When I launched my business two and a half years ago I had no idea where it would take me. I started making soap, people liked it, they started buying it. It started out that simply. One of the unforeseen paths has become one of the most satisfying, that is, making custom soaps. I love making it "your" way. There is unlimited creativity in soap crafting just as there are unlimited personal preferences. I have had so much fun making it just the way someone else would enjoy it. Just this morning while dropping my son off at school, a fellow mom and customer reported back to me that her husband loves the Lemongrass Poppy Seed soap I made for him without the poppy seeds. Of course they had to buy an entire batch of soap to get it "their" way, but it is a truly satisfying experience knowing that it is just right for their family.My philosophy on making soap and using it is not just about getting clean. Of course for many people that's what using soap is about, and handcrafted soap is an awesome cleaning agent. I didn't know soap had chemistry until I started learning about it, but I was floored to discover that soap when mixed with water actually does pull dirt and germs away from your skin. So cool! And you may be an individual where that's all you use it for. But for me the experience of making and using soap goes way beyond that, it's about blending the things that inspire me or others with bathing ritual to regenerate the moment. It's like taking time to enjoy the small pleasures in life. When I get in the shower and lather up I take in a deep breath and let the aroma wash over and in and throughout. Of course the aroma is one aspect of the experience, but the way the soap lathers is another and the way it makes your skin feel afterward is another. Some like creamy lathering bubbles, some like texture, some like extra moisture, some like that squeaky clean feeling. The variety of aromas, herbs, specialty vegetable oils, and botanicals that can be added to soap are limitless, just as personal preferences are limitless. So I've discovered that striking that delicate balance of preferences for someone is an extraordinary art and is a ton of fun.
Whether I'm making a batch of soap with just the right ingredients for someone who has allergies and skin sensitivities, or making luxurious aromatic soaps to match wedding colors for the bride to give her guests as a thank you, or creating just the right soap to help a company deliver their message; when it all comes together and fits for that person or that company it's incredibly satisfying. Of course, it often takes trial and error to get to the sweet spot of "fit". But that's part of the journey too, and there's always someone willing to take a cast off soap that didn't fit, because it just might fit for them!
One business who has used my custom handcrafted soaps to support their message is Willow Park, a Senior living community located here in Boise. Their motto is “people who care, caring for people”. Their soap is appropriately named “Distinctly Willow”. In every sense Willow Park strives to care for their residents in a distinctly caring way that goes above and beyond. They've created a living community that revolves around the distinct preferences of the individuals that choose to live there. Their soap was created to match their marketing materials in color, theme, and message. When a visitor leaves their establishment with a bar of Distinctly Willow soap they take home a small piece of the experience of being there.
