photo credit: The Desert Review

How It All Began!

 "Below Sea Level started with an itchy scalp that kept Hardie scratching her head to discover friendly ingredients to create her own line of cosmetic products. She found the right combination of ingredients that relieved skin irritations— for herself and others." The Desert Review

Hi! I'm Cindy, and I make handmade cosmetics with high-quality, organic ingredients. My passion for formulating cosmetics arose when I researched ingredients to find a shampoo that wouldn't irritate my sensitive scalp. I suffered soreness and itchiness for many years from harsh ingredients in over-the-counter products. As the years continued, it only grew worse. During my research, I became so fascinated learning about ingredients that I decided to make my own shampoo in a bar form! And though it was far from perfect, I was excited to find that it cleaned very well and, most importantly, it didn't irritate my scalp! I knew I was on to something very, very good! And from then on, I was hooked on formulating! I continued perfecting my shampoo bar and moved on to conditioner bars, facial bars, shaving bars, lotion bars, deodorants, and more!  

Whether you have sensitive skin or not, you will undoubtedly benefit from the quality and the care that goes into my products. I would love for you to try them, and let me know what you think!

Why Below Sea Level?

 My family and I call Brawley, California home. It's a cozy small town nestled in the Imperial Valley, which some might affectionately describe as a giant bowl of dust! With mountains lining the horizon, it's definitely a desert oasis at the very base of California.

What's really neat about our area is that you'll notice big painted lines on water tanks, feed silos, and the famous Holly Sugar beat plant silo that all have "Sea Level" written at the very top of them. They're markers of just how low we are - if the Pacific Ocean were to spill over the San Diego mountains and into our valley, it would reach the line marked on all of these tanks.

In fact, our own city of Brawley has an elevation of 113 feet below sea level! That's why we proudly embrace being "Below Sea Level" - after all, it's a unique part of our identity.

Why a Sunflower?

We chose the sunflower as our logo because of the beautiful example it illustrates for our company to follow…  Just like how the sunflower always turns towards the sun, we should always turn towards the Son of God and let His guidance lead us as we go through our day-to-day tasks.

Our Mission

To handcraft high-quality beauty products while making a positive impact in our communities and on the environment.

Our Values

Quality, Integrity, Passion, Making a Difference 

Our Company Verse

John 8:12 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”