Brand Name
Sal + Sissy Clean Handmade Soaps
What neighborhood do you live in?
Bridgeville
Tell us the story about your brand. Why is it the best?
Sal + Sissy is a brand rooted in hope and wholesomeness, backed by a love of creativity. We are a mom and 2 children, family owned and operated. The concept of the company was the brainchild of 5 year old Salvatore (“Sal”) and 7 year old Vita (“Sissy”) which was then realized and brought to fruition by their Mom (Jay). At Sal + Sissy we specialize in “Good. Clean. Fun.” We create soaps that are good for our consumers - through their purchase of our products we are able continue to share that goodness by raising awareness for and donating to a cause close to our hearts - The Free Care Fund at the UPMC children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. We create soaps that are clean and simple. Just a few exceptionally high quality, all natural and organic ingredients go a long way to deliver outstanding results. We create soaps that are fun (Thanks to Salvatore and Vita)! Generally speaking, many all natural and organic brands tend to be dull or lackluster in appearance in order to signify their wholesome simplicity. At Sal + Sissy we handcraft aesthetically pleasing shaped soaps intended to spark joy and excitement regardless of age, gender or skin type.
What is your background? How did it lead you to starting your brand?
I am a single mom of two wonderful children. I grew up in a hardworking, blue collar, Italian entrepreneurial family. The values of worth ethic, tenacity, perseverance and craftsmanship were instilled in me at an early age. Those core fundamental values have been the driving force behind anything and everything that I have ever chosen to do, personally and professionally. Professionally, I spent many years as a marketing and events director/branding and content creator for a national chain of entertainment venues. Personally and more recently my main focus and most important role has been being a mother of two children. We are always engaging in fun, creative, hands on activities and learning experiences - one of which was making our own soap. We loved this activity idea which presented itself after we were dissatisfied with our local bar soap selections. I did extensive research on soap making, and then we educated ourselves on the process, discussed what each of our desired outcomes for our soap were. Mine was quality and safety, Vita’s (Sissy) was a pleasing scent and Salvatore (Sal) wanted the soap to look fun - not just a standard rectangle bar. We combined our intentions and found ourselves with our new favorite soap. We began gifting our soaps to family and friends who also loved what we had created. *Cue those fundamental values* Sal + Sissy Clean Handmade Soaps was created. We knew our mission clearly from the start - to take the goodness and hope in our hearts, pour it into our products, and to use those products as a platform to share goodness with others, specifically The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.
What one product do we need to know about and why?
Our “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” honey lemon bar! This is our best seller and personal favorite evoking feelings of warmth and comfort at first sight, sniff and touch. The common reaction is “omg why do I want to eat this soap?!” Organic shea butter and olive oil provide deep moisturization while organic coconut oil delivers excellent cleansing properties providing an enriching foundation for your skin. Raw organic honey provides moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Organic granulated lemon peel, which is rich in vitamin c and antioxidants act as a gentle natural exfoliant that brightens skin tone. Organic lemongrass essential oil boasts a calming yet invigorating scent and is an excellent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant, which can help soothe irritated skin, reduce inflammation, fight acne-causing bacteria and protect against environmental damage!
In three words, why do you love Pittsburgh?
Home Sweet Home
How can people find out more about you?
On our site www.salandsissy.com and on instagram at @salandsissy