Heritage
A house, in its own words
The company traces its origins to a partnership between David Teitelbaum and a small group of fragrance chemists who shared a frustration with the opacity of the traditional perfume market. In 2020, they established Laurel Bath House in New York City with the intent to create transparent, sustainably sourced scents that could be understood by anyone. Early funding came from a combination of angel investors and a modest crowdfunding campaign that highlighted the founders' commitment to clean ingredients. By 2021, the brand released its first wave of fragrances, including Slate and Heaven Is, both of which received coverage in independent fragrance blogs for their minimalist compositions. In 2022, Bath House announced a partnership with a certified compostable packaging supplier, replacing plastic caps with biodegradable alternatives. The following year, the brand expanded its scent library with Roses For Keats, a tribute to the Romantic poet that blended natural rose absolute with subtle amber notes. Throughout its short history, Bath House has maintained a small‑batch production model, limiting each release to a few thousand units to ensure quality control and to reduce waste. The brand’s evolution reflects a broader shift in the fragrance industry toward transparency, sustainability, and inclusive marketing, trends that have been documented in trade publications such as Business of Fashion and The Good Trade. Bath House approaches perfumery as a dialogue between scent and daily life. The founders have repeatedly emphasized that a fragrance should be an honest expression of a single idea, rather than a complex narrative that obscures its core. This philosophy drives the brand’s decision to name each perfume after a concrete image or feeling, such as Slate or Ginger & Orchid, and to publish the exact proportion of each ingredient on its website. Sustainability is woven into the creative process; the team selects raw materials that are either organically farmed or derived from waste streams, and it works with suppliers who can certify traceability. Inclusivity also informs the brand’s direction: the scents are marketed without gendered language, and the packaging features simple typography that avoids traditional luxury cues. By foregrounding clarity and responsibility, Bath House aims to make high‑quality fragrance accessible to consumers who value both aesthetic purity and ethical production.