April 22, 2026 |
If there’s one thing that LA-based cult skincare brand Salt & Stone champions, it’s that it is never necessary to compromise on luxury for wellness. Established in 2017, the label offers an array of products, from body washes and mists, to indulgent oils and lotions, to a hero deodorant that sells every seven seconds. Yep, you heard that right. Its speciality odour-evaporating deodorant is aluminium-free, providing a protective alternative to modern anti-perspirants, using prebiotics to eliminate odour and seaweed extracts to moisturise the skin. With signature scents of santal and vetiver, neroli and basil, bergamot and hinoki, black rose and oud and saffron and cedar – each note studied and perfected – Salt & Stone serves up a palette of refined scent-based sanctuary.
Founder and CEO Nima Jalali secured himself an unexpected career change, to say the least. The professional snowboarder-to-beauty entrepreneur pipeline was maybe not one he had in mind, but it’s one that makes perfect sense. Nearing the end of his snowboarding career, Jalali suffered a knee injury and it was during this recovery period that he began to really delve into health and wellness. “A lot of the options either didn’t work, and if they did, they didn’t smell the way I wanted to and the design wasn’t something I’d be proud to display on my countertop.” In short, “I couldn’t find the brand I was looking for on the market, so I set out to create it myself”, he says.
Upon noticing that the traditional skincare he was using on the slopes and upon snowy peaks wasn’t holding up against harsh weather conditions, Jalali took matters into his own hands. The result? Polished skincare products encased in a squeaky-clean yet high-end-smelling aura; “Salt & Stone exists to change what people expect from their personal care routine, with the belief that clean products can outperform anything else in the category”, Jalali says. Salt & Stone was born from an aspiration and a vision, starting simply in a studio apartment almost a decade ago, with no outside funding or prior industry insider knowledge.
Already holding a strong reputation across the US, Salt & Stone has just recently broken into the UK. It has left a footprint on the UK market, cutting through harsh British winds and city pollution alike; people are increasingly in need of thoughtful body and skincare, and S&S is delivering exactly that.
Salt & Stone primarily appeals to the millennial generation – Jalali says of this “I think it comes down to the fact that they’re more conscious of what they’re putting on their body”. “We like to think of Salt & Stone as the brand you graduate to as you get older, but we’re fortunate to have a lot of customers in their 20s also discovering the brand”. In the midst of anti-ageing propaganda and Gen-Z panic, there is a surge in wellness and a push towards the idea that good care lies beyond merely what you see in the mirror.
With momentum and growth, Jalali chases the high of creating a longstanding vision to hold against all odds, alongside a similarly-passionate team, rather than building a brand fixated on short-lived wins – “From day one, even as a one man show, I wasn’t afraid to go up against the leaders in the industry, and I’m always pushing to be better”. Not having been born a product of the beauty industry, Salt & Stone allows itself the agency to step outside boundaries. Jalali strives to connect with buyers and build a legacy – something that people feel urged to come back to. And something that is recognised globally as a signifier of quiet, thoughtful luxury.
Now, with some exciting upcoming products and scents brewing and some fun campaigns to stroll hand-in-hand with them, Salt & Stone fans have much to anticipate. Nima Jalali tells us that he has always considered S & S as a “full ritual”, and is excited to expand on this front, creating a multi-step routine that adorns the skin and senses of those who are this way inclined. Watch this space.
Photography courtesy of Salt & Stone.
Nima Jalali
