In December of 2001 I started having a problem with itchy, dry skin and scalp. After many trips to the dermatologist, it was determined that I had developed an allergy to the chemicals used in retail soap and shampoo. These companies, as they manufacture "soap", remove the naturally-occurring glycerine, (they make more money selling it separately) and we are left with a bar of detergent that is grossly over-scented to cover up the hideous scent of the chemicals used to make it lather, etc. YUUKK!

My skin could no longer bear it....SO, in an effort to recover my "skin's sanity" I started researching a more natural, "skin safe" product. I spent many weeks on eBay, at first going only by my idea of what might smell good to bathe in. Patchouli, rose, lemon, mint-- I tried several scents from a vast array of sellers. Some of the soap was quite good, others were horrid. I can laugh now. I did not know the difference between cold-processed, hot-processed and melt and pour. I used what I could and threw the rest away.

As the months passed (and my skin and hair improved) I began to have a desire to create my own products. Problem was, I wasn't sure where to start. I can remember buying bars from a lady who made goatsmilk soap from her very own herd! I wrote her at one point and asked if she could sell me a tub of it. My thinking was that I could somehow "melt it down" color and scent it myself. Looking back, I have to cringe, LOL! How funny (and naive') was that? Luckily, she was a woman of substance, and she took the time to explain how the soap was made. I was aghast. Lye?? Me?? I am the original klutz. This did not sound like something I could do with safety under any circumstances, unless it could be accomplished by remote control or something! I also have very little patience sometimes. I always managed to open my Christmas presents early without my parents finding out, and I knew without a doubt that I could not wait 6 weeks for "the glop" to cure.

Melt and Pour was designed specifically for ME! I made all the usual newbie mistakes at first. I bought my base from the craft stores, paid $9.95 for a quarter of an ounce of essential oils or cheaply made fragrance oils, and my first creations, although useable, were hardly works of art. But I liked it well enough until that familiar itching began to come back. Seems the craft store base was not much better than my retail soaps!

One fateful night, a young horse knocked me backwards, and I landed head first on a brick wash area. I suffered strained chest muscles, torn ligaments, and a brain injury. I had to relearn many things, including balancing and reading words in the right order. I could read them, but they did not make sense. I could only stay awake 3-4 hours at a time, then I had to sleep for 5 or 6 hours. My life was totally disrupted, and I was despondent. It was during my recuperative time that I "practiced" reading by joining several soaping groups online. I learned a lot! Sometimes I had to go back and read things three or four times, but slowly my memory and my cognitive skills came back, although it took a little over a year.

Determined to become the best I could be, I made batch after batch of melt and pour, only this time I used the very best fragrance oils (thanks, Brambleberry!) and I found a wonderful distributor of base. I gave these soaps away to friends and family, and I was totally surprised when I received my first order-- 10 bars! I was amazed.

It is now 2004, and I have enjoyed making hundreds of batches. I have several wholesale accounts, and a loyal "fan base" of folks who will not use anything else but MY soap. It is gratifying, and it is humbling. I have used soap to reach troubled teens, drug addicts, the homeless, and many others, who, were it not for the beautifully scented soap, would never have allowed me to minister to them. It is my calling card, and I am of the opinion that there is nothing a fresh bar of beautiful soap and a caring heart cannot accomplish.

Soapmaking gave me back my life-- one day at a time. I have had many days of inspiration and happiness through soaping. I am proud to say that I have been asked to demo the Melt and Pour soapmaking technique for the second year in a row at the wonderful Annual Florida Soapers Gathering in August. To be recognized by my fellow craftsmen and women is a great feeling! But there is no better feeling than to know the joy of giving and caring. Soap can reach lives. It opens the doors to honest conversