Maak Lab’s Soaps, Salves and More
Locally sourced, natural ingredients from the Pacific Northwest make for unlikely combinations
Drawing on their vegetation-rich surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, Portland-based Maak Lab crafts soaps, salves and candles with natural ingredients. With a focus on experimentation and pushing the bounds of scents and ingredients in such products, the brand lives up to its name. Plants play a central role, and seasonality is key to ensuring that the vibrance of every scent is as apparent in the finished product as it is in nature.
Offerings like the Coffee Bar are inspired by Maak Lab’s location in downtown Portland. Surrounded by roasters, it was only a matter of time before the crew at Maak began experimenting. Espresso grounds act as natural exfoliators while oats moisturize the skin. A rich, smoky espresso scent is rounded by added botanical oils. Meanwhile the Newport Blend soap (made specially for Grimy Living) is the soap equivalent of a menthol cigarette with light tobacco for scent and texture and locally grown peppermint. The brand’s earlier collaboration with fellow Portlanders and leather specialists Tanner Goods sees a more traditional take on Northwest scents, drawing on tree barks that were originally used for tanning hides.
Shop Maak Lab’s full line of natural soaps, salves and candles on their webstore. If you’re in Portland, stop by the lab at 916 West Burnside Street.
Lead image by Charles Gullung, additional images courtesy of Maak Lab
