Sarah Kelly and Leah Robert, SaltyGirl Boutique

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sisters Sarah Kelly and Leah Robert are the founders of Salty Girl Boutique and a natural cosmetic line called Salty Girl Beauty. It's great to have you in today.

Sarah Kelly:

Thanks so much for having us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is something that I've been interested in for a while because we know that health products or beauty products, I should say, aren't necessarily good for our health. And it seems to be something that maybe not as many people are aware of. Yes, but you're both pretty aware of this.

Sarah Kelly:

We are, yeah. So. So I started out my career working at Tom's of Maine. So it's always kind of been something that we were brought up using natural products, but then. But it was funny. It was more body care products and also eating organically and natural and whole foods and that kind of stuff. And then in 2015, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I was it makes you kind of rethink everything when that happens. And Leah is an oncology nurse. And so the two of us just kind of started really looking at what we put on our bodies. And so not only did the body care become important, but I realized my makeup case is just full of products that is not good for you. The mascara has formaldehyde in it. That's why it's water resistant. And all of those things that you're putting on every single day is just not as good as you would want it to be. And there's just so many great products out there. And that's when Leah and I just started being like, what are we doing? I Think this could be a business for us.

Leah Robert:

And I think with my career in nursing, I don't think there's much education with patients about the products that they use at home. It's what I do as a nurse is I give chemotherapy, so I give treatment. And you know, after their treatment, then they live their lives. And I feel like sometimes there's no follow up on eating right, what products to use and what products you have been using and what sometimes it can cause. Now, I'm not saying that beauty products cause cancer, but, you know, when there is just as effective products out there that you can use that will do the job that, you know, include those, include why not? And it's really nice that now my patients are recognizing me, recognizing our brand and saying, oh my gosh, I've been on your website, I love your products. And I can start that conversation with them before they go home after I treat them, which is really nice.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

One of the things that I've noticed with beauty products is that sometimes you have to work with maybe not getting as, well, effective, I guess is a word for it, a product in order to get healthier products. And what you're suggesting is now there are better products that can be just as effective. Clean your face just as well, the makeup can look just as nice and just not have extra stuff in it.

Sarah Kelly:

There's been so much research and scientific advancement over the last 25 years. So the deodorant that people might have started with as a teenager or as a, or as what our parents might have used is so different now there. And there is a difference between the chemicals. They stop, they block things. And then some of the natural approaches, it is body chemistry. So sometimes people might use that first deodorant or that first cream or something, and it doesn't fit well with their body chemistry. But it doesn't mean all natural products are like that. So I think sometimes you do have to experiment a little bit to find out what the best approach is. So I know I've gone through a couple different natural deodorants before. I found the one that works for me and that's an important thing. But then from a cosmetic standpoint, it's. I think the products out there, there's so many wonderful products out there that are just as effective that. And they make your skin feel better. Some of the skin problems that have been out there have been caused by the chemicals that are in these conventional products. And when you pick a natural product, it's used with aloe or shea butter or Mango butter. And those are good things for your body.

Leah Robert:

And there's just not much regulation in the United States with using ingredients. And I feel like people don't realize that. And like there's, I know that the last article I read there was British literature out there saying parabens were found in breast tissue with women with breast cancer. And so, I mean, there are, there is research out there. So it's, you know, it's just what you, I guess, what you decide to do, what do, what do you do with that literature? And I think for Sarah and I, you know, if there's research out there, we want to educate, educate ourselves.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. Well, we know that in Europe and even in Canada, people are a lot more careful about what they're using. And in part because the government is helping regulate those things.

Sarah Kelly:

There's only 11 ingredients banned in the United States versus over 1300, 1200 in the EU. So it just that, that alone makes you step back and take a breath and be like, whoa, what are we using?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I have a special concern about the younger women, especially my, for example, my 21 year old daughter and my 16 year old daughter. My son doesn't wear makeup, so, you know, he can have healthier soaps and that's good. But you know, they're getting into makeup and body care at a time where their bodies are still really vulnerable. And for the longest, for the longest time, I've tried to emphasize natural, healthy products. And they're expensive. And my kids, when they go to buy these at the store, they're like, you know, I have to decide between this very expensive natural product and this very inexpensive product that has all these chemicals in it. And as a parent, I can step in and be like, all right, well, I'll help you out with this. I'll help pay for this for a little while. But it is an issue when you're out on your own and you're on a limited, have a limited budget.

