From a crazy idea in my kitchen to the world’s first liquid bath bomb, and everything in between.
On September 30, 2026, TOA Waters officially turns six years old.
Six.
Sometimes I have to say that number out loud because I still can't quite believe it.
When I started TOA Waters in 2020, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had an idea that I was passionate about, a desire to challenge the way we think about self-care, and a belief that a bubble bath shouldn't come with a gender stereotype attached to it.
What I didn't have was a crystal ball telling me that one day we'd be selling in retail stores, creating entirely new product categories, appearing in interviews, supporting LGBTQ+ organizations, traveling up and down the East Coast for events, and, oh yeah, creating the world's first liquid bath bomb.
And somehow, here we are.
Year six has been one of the biggest, busiest, most exciting, and occasionally chaotic years in TOA Waters history.
So, as we celebrate another trip around the sun, I wanted to take a moment to look back at everything we've accomplished together.
October 2025: We Changed the Bath Bomb Forever
Let's start with the big one.
In October 2025, we officially launched something that had been a crazy idea for a long time, the World's first and only liquid bath bombs.
The whole concept came from a pretty simple thought:
Why are we still throwing a ball of compressed powder into the bathtub?
Traditional bath bombs can be fun, but they can also be messy, drying, crumbly, and leave your tub looking like a craft project exploded inside it.
We wanted something different.
Something that gave you the fun of a bath bomb, the bubbles of a bubble bath, and a more nourishing experience, without the mess.
So we created the liquid bath bomb. One bomb can give you up to two baths, making it easy to use, easy to store, and even easy to travel with.
That's the kind of reaction that makes all the late nights worth it.
November & December 2025: TOA Waters Started Getting Noticed
The Liquid Bath Bomb launch opened a lot of doors for us.
We started getting featured and interviewed by different media outlets and creators, giving us opportunities to tell the TOA Waters story to people who had never heard of us before.
And then came a really fun milestone.
TOA Waters became one of the brands featured on AwearMarket, founded by actor David Coulier, a new online marketplace focused on safer, more mindful, non-toxic products.
But December brought an even bigger change.
I quit my full-time job and went all in on TOA Waters.
Yep.
After years of balancing TOA Waters with a full-time career, I decided it was time.
TOA Waters became my full-time job.
That decision was exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Winter 2026: Hitting the Road
Once TOA Waters became my full-time focus, there was no shortage of things to do.
And one of my favorite parts of the year was getting out from behind the computer and actually meeting our customers.
During the holiday season, we attended 14 events across the East Coast, traveling from Maryland all the way down to South Carolina.
There's something incredibly special about meeting the people who buy our products face-to-face.
You get to hear which scents people love.
You get to watch someone smell Lockwood Forest for the first time.
You get to explain what a Liquid Bath Bomb actually is.
And sometimes you get to have a conversation with someone who tells you that they bought TOA Waters because they connected with the mission behind the brand.
Those moments are priceless.
Spring 2026: We Started Building for the Future
Spring brought another major milestone:
We launched our subscription program.
If you already know your favorite TOA Waters products and don't want to run out, why not make it easier to keep them coming?
Spring 2026: 9 More Events, Hundreds of Conversations
And because apparently 14 events wasn't enough, we attended another nine events during the spring.
At this point, I think my car has spent almost as much time packed with TOA Waters products as it has with actual passengers.
But these events continued to be some of my favorite experiences of the year.
We met returning customers.
We met first-time customers.
We introduced people to new scents.
And we got to hear directly from the people who make this business possible.
Spring & Summer 2026: TOA Waters Hits the Retail Shelf
Another huge milestone this year was watching TOA Waters continue to grow beyond our own website and events and into the world of retail.
We expanded the TOA Waters family with new retail partners in 2026.
In the spring of 2026, we brought on Kohl's, opening the door for even more customers to discover TOA Waters and experience our products for themselves.
Then, in the summer of 2026, we added JCPenney to the growing list of retailers carrying TOA Waters products.
And those are just a few of the exciting retail opportunities that came our way this year.
For me, this is a pretty incredible milestone.
When you're a small business, seeing your products move from your own workspace into a major retailer is a moment that you don't forget.
It means more people can discover our scents, learn about our mission, and experience what we've been creating for the past six years.
But it's also a reminder of just how far we've come.
Six years ago, I was making bubble bath and figuring out how to get people to take a chance on a new brand.
Now, we're building relationships with major retailers and putting TOA Waters on shelves where people shop every day.
