“Beautiful products made by beautiful people” is the tagline for a new Whitehall-based business venture, Isaava.

Isaava is described as “a grassroots company employing our special-needs community, sharing their beautiful talents with you,” according to its website. All of the products, including bath bombs, shower steamers, air fresheners and more, are handmade. The website boasts 100% sustainable, biodegradable and vegan products.

The company, which officially launched in October 2022, had an organic development. Owner Kristen Merkert said she and her younger daughter, Isabel Frederick, used to make slime together. Isabel has autism and cerebral palsy, so the texture of the slime appealed to her.

Merkert said she had the thought of expanding to making bath bombs, thinking Isabel would also enjoy the sandy texture. She was right.

Merkert started making the bath bombs with Isabel and Ava Higgins, Isabel’s friend, both in 10th grade at Whitehall High School. Since Merkert is a massage therapist, she had a solid understanding of different fragrances and aromas and their benefits.

Ava said her favorite part of making the products is mixing it all together with the wet, sandy textures before putting the mixture into the molds. Both Ava and Isabel reported liking the lavender mint-scented items the best. Coffee was another popular scent.

Merkert noted Isabel had been a part of Equi-librium for four years, so they started selling the bath bombs and donating the proceeds to the program.

Equi-librium is a program that “provides healing through horses by implementing equine-assisted services to help individuals with physical, developmental, behavioral and psychological challenges,” according to its website. The program is run out of a farm in Nazareth.

Merkert said as Isabel got older, she considered starting an Etsy store and increasing their production, so she could pay the team for helping to make everything. She took the initiative a step further - thus, Isaava was born. The name Isaava is a combination of the names of Merkert’s daughter, Isabel, and Ava.

Everything they sell is handmade by the team. The workshop, nicknamed the Diva Den, is in the basement of Merkert’s Whitehall home.

Even the packaging materials are recycled. Merkert noted one of their team members, Amber, enjoys shredding paper. Since Merkert is also a church organist, she was able to use old, out-of-use hymnals and give them a new life as the packing materials for the products.

A large part of Isaava’s business comes from local craft and vendor fairs. As part of their planning efforts, Merkert sets up a mock craft fair table to practice interpersonal skills and social interactions.

Ava said she likes going to the craft fairs and selling to people. She also enjoys walking around, looking at the other items and shopping with her mother.

During the craft fairs, the team also emphasizes the company’s social media pages. They post Facebook updates on products and which fairs they attend. They also discuss the products and post fun videos on Instagram.

The team usually meets Mondays to make new items and plan ahead. Merkert noted they often make extra products in the spring, so things slow down a bit in the summer.

Merkert noted they are working on planning new products and fragrances for the fall and winter. She revealed they are working on a honey, oatmeal and cinnamon product. She also said they are looking to expand on their melatonin line, with options for younger children and adults.

Additionally, she noted they are exploring bath options with variations to make bath time more fun.

She has also had success offering products to serve as teacher gifts and shower favors. They can customize cute little sayings to go with the gifts or favors. They also offer boxes of items, which can be given as gifts.

The Isaava team members have not let their new business endeavors distract them from their original beneficiary. There is a special line of shower steamers, which completely benefit Equi-librium. Merkert reported they were able to donate more than $370 last year.

Merkert reported they are continuing to explore additional opportunities to help Isaava thrive.

To order items or for more information, go to isaava.com, or find them on Facebook or Instagram.