Sarah Kelly:

So how do you deal with that? So for us, I mean, our philosophy has always been pick the most important things that touch the biggest area of your body and go from there. So when people are trying to make that switch, for example, I don't say throw away everything in your medicine cabinet and go buy new, because that is prohibitive. I know when we were making the switch alone, it was, I ran out of my mascara. Okay, now you buy a new one. Took us a full year to go make that switch. And then you can also pick and choose those products that are more important to you. So I wear mascara every day as a redhead, that's important to me. So if I was going to pick and choose things, that is something I would invest in as a natural. I don't always wear foundation, so if I was looking at price, maybe I wouldn't. And I could only choose certain things. Maybe that's not the area that I would choose to spend my money in. So I think you can do it that way. And there are also products in all ranges. So, I mean, our product line is within the $20. Our lipsticks, our cheek tints, our concealer, mascara. The foundation is a little bit more expensive, but it lasts a while too. So. And like I said, like there's Burt's Bees, which is a little bit lower. So you can pick. I think there's comparative brands out there in the marketplace. In our boutique, we sell things that are $120 creams or $20 cream, you know, so you can really choose and pick that fits your budget.

Leah Robert:

And I think the biggest thing, especially with younger, the younger generation is, and even with women in general, is deodorant, I think is probably the most important thing to first switch over. Just because we, you know, we shave our underarms, we nick our armpits, and then we put toxic chemicals right, right into our bloodstream. So I think the first thing we have to take care of, our skin. It's our largest organ. So the, I think the number one thing that maybe if you're thinking about making the switch is kind of focusing on deodorants, which deodorants are so personal. You know, it's how you smell. So it can be, it can be hard.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I, and I agree to Sarah's point that it hasn't always been that you can find a natural deodorant that actually works. And having experimented with many of these over time, sometimes you give, you give up quite a lot in order to have a natural product. But they are getting better and better.

Leah Robert:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So. And then sometimes you can just, if you're like, okay, well, I can use my natural product this percentage of the time, which is most of the time. And then every so often you need to go with a product that maybe works a little bit better. Yeah.

Leah Robert:

I mean, I tell women when, when you are making the switch for two weeks. I mean, bring your, bring your conventional deodorant with you to work. So when that 2 o' clock time comes and you're starting to smell maybe a little, you just add a little more. But it can take up to, I Think a couple weeks for your body to get used to something like that. So I mean, that's fine. If you have to apply your deodorant that you were using before just to

Sarah Kelly:

detox your body, it is your body detoxing itself, getting rid of all the toxins because it's been used to being suppressed from a deodorant standpoint at least.

Leah Robert:

And I think Sarah and I, with our boutique, it's all about education, it's about our customers first. So when they do email us and say, I got this one deodorant, it's not working. Well, why don't you try this one? You know, I think we're, we're very. What am I trying to say? We want. Yeah, we want you guys, we want our customers to really love their products

Sarah Kelly:

and find one that works for them.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, yeah. It's a pretty competitive market, is it not?

Sarah Kelly:

It is, yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

There are a lot of people who have resources that are funneling them into these types of products. So what has your experience been getting into this yourselves?

Leah Robert:

I think what differentiates Sarah and I is our story. And I mean everybody has a passion, you know, if you're in this industry, on health and wellness. But I think with us it's, it's our story.

Sarah Kelly:

But then also along with our boutique and our beauty line that we started, we also started a non profit registered 501c3 that's called foundation for Love. So when I was going through treatment, I had a 15 month old and I was pregnant at the time as well. And me and my husband had just gotten married a couple months prior to that. So I think my family, my friends, they saw that me and my husband Chris really needed time together and just to unplug and unplug from what we were going through. As I went through months of chemo and then radiation and surgery. And so our foundation focuses on giving back to adults. And many of the adults that we give back to are also young parents themselves. It's like almost like make a wish but for adults and on a smaller scale because we're small, but we've given. Most recently family in Massachusetts. He had stage four stomach cancer. He had a five and a seven year old and he wanted to bring his five year old daughter to her first Red Sox game. So we were able to send the family to their first Red Sox game. They were able to meet Jackie Bradley Jr. And they had a wonderful day and he passed away a month later. So like to be able to give back in that way has been Significant for us always makes me a little upset. But to see what these people are going through, and for us to be able to build our business on kind of that foundation, being able to give back, not only are we educating about what's out there, trying to provide a really great product, but then also give back to our community is really meaningful for us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah. Leah, what was it like to watch your sister go through breast cancer? Especially given that you were an oncologist?

