This Beauty Industry Veteran Just Launched a Dreamy Bath & Body Line

For many beauty devotees, launching your own brand is a daydream—but for Olivia Lohman, it’s become a reality. The beauty product developer (and former Beautylish intern) recently unveiled The Sacred Ritual, a collection of natural bath and body products designed to help you make self-care an everyday thing. We sat down with Olivia to chat about her career path, the story behind The Sacred Ritual, and what’s next for her brand.  

How did you get started in the beauty industry?

In 2011, I moved to LA to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to pursue my dream of creating products in the beauty industry. I was completely obsessed with cosmetics (still am) and knew I had to be a part of the magic. For one of my classes, we had a project where I was lucky enough to attend a Beautylish community event. This is where I met Nils Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Beautylish, and so many other powerhouses in the beauty industry! Next thing you know, I was interning for Beautylish and helped launch their online shop. It was a whirlwind and I learned so much, so quickly. It was actually through Beautylish that I met the founders of a high-profile cosmetic brand that would launch my career as a product developer. 

Tell us about your career in beauty product development.

For the next five years, I lived, breathed, and dreamed cosmetic product development. I was responsible for product concepts, creating color stories, developing all different types of products, and making sure that the quality of the product stayed the same, batch after batch. Once I had my beautiful daughter, it was time to make a move a little closer to home. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to develop a full cosmetic line for a startup brand, as well as doing some product development consulting for other brands.

What inspired you to create your own brand?

It’s funny—if you had told me a year ago that all of this would be happening, I would have laughed. As a product developer, I had always been intimidated by skincare products. There’s something sacred about how you care for your skin. Being a new mom, though, I noticed that my skin needed some extra love, and my product development instincts just kicked in. I started researching and testing ingredients like a madwoman. I began creating products with minimal ingredients but with big impact. Once I started sharing these with my friends and family, I was really motivated by their feedback. This is when my husband suggested that I start my own brand. In a few weeks, I had labels created, product packaged, and did my very first pop-up. We practically sold out that day and that’s when I knew we were on to something.

Why were bath salts your first product launch?

When I was developing The Sacred Ritual, I wanted to create a brand that emphasized the importance of making time for ourselves. I wanted high-quality self-care to become a ritual, not an occasional luxury. One ritual that seems to have disappeared for many of us is taking a bath, and that’s a crying shame! Taking a bath is like yelling from the mountaintops that you deserve 30 minutes of me-time. Guess what… you do! Pair that with products that are actually good for your body? Now that’s something sacred.

Creating bath salts with therapeutic effects that smell amazing (without synthetic fragrances!) seemed like a great way to reintroduce the idea of self-care back into people’s lives. I wanted to create a product that would not only help detoxify the body but also create another reason to pamper yourself.

How do you source ingredients for your products?

When developing The Sacred Ritual, I wanted to create products for people that elevated their self-care rituals. If someone is going to take precious time out of their day to take care of themselves, then they better put that time to good use with high-quality products. I knew the focus and the promise of my brand was going to be the use of top-tier ingredients. When sourcing ingredients, there are a couple of things I ask myself:

1. Is the ingredient truly natural?

2. What makes this ingredient high-quality?

3. Do I feel comfortable using this ingredient everyday on myself and my family?

4. What benefit will this ingredient bring my customers?

The Sacred Ritual’s products are 100% natural, meaning you will never find synthetic ingredients or fillers. The quality of the ingredients will never be compromised. I always feel comfortable using any of my products on my family, including my 19-month-old daughter. Lastly, I do not combine ingredients to create a compelling story or fit a marketing mold. The ingredients in my products always have a reason for being there and always have an important role.

What’s been the biggest challenge of running your own company? The biggest reward?

Well, right now, I am the lone Sacred Ritualite (is that even a word?). I’m product development, packaging, marketing, customer service, web development, etc. It’s keeping me on my toes, but honestly I’m loving every minute of it.

The biggest reward is meeting and hearing from everyone who has been helped by The Sacred Ritual in some way. I’ve had people tell me how the Release Bath Salt is the only thing that has taken the edge off their head tension. I’ve had other people tell me that our Triple Threat Facial Oil is the only thing that has helped their dry skin while also getting rid of little red marks and acne. There is nothing like a stranger telling me that something I made improved their life; it is truly the best part of this whole experience, hands down.

What does your daily self-care ritual look like?

To be honest, every day is different. I really try to listen to my body and what it needs that day.

But I can tell you this: Every morning I get my Honey Cinnamon Latte from our favorite local coffee shop, Augies—we use their coffee beans in our scrub! I detox with our bath salts at least two times a week. I have been loving Immunity during the winter months and Lights Out to help me relax.

When I’m in the shower, I ALWAYS give my body a scrub-down with Morning Buzz. I love it because it helps prep my skin before shaving while exfoliating and keeping my skin hydrated. Lastly, every night before I go to bed I tell myself in the mirror at least one thing I am proud of that day. This is super important as I know we can all be hard on ourselves, and I’m definitely no exception.

What’s coming next for The Sacred Ritual?

More ways to worship your skin! I am currently researching different ingredients and testing what they could do for our skin. It’s like I’ve turned into mad scientist over here. All the different colors and textures—it’s really exciting!

Discover your own self-care ritual with bath salts and body scrubs from The Sacred Ritual.