Pictou County’s Pamper and Relax stresses all-natural ingredients
Like many, sisters Sherri MacLean and Pam Purdy of Kings Head, Pictou County, were looking for something to do to keep them busy during the first lockdown of the pandemic. However, their fear of being idle soon turned into a thriving business.
“My sister and I always dabbled in making bath and body products for our own use and would give samples to our family and friends as gifts,” says MacLean.
This interest soon became a long-term project as they enjoyed it so much. After much positive feedback, it quickly morphed into a small business. Then, in the spring of 2020, the sisters decided to start a business making their all-natural ingredients products.
This was the birth of Pamper and Relax Bath and Body Products.
Soon outgrowing the space in MacLean’s home, and with the increased demand for their products, they opened a storefront shop at 152 Provost St. in New Glasgow. The shop is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The business is best described as a hand-crafted, sustainable, all-natural ingredients business that focuses on making products like soaps, foaming exfoliating organic sugar scrubs, bath bombs, linen and body spray, solid lotion bars, beard oil and beard balms.
The main focus of their business is to make products that stand above others, she says.
“We are proudly Canadian and use locally sourced ingredients,” adds MacLean.
They source their ingredients locally from Pictou County as much as they can. However, since some ingredients are not available in Nova Scotia, they had to go outside the province and, at times, search Canada-wide for what they needed. They make a concerted effort to source from small Canadian businesses.
MacLean says that as retired nurses, the ingredients and natural process are important. “We appreciate the effect high-quality, natural products have on your wellbeing,” she says.
Learning to make the products took time.
After a great deal of time, research, and commitment to their products and ingredients, MacLean says they developed and perfected their recipes. This took time and a considerable amount of effort as they played with recipes to get them just right.
“All-natural, sustainable and handmade is very important to us, so to meet this criterion, we had many failed recipes that were replaced by new recipes and ingredients,” explains MacLean.
MacLean says their soaps and sugar scrubs are the most popular products from their bath products line.
“Our soaps are handmade with skin-loving butters and oils that nourish and moisturize the skin. We use a wide range of scents and find there is something for everyone,” she says.
They even developed a signature scent, Melmerby Breeze, for their soaps and scrubs. It is made with Pictou County’s Melmerby Beach in mind, as they can view the beach from their homes.
They are also big fans of their lotion bars, which are lotion, but in a solid form. A little bit goes a long way, so it is very economical, she says.
“We have had people with eczema give us testimonials of how it took away their itch, redness and dry skin. It started to work overnight and within a few days, their symptoms were resolved,” says MacLean.
All the soaps, says MacLean, are cured for four to six weeks to ensure the bar is hard and long-lasting.
The sugar scrubs are made with organic cane sugar, which she says has a larger sugar grain for a beautiful exfoliation. They also make their own foaming base from scratch, which produces a luxurious product.
The most challenging product they make is their bath bombs. They can be very finicky as they are very much affected by humidity, says MacLean. To combat this, they have a dehumidifier in their studio to ensure the proper environment.
On the road to perfecting their recipe, they kept changing ingredients, trying to make a superior bath bomb. This resulted in them making many bath bombs that only went to friends, as they did not stand up to their quality assurance.
“I remember giving a friend 100 bath bombs one day and she was delighted,” says MacLean.
The sisters’ favourite product to make is their luxurious soaps. There is so much creativity that goes into making them regarding colour, scent, and design. They are starting to make soaps with embellishments such as soap topped with little snowmen, seashells, or flowers.
The making part is most enjoyable, says MacLean, noting she has always enjoyed art and crafts. In addition, Purdy enjoys painting, jewelrymaking and photography as hobbies.
“We come by our love of arts and crafts honestly, as our mother, sister and brother all paint,” says MacLean.
In the future, the plan is for the sisters to continue operating their storefront in New Glasgow. As well, they have begun expanding into Halifax with their products being sold at Crystal Moon on Dresden Row.
They also want to continue developing new products their customers request, such as luxurious bubble bath and creamy body lotion. They have also started a men's line and plan to grow that over the next few months.
They are also planning to expand their current line of products to include candles and tarts. All their products have the same idea in mind: having them all made with natural and sustainable ingredients.
Anyone interested in viewing or ordering products can visit pamperandrelax.com. Shipping is available anywhere in Canada.