Founded in March 2007 by Lowcountry resident Elin Cate, The Charleston Chemist is a celebration of Charleston, South Carolina, and the surrounding Lowcountry. Ingredients, scents, and sights indigenous to the area inspire our natural bath and body products. On top of that, we've got Southern charm oozing out of our nostalgic retro containers that are all dolled up in historical Charleston colors.

Whimsical, fun, and Southern-centric, the Charleston Chemist is dedicated to your well-being, inside and out.

 

Owner and product developer Elin Cate is a self-professed bath and beauty product junkie. The obsession with beauty products originated when she received a Barbie perfume factory, a Christmas gift at the age of nine. Long after she'd outgrown the Barbie phase, Elin continued to experiment, creating bath and body products for family and friends.

After graduating with a B.S. in Biology from the College of Charleston in 1996, Elin moved to the San Francisco Bay area and excelled in the field of pharmaceutical development and clinical study research. As time passed, it became evident that she had left her heart in Charleston and not in San Francisco. Longing to reconnect with her Southern roots, Elin returned to Charleston in February 2001.

In July 2006 Elin decided to marry her knowledge of drug development with her passion for bath and beauty products, and nine months later, the Charleston Chemist was born. In March 2007 Elin's childhood passion came full circle, and she launched her unique brand of natural bath and body products with a Southern twist. The rest, they say, is history.

Because your skin deserves the very best, we use only the finest ingredients. Our natural salts, sugars, oils, and distinctive fragrances are carefully chosen to ensure the highest quality possible. All of our bath and body products are paraben and petrochemical free.

We believe that we can and should do our part to protect our planet and the cute little creatures that live on it. That's why all of the Charleston Chemist's bottles and jars are recyclable and none of the ingredients we use are tested on animals.

The Charleston Chemist is committed to giving back to the community. A portion of all sales is donated to Pattison's Academy, a nonprofit organization serving Charleston area children with serious functional and mental disabilities. Pattison's Academy, tentatively scheduled to open in Fall 2008, will offer year-round academics, pediatric therapy, and rehabilitation.