Salt Water Cures Everything (Or So My Mother Said)

My mother, born in 1923, had an answer for almost everything. (And I’m sure she’d have something to say about me mentioning her age.)

“Salt water cures everything.”

A sore throat? Gargle with salt water.

Tired feet? Soak them in warm salt water.

Feeling worn out? Go to the beach. The sea air, the salt water, and a good night’s sleep would set you right.

She wasn’t thinking scientifically. It was simply something she knew.

And you know what? It worked for her. Even in her nineties, a day at the beach seemed to help her sore feet, her skin, and her outlook on life.

It worked for me, too.

Looking back, I realize she wasn’t just talking about salt. She was talking about slowing down, caring for yourself, and trusting simple remedies.

An Unexpected Discovery

Even after she was gone, those words stayed with me.

Years later, while researching traditional soapmaking techniques, I stumbled across an old German recipe for Solseife—a soap made with a salt-water brine instead of plain water.

Immediately, I thought of my mother.

“Salt water cures everything.”

I had to try it.

Really…some things are meant to bee.

Creating The Mariner

It took a little experimenting to get the recipe right.

Instead of plain water, I used a salt-water brine blended with creamy coconut milk to create a gentle, unscented bar.

I wasn’t trying to make the fanciest soap on the shelf. I simply couldn’t stop thinking about the connection between my mother’s favorite remedy and this centuries-old soapmaking tradition.

A soap inspired by the sea.

Or maybe by my mother.

That’s how The Mariner Salt Bar was born.

The Surprise

The soap wasn’t flashy.

It was white, almost like Ivory Soap—my mother’s favorite. It had no added fragrance, and the bubbles were tiny, creamy, and almost invisible.

It simply did its job.

Then something unexpected happened.

My son struggled with eczema, and this was the soap his skin seemed to tolerate best.

Soon afterward, customers with eczema, sensitive skin, and easily irritated skin began coming back for The Mariner.

Again and again, people would tell me it had become the only soap they wanted to use.

Every story reminded me of my mother’s old saying.

No, I don’t claim that salt water cures everything.

But I do believe there’s something timeless about simple ingredients, thoughtful craftsmanship, and caring for your skin without unnecessary extras.

Bee-hind the Scenes

Every bar of The Mariner carries a little piece of that family story.

It begins with a mother who believed in salt water.

It continues with an old German soap recipe discovered years later.

And today, it lives on as one of Backyard Bees’ best-selling soaps.

Sometimes the best ideas aren’t invented at all.

Sometimes, they’re remembered.

Looking for The Mariner? You can find it here. → The Mariner Salt Bar