A Handy Solution

To help combat COVID-19, Sabbatical Beauty has added botanical hand sanitizers to its product line. They’re also selling disposable face masks and donating a box to those in need for each box sold.

As we enter the third month of the nation’s collective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, hand sanitizer is still in high demand—and difficult to find. Eager to help the buying public in its quest to keep out of harm’s way, Dr. Adeline Koh is selling three botanical sand sanitizers through Sabbatical Beauty, the business she helms housed at the Bok Building, 1901 S. Ninth St.

“Just needing to secure hand sanitizer can be stressful for people because of the massive dependence on it that we’ve come to have,” the founder and CEO said. “Because of that, it’s our mission to present them with something that relaxes them while also protecting them.”

As complements to an already impressive line of health and wellness goods, Koh is marketing her products as “an effective antibacterial hand cleanser” which mark “a throwback to herbalism and herbal medicine.” There are three sanitizers to choose from: Hope Flower & Sage, Lavender & Chamomile, and Ylang Ylang & Lemon Palm. Each contains 70 percent high proof ethyl alcohol and comes in 10ml, two-ounce and four-ounce bottles. They sell for between $10 and $35.

The blends have fared quite well so far, and Koh has received plaudits from commenters on Sabbatical Beauty’s website. “People are obviously struggling to stay positive during this ordeal,” she said. “Since I love to experiment and formulate products, I thought that the addition of hand sanitizers could keep us connected to our overall concerns for everyone’s well-being. It’s been great to add a bit of novelty to the hand sanitizers market, too, because the herbs are key players in helping consumers to feel that their health is in good hands.”

On her webiste, Koh explains that the hand sanitizers are one element of the establishment’s movement to fight COVID-19. Sabbatical Beauty has donated hand sanitizers to organizations in need and started a disposable face mask drive. They’ll donate “at least one box of masks to organizations or individuals in need for every box that we sell.” Mask donations have already been made to “Jefferson Hospital, City of Philadelphia, SEAMAAC Elder Program (giving out care packages to low-income Southeast Asian refugees), St. Johns Hospice (men’s homeless shelter), the Bethesda Project (homeless shelter), and more.”

Sabbatical Beauty also offers a Philly Self Care Box which supports other local, woman-owned businesses.  In addition to Sabbatical Beauty’s healing balm and hand purifier, the kit includes a Taiwanese hot pepper rub from Baology, organic CBD fruit gummies from Cocokitty Beauty, small-batch Vietnamese Coffee from Caphe Roasters, Ayurvedic skincare from Wilde Gatherings, a hidden Gemstone Candle from Retrograide,

Through these measures, Koh is providing hope and solace, a combination that’s especially needed at this time.

“Each day brings a chance to decide how you’re going to stand up to this,” she said of COVID-19. “We’re just trying to play our part to show that people fight better when together than when alone.”