Sarah Kelly:

Nurse.

Leah Robert:

Well, I've been in this. I've been in a nurse for 10 years. And you, for some reason, you think that yourself and your family is untouchable to cancer because of what you do. Don't ask me why I thought that, but I did. And so I remember when my sister called and she was 32 weeks pregnant, and she found a lump. And, you know, we thought it was just her breasts changing. And I said, you gotta go get an ultrasound. Tell your ob. You know. And then when the diagnosis came back, I think it made me become a better person in a way. Oncology nursing has made me become just a better person in general. These patients that I take care of are so resilient. They're amazing. They come in with a smile on their face, and I know they go home and they just feel defeated some days. And then when I add my sister into that group, it's like, geez, like, I know exactly what you're going through, because my sister went through it. So sometimes I think I can relate to them on a different level than a nurse who maybe hasn't had a family member go through it. And it was hard. I mean, I had to. I think at times I had to be. I wanted to be a sister first, especially, you know, a daughter to my parents, who I saw them struggle, and that was really important. But then I needed to be a nurse, too, with my family and with my sister. I felt bad.

Sarah Kelly:

We were always calling each other. Yeah, this is what's going on. What does it mean? Call your doctor?

Leah Robert:

Like, it was hard. I mean, my father, I think, was the worst. He would call me. What does this mean? What does this mean? So it was just, you know, being there for them. But when I look back at it, I'm not happy that this happened to my sister, but I'm really happy that I was able to, you know, have the experience that I have. And just to be there for her.

Sarah Kelly:

It definitely brought us closer.

Leah Robert:

And then it brought this business. I mean, you know, we definitely took lemonade. Lemons. And. And turned it into lemonade. And we've had one hell of a ride doing it. So

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

when I. When I went through breast cancer myself, I was so surprised because I had tried to use natural products. I was aware of my makeup and my natural shampoos, and, you know, I didn't smoke, and I was a runner, and I ate. I eat healthy foods. And the people around me were shocked because. And I had no family history. And I think that this is the funny place that we get ourselves into, is that we know what the risk factors are for things like breast cancer, but we forget that most people who have breast cancer actually don't have, for example, a family history. And many people don't really even have recognizable risk factors. So it's a funny. Like, I thought I did everything right, but you can still get cancer.

Sarah Kelly:

That's exactly what everybody.

Leah Robert:

That's what everybody says. And there's no. There's no answer. You know, and especially when we educate women, you know, we're not saying. Obviously we're not saying, you know, using all natural products, well, you know, will, you know, decrease your risk tremendous. We don't know what's gonna happen, But

Sarah Kelly:

I think it's all about taking every precaution. I guess you can just be aware, making the right. For us, the right decision. And we always caution with the judgment or telling people they have to use certain things, because I really think you have to decide what's best for you at the end of the day. And I hope people that come to us get that sense as well that we're definitely not saying you have to do this, but these are our recommendations if you are looking to make those switches. And like you said, there's no foolproof way of avoiding cancer, unfortunately, because we don't know, it doesn't discriminate. So I was 36. I had run marathons. I was healthy. I mean, like you said, there was no family history of any type of cancer in my. In my family. So it was definitely a shock. But. And that's why it's just, you gotta exercise, you have to eat right, and you have to choose healthy products because you just don't know what could be that trigger for your body that leads into cancer, I guess.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And it's also something that there are more and more people who are being diagnosed, younger and younger, with all different types of cancer, breast cancer specifically. But I think even colon cancer, we've now seen, their recommendation is 50. You get a colonoscopy, but that might actually change. So there's a lot of stuff going on right now and our bodies are really trying to deal with this. But if we want to have long lives, because we still have a pretty long life expectancy as an American group, then we kind of have to maximize our chances, even if it's not a guarantee.

