After a dozen years of working at startups and restaurants in Santa Barbara, the Washington D.C.–raised, George Mason University–educated William Smariga teamed with his friend, Santa Barbara native and commercial fisherman Troy Pack, to start Salty Brothers Soap Company. They’re now selling a wide range of soaps and balms, full of wild-harvested herbs, honey, pumice, charcoal, and even CBD, all packed with a wax seal.
Why’d you start making soap? I’ve always been into health and wellness and have been wild-harvesting herbs and making things like health bars and toothpaste for myself for years. Troy and I got into the soap business because he wanted to start a company that could help him build a future for him and his son. I am an entrepreneur by nature and always thought of starting a health and wellness company, so making soap fit right perfectly with both of our lifestyles. We want to do our part to make an impact on the environment and support others that are doing the same. This being the tight-knit community it is, I have had tons of support from farmers and small-business owners. We are working together to make the best quality products available, all with local sustainable ingredients.
What sets Salty Bros. Soaps apart? We source locally when we can, and I love wild-harvesting plants to infuse into the products. We want to do something that will benefit people, reduce packaging waste, and reduce the amount of chemicals that are used in cosmetics.
Tell us about your soaps. We sell a variety of soaps each with their own purpose: We sell castile soap for the simplicity lover, charcoal and pumice for someone who wants an exceptional scrub, and bar shampoo for people trying to rid themselves of plastic waste. I also made a soap with my girlfriend’s son, Riley Flanagan, an 8-year-old kid who really wanted to make his own soap, so we got him the proper gear and helped him out. We sell this one on its own or as a candle-making kit. We are also making a variety of CBD soaps and shampoos for another company called Eden’s Cure CBD.
See saltybrossoap.com and edenscurecbd.com.