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Someone asked me recently what my favorite feature of mine is – I said my hands. A hand tells so many stories. That’s what I love most about them. The lines on your palms reveal crucial moments in your lifetime, the roughness of your hands shows the labor you’ve used them for, the bites in your nails expose the anxieties you struggle with, and the wrinkles you collect uncover the experiences you’ve undergone. I truly believe our hands are the windows to our souls.
That’s why, when I came across SIDIA’s newest Hand Care Duo ($72): a wonderful Hand Exfoliant ($38) and Hand Serum ($34) that launched last month, I was particularly drawn to it. I’d never seen a brand that screams: ‘our hands are the highlight of what we do!’ Yet founder Erin Kleinberg noticed “that so many brands focus on hand care as the last step, almost as an afterthought. But they work the hardest for us. You love with your hands, you work with your hands, you create, you craft.” In making hands the new focus of its wellness space, SIDIA takes a strong stance of celebrating the underserved, underloved parts of ourselves. Evoking the feeling of ‘coming home to yourself,’ this new daily routine has truly become my favorite treat.
INTENTIONS MATTER
Toronto-based Erin Kleinberg identifies as a serial entrepreneur, a storyteller at heart and a loving mom of two. After founding various companies, her newest baby is the product of a natural, continuous progression of entrepreneurship. Although SIDIA began with caftans and candles, Erin strived to create something powerful enough to change someone's mood by evoking an ounce of joy even during the darkest of times. This feeling was inspired by her grandmother: a Holocaust survivor, the matriarch of her family, and the namesake of her brand. “She essentially inspired my whole career – my love for fashion, beauty, and care. She was such a graceful, elegant vision and I saw so much strength in her.”
Two weeks before Sidia passed, Erin had the opportunity to tell her grandmother that she named the brand after her, to honor the legacy of Sidia herself. As a way to channel her grief, Erin aimed to share the unparalleled source of comfort she’s always felt from her grandmother with the wellness world, creating the oasis we’ve all been waiting for. And it shows! From the subtle, yet soothing fragrances to the dark and sexy packaging, you can tell that SIDIA’s intention is to change your mood and environment for the better.
CHANGING THE GAME
The first step of the hand care experience is a gentle exfoliant, which smells delicious like bergamot and vetiver (a small pump goes a long way!). While removing dirt & dead skin, my hands are left feeling smooth and hydrated due to the softening effect of the rambutan. I’ve noticed I like to do this step with really warm water. I’ll stand in front of my sink for two minutes rubbing my hands together as I get lost in the mesmerizing massage-like atmosphere. It’s a really nice act of care to give your attention to, even for a short period of time.
The luxe serum is lightweight, grease-free and absorbs beautifully into the skin. Containing shea butter, avocado butter and a unique prickly pear extract, it has a citrus and amber smell, which pairs really nicely with the exfoliant. As someone who washes their hands a lot, it's comforting knowing I can return to any task right after, rather than dreading the oily fingerprints left on my computer keyboard. And as a Brown woman, I’ve noticed that many hand creams leave a whitecast on my skin, while this serum enhances my shade and leaves it glistening. The airless pump is the cherry on top; it’s not only the most hygienic option but I can use the serum on the go at any moment!
THE THREAD OF IT ALL
You can tell SIDIA is a design-focused brand by the way the products look beautiful just sitting on your counter. The deep green and black packaging creates a moody vibe – it stands out, it makes me want to take an hour-long, candle-lit bath with ambient music playing in the background. Erin explains: “our approach is that minimalism and maximalism can live together, and that we’re not just another beige beauty brand.”
Natural ingredients call for natural moments. SIDIA’s scent is made up of essential oils and its products are: sulfate free, paraben free, cruelty free, vegan and credo clean approved. The environment and the universe means a lot to SIDIA’s team, which is seen in the beautiful red threads the brand gives you alongside the hand care set. Erin’s grandmother was very superstitious and always believed that the red thread would protect one from all evil. SIDIA shares that belief through this gift in hopes of extending good luck and protection to their greater community.
ON CARE FOR THE FUTURE
As an extension of ‘coming home to yourself,’ Erin believes you must take time out of your day to recharge, otherwise it’s impossible to show up for those you love. She’s a big champion of women, believing we need to uplift and support each other more and tell the right stories. With a powerful, female team by her side, and as a mother, Erin feels strongly about women’s health, especially in the pre, during and post pregnancy world; “having kids and raising them is so impossible, and at the same time your body goes through all these hormones, stages and then postpartum. I feel like people just expected me to bounce back, and that showed a deep lack of understanding.” In hopes of making changes on a bigger scale, SIDIA will be donating 10% of sales during launch month to the Brigid Alliance Fund, which supports people who must travel long distances across the U.S. for abortion care.
You can tell this brand really values celebrating the power of the matriarchs that came before us, so that we can better understand ourselves – past, present and future. This special hand care set truly acts as a vehicle for nostalgia and melancholia: “My intention is to use a devastating past and make something meaningful out of it. I hope that using or smelling one of our products might transport you back to a time with your grandmother.” Whether you take that sometimes forgotten self-care, mental health moment whilst soaking in a relaxing bath or lighting up a bedtime joint, SIDIA provides its consumers a connection with their body, soul and mind by creating a soothing environment that makes you fall more in love with your space every day.
