In a world flooded with synthetic and harmful products, Salt City Soapworks is building a skincare company rooted in science, sustainability, and a whole lot of Utah salt and beeswax.
Founded by former geophysicist Lauren Tyson, the Salt Lake City-based brand blends her scientific insight with a deep appreciation for natural ingredients. “I want our ingredients to be local and recognizable so people know exactly what they’re putting on their skin,” Tyson said. She grew her business through the Master of Business Creation program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business.
At the core of each soap and scrub is unrefined Redmond salt, a mineral-rich powerhouse with over 60 naturally occurring elements. “That salt was deposited during the time of the dinosaurs,” Tyson said. “It’s protected under layers of bentonite clay, which means the salt hasn’t been exposed to modern pollution. It’s pure enough to eat and acts as both a preservative and a detoxifier in our products.”
But salt isn’t the only Utah-grown hero in Tyson’s formulations. Another ingredient used is local beeswax. As a beekeeper, she’s equally intentional about sourcing beeswax for her lip balms and lotion bars.
“Beeswax absorbs and retains fat-soluble chemicals like pesticides, and there’s very little regulation around that in the skincare industry today,” she said. “So, I want to know exactly where the bees are foraging.” Often, that means rendering wax herself, sometimes late at night in her kitchen.
Salt City Soapworks offers a curated line of salt soaps, shampoo bars, salt scrubs, beeswax lip balms, and lotion bars, each thoughtfully packaged in compostable muslin, reusable glass jars, or metal tins. Beloved by everyday customers and businesses alike, the brand is gaining traction for both its core product line and its custom corporate gift sets, event swag, and client appreciation bundles, all available with personalized packaging.
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