Okay, so it’s been three years since my first and only blog post. I get it, what’s the point of having a blog if you’re not going to add to it? Well, for me, running a business, especially a startup, takes an enormous amount of time and energy, much more than I ever anticipated. The thing is, I love what I’m doing, and I’ve come to realize that a blog is a great way to share multiple aspects of my experience, not just soap making. Whether it’s encore entrepreneurship, women in business, SCORE training, attending trade shows, or working with my husband, there will always be something to write about. Here’s to a renewed effort on sharing my experiences. I hope you find them both entertaining and informative.
I started making my own soap because I have sensitive skin and a sensitive sense of smell. I can't go into stores whose products use fragrance oil scents because it gives me a headache and makes my eyes sting. I found that even unscented soaps with synthetic ingredients can bother my skin too. Then, about a year ago, my friend Christine asked me if I made Chamomile soap. She really loved the fragrance and she used to buy it all the time. Then one day she said they stopped making it and she’s been looking all around for it but hasn’t been able to find it anywhere.
I thought about it for a few days then I decided that I could make a custom batch of chamomile soap exclusively for Christine. All I had to do was order the Chamomile essential oil for fragrance, select the right base ingredients, and figure out which ancillary oils and ingredients I wanted to add to it for moisturizing, exfoliating, etc. I made her a custom batch of 20 bars and it came out great. We had a few bars left over so we took them to the market and we're calling it Christine's Calming Chamomile.
At this point, the light bulb went on! I decided that I could make custom soaps for people who want something different than what's out there in the marketplace. As long as I can get the proper essential oils for fragrance, I can make a custom batch of natural soap in almost any scent you desire, with moisturizing and/or exfoliating properties. Each batch of 20 takes about six weeks to cure and would sell for $100.
It makes me happy to be able to give people something they yearn for but can't find otherwise. It’s fun to come up with new recipes for soaps. I really like helping people and I want everyone like me to have soap that smells wonderful and won't bother their skin.