(NEWS CENTER Maine) — Sarah Kelly and Leia Robert are not only sisters, they are business partners.
The sisters founded Salty Girl Beauty after Sarah was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer at 36 years old. She was also 32-weeks pregnant.
Through Sarah's cancer battle, Leia who is an oncology nurse, was by her side, and as most caring sisters do, she wanted to be able to make her sister feel better.
"The one thing that really made her feel beautiful was a bold lipstick. I wanted to get a lipstick for her," said Leia. But after researching cosmetic ingredients, the sisters say they couldn't find any beauty products that were nourishing and healthy, so they decided to create their own, and Salty Girl was born.
"You will not find any parabens, sulfates or even formaldehyde, which can be hidden...or any of the dirty ingredients," said Sarah.
"We use a lot of butter and oils that are not only good for your skin but make your skin feel really good," said Sarah.
Salty Girl's name came from the fact that the sisters live near the ocean, but they also wanted women to feel empowered to be their "salty" selves.
The business also helps support a nonprofit the sisters have started called Foundation for Love that gives experiences to adults dealing with cancer such as spa days and sports tickets so patients can disconnect from their cancer struggles at least for a day and enjoy themselves.