting. By not adding extra water to her products, Kearns estimates a single shampoo bar lasts 40 to 60 washes. All of her products are made and packaged in-store and can still be purchased through her Etsy page. But if you’re looking for something extra special, visit the Fairfax shop for the designer of the month, which previously featured Vita Pulita’s soaps that look so good you would be tempted to take a bite.
Organic bar soaps by Herban Lifestyle. Photo by Taylor Ness