Life is a series of concentric circles where sometimes we are deeply rooted, and at other moments we’re untethered from our sense of self. Feeling uprooted can be especially prevalent as we approach the dark, dormant months of winter. Swamp Queen, the latest product launch from the bath bomb luminaries at Kush Queen, can help us find our way back to ourselves. The Swamp Queen launch features Spirit of the Bayou products, a 200 mg sharp pear green CBD bath bomb, and an intoxicating black cannabinoid elixir. Sip on the elixir as you bathe to facilitate self-discovery, insight, and — as always with Kush Queen — self-care.
“When you’re your best self, you can actually care for your community and be there for people in a way that you can’t when you’re unwell. For that side of it we had to have something that was psychoactive,” said Founder and CEO Olivia Alexander.
Self-care is a cornerstone of the brand. Bathing has many benefits, and Kush Queen has always promoted ritualizing self-care. With Spirit of the Bayou, they have gone one step farther, providing an elixir that further promotes a headspace for shadow work. Olivia created Swamp Queen to inspire people to journal, meditate, and explore what clarity of mind feels like in their subjective reality. It’s in that clarity where people can find their way through mind chatter.
“We just felt like this is a product that will encourage people to take some time for themselves, to really just explore who they are and where they came from because the messaging right now around products, cannabis, and everything, it’s just a little bit out of touch. By that, I mean out of touch with people’s realities,” said Olivia, “We wanted to just give people something super grounded in truth, super grounded in who Kush Queen is and then sort of give people a taste of the future.”
Kush Queen Founder Olivia Alexander is well known on social media as one of the first cannabis influencers to battle Instagram over her wrongfully deleted account. Since then, she has released a YouTube series with WolfieMemes, worked on tons of partnerships for Kush Queen, and rebuilt her following on IG and now TikTok. Her followers come for her adorable dog Reggie the Cloud and stay for her fearless hard truths about the industry. Her penchant for real talk is something that she acquired while growing up down the bayou. The Spirit of the Bayou products don’t just pay homage to her roots, they’re her invitation to discover your own.
To understand the vision behind Swamp Queen, Olivia took us back to 2019 when Kush Queen partnered with fashion brand Alice + Olivia for their Maybelline launch. She attended fashion week, and the brand was gaining recognition from mainstream media outlets including the Los Angeles Times. Making it into the Times was a company goal, but the media praise also brought negativity. One specific troll sent a slew of hateful messages, including an attempt to insult where the young and successful CEO had grown up.
The messages implied that instead of Kush Queen, Olivia should call herself Swamp Queen. Despite the negative thoughts that this minor attack evoked, the comment didn’t have the sender’s desired effect. Instead of hiding, Olivia owned her upbringing and wore the moniker with pride. As her team laughed at her new title, they realized the name would make for a great Halloween collection theme. Before the launch, the former pageant queen took to the bayou to take photos in her old neighborhood. As she traveled through Louisiana eating nostalgic meals, reconnecting with her neighbors, and researching the history of the place, the trip quickly became about much more than content. Her return to the swamp made her feel whole again, and she wanted the bath bomb to evoke a similar experience. Also, to give back to the place that made her, a portion of the proceeds will be going to indigenous tribes and parish communities that are still rebuilding following Hurricane Ida.
We had a chance to try the products before they launched, and the intention Olivia describes is present in the bath. When the bomb hits the water, the bathroom fills with the scent of a spring thunderstorm coating fresh earth. The swamp, Olivia explained, is something many people fear. The lush green swampy surface sits atop ominous dark waters that hold unknowable things. Spirit of the Bayou hopes to capture this complexity both aromatically and visually. To do this, the sharp green color slowly reveals a dark center as it bubbles, creating an ominous but intriguing place to soak.
To fully experience a Swamp Queen bath bomb I recommend creating an intentional space for yourself. Play relaxing music, have a journal nearby, light a candle or two, and sip on the cannabinoid elixir. For me, the elixir released tensions and brought a dulled clarity that was ripe for exploring my inner mind. The drink is made with in-house nanotechnology that until now has been used only in topical applications. The elixir is the first of its kind from the brand, but Kush Queen will likely start releasing more beverages and consumables. Making time for yourself is the essence of the brand and as their product lines diversify, self-care will be the beating heart of that fundamental goal.
“Life is about finding who you are and following your purpose, and letting your intuition guide you…Creation is life for me, and that just kind of guides everything,” said Olivia.
Swamp Queen Spirit of the Bayou products are now available at kushqueen.shop for people aged 18 and older. In the wake of the tragedies following Hurricane Ida, 10% of all Swamp Queen sales will go to Hurricane Ida mutual aid and rebuilding the native and local bayou communities.