That's a pretty amazing feeling.
And we're just getting started.
March 2026: Giving Back Got Even More Personal
One of the most important parts of TOA Waters has always been our belief that self-care should be for everyone.
That's why our 1% for Equality initiative means so much to me.
In 2026, we announced that the Wanda Alston Foundation would be our nonprofit partner for the year, supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C.
We are part of a community.
And if we're fortunate enough to grow, I believe we have a responsibility to use that growth to help other people grow, too.
May 2026: Refill, Reuse & Rethink
In May, we launched our Refill & Reuse Program for wholesale partners.
This was another important step for us because I've always believed that luxury and sustainability don't have to be opposites.
The program introduced select TOA Waters products in 1-gallon and 5-gallon bulk formats, allowing refill shops and other retailers to help customers reuse their own containers rather than continually purchasing new packaging.
June 2026: Supporting Queer Stories
June brought another opportunity that was especially close to my heart.
TOA Waters became a co-sponsor of Season 2 of Don't Suck, the breakout queer comedy series created by Tyler Isaac Martin.
Supporting independent queer storytelling felt like a natural extension of what TOA Waters has always stood for.
And sometimes, simply being able to laugh, see yourself reflected in a story, and know that you belong matters more than we realize.
The series premiered during Pride Month, and in July I even had the opportunity to attend the Season 2 finale premiere in New York City.
2026: Six Years In, We're Finally Talking About the Brand Everywhere
This year has also been a really exciting one for media.
TOA Waters and I have been fortunate enough to be interviewed by a growing number of publications, podcasts, shows, and media outlets.
We've talked about entrepreneurship.
We've talked about the creation of Liquid Bath Bombs.
We've talked about breaking gender stereotypes.
We've talked about building a small business.
And, of course, we've talked about bubbles.
From Voyage Maryland to Best Holistic Life Magazine, Everything Frederick LIVE, Good Morning Frederick, and more, each interview has given me another opportunity to tell the TOA Waters story.
And that's something I never take for granted.
Six Years Later, We're Still Breaking the Rules
When I look back at the original idea behind TOA Waters, one thing hasn't changed.
I wanted to challenge the idea that self-care belongs to one gender, one type of person, or one particular aesthetic.
I wanted to create products with bold scents that didn't feel stereotypical.
I wanted to make self-care feel welcoming.
And I wanted to build something that reflected the way I see the world.
Six years later, we're still doing that.
But now we're doing it with:
- Bubble baths.
- Body washes.
- Room sprays.
- Liquid Bath Bombs.
- Refill programs.
- Subscriptions.
- Retail partnerships.
- Nonprofit partnerships.
- Media features.
- Craft shows.
And a community of people who continue to believe in what we're building.
That's a pretty amazing list.
And I know I'm biased, but I think we're just getting started.
The Part I Don't Want to Forget
It's easy to look at a six-year anniversary and focus on the milestones.
The products.
The press.
The events.
The partnerships.
The sales.
The growth.
But behind every single one of those things are people.
And I couldn't end this anniversary reflection without saying thank you.
To my friends and family who have helped me along the way, thank you.
Thank you to everyone who has helped bottle products, pack orders, load cars, unload cars, set up booths, break down booths, brainstorm ideas, take photos, give advice, listen to me complain, celebrate the wins, and remind me to keep going when things get hard.
And to my husband, thank you for all of your help and for being there through this crazy journey. Building a business isn't always glamorous, and you've seen plenty of the behind-the-scenes moments that never make it onto Instagram. From the long nights to the event weekends to all the countless little things that keep this business moving, your support has meant more to me than I can put into words.
And finally, to you, our customers.
Whether you've been buying TOA Waters since 2020 or you discovered us five minutes ago, thank you.
Thank you for trying our products.
Thank you for telling your friends about us.
Thank you for coming back.
Thank you for giving us feedback.
Thank you for cheering us on.
Thank you for believing in a little self-care company that started with a simple idea and somehow turned into all of this.
Every order matters.
Every review matters.
Every referral matters.
Every person who walks up to our booth at an event and says, "I've heard of you!" matters.
You are the reason TOA Waters is still here.
Here's to Six
Six years ago, I poured some bubble bath into a bottle and decided I wanted to change the way people thought about self-care.
Six years later, we're still pouring.
So here's to six years of TOA Waters.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
I can't wait to see where the next six years take us.
With gratitude,
Javier Folgar
Owner & Founder
TOA Waters