Sarah Kelly:

And I think so not only is it about using natural products for us, but that trickles down. Right. And so I think a lot of cancer, and this is just my opinion, has to do with the stress that we're exposed to in the environmental components that are in the environment now. And so if we use products that aren't using chemicals, then those chemicals aren't going into the environment. And so it's, it's all about the trickle down and creating the atmosphere that you want to live in. And so that's part of our philosophy and what we're doing. We're not using chemicals, we're taking that piece out of. It's like vegetarian meatless Mondays. You go meatless one day. And how that trickles down into the ecosystem of helping lessen the carbon footprint is tremendous. And so that's part of why we do what we do as well. I think it all kind of comes back to one thing. At the end of the day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's also something, it's important to recognize that a lot of the things that may be leading to cancer also are hormone disruptors. So even if people don't get cancer, they might have problems with early menopause or maybe they're gonna struggle their fertility or. You know, I really believe that there is some sort of chemical something that's going on in the environment that has caused people to have problems with losing weight and you know, being a thyroid disruptor. So again, can't really prove any of this stuff, but yeah, it's all kind of in the same. Yeah, yeah. So the other thing that I think about is, as I said, my children, and I'm guessing that, I mean, your children obviously are very young, Sarah, but at some point it's going to be nice that you're role modeling the behavior that you hope that they will someday take on themselves.

Sarah Kelly:

Yes. Yeah. I mean, I have a two year old daughter now and a three year old son and like you said, recommending products to your teenagers. It's the same thing when I put on my makeup in the morning and my daughter wants to, or my son for that matter, wants to grab my lipstick and put it on, I feel okay about them doing that. And when they're like, when they say are you going to salty girl? Or can we come To Salty Girl with you. That makes me feel really proud. They're really excited about coming to the shop and seeing what we do, what we do and how we interact with

Leah Robert:

our community and the events that we put on.

Sarah Kelly:

It's people that we help.

Leah Robert:

It's pretty rewarding.

Sarah Kelly:

Yeah. And so, I mean, Leah's obviously expecting in a couple of months, and then I have my two. And I hope they always look up to. To us and think that we're doing things that are changing the world a little bit.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why is it called Salty Girl?

Sarah Kelly:

Do you want to do it?

Leah Robert:

Well, I think if, you know, Sarah and I, we're two redheads, we're pretty sassy. We're confident. And so what a Salty Girl means to us is just being the best woman you can be. Be confident, be beautiful, be sassy. Just be. Be your authentic self and a little badass. Yeah, definitely forgot that. That's huge. Actually, I think of this on our packaging being a little badass. I think that's awesome. So that's what that means.

Sarah Kelly:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And is there something special about the fact that you are here in Maine with your product line being Maine based?

Leah Robert:

Well, we grow. Well, we moved to Kennebunk.

Sarah Kelly:

I was in college, and Leah was starting high school here. So Leah grew up more so here, but we. I grew up in Connecticut, so this has always felt more like home. And I lived in Boston for 15 years almost prior to moving up here after I was done with chemo. And it's just being close to Leah, our other sister. We have a brother that is a merchant marine now, so. But he's home when he's home, and then my parents, so it's amazing just to be close to family and nature.

Leah Robert:

And the ocean has always been part of our lives, so I think salty, too. That's kind of where it comes from as well. But even when we were in Connecticut, we would always vacation in Maine. So Maine's always been a big part of our lives.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And where do you hope to see your company going in the next five, 10 years?

Sarah Kelly:

I mean, we'd love to be a national brand by people. We're definitely working with a lot of boutiques right now and wellness and cancer centers to provide our product as a resource to their patients and customers. And then we're speaking at a couple conferences coming up this fall.

Leah Robert:

One in New York City, which is really exciting. You know, being from little southern Maine,

Sarah Kelly:

we have a really great partnership with Dana Farber, so we're doing their Young and Strong conference next week. So Yeah, I don't. I hope we're able to touch as many lives as possible, especially. I mean, our biggest message is really why we started with the cosmetic line, too. I don't think we said this was. After you lose your hair and especially your eyelashes, putting on makeup becomes really difficult. So lipstick became really important to me. I put on a scarf because I just didn't like the wig, and I put on a colorful lipstick, and I felt empowered. I felt, okay, I kind of look like myself right now. And we want to be able to share that message with women. And so whether you're going through treatment or some other kind of journey, that's how we want to share. That's what we want to share with women.

Leah Robert:

Yeah, I think it's pretty special and pretty cool at the same time that we've developed a line that caters to women going through treatment and then women who don't have cancer. And so, you know, we all have something in common.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sisters Sarah Kelly and Leah Robert are the founders of Salty Girl Boutique and a natural cosmetic line called Salty Girl Beauty. Thanks for coming in today, and thank you for bringing your product and your spirits, your beautiful spirits into the world.

Sarah Kelly:

Thank you for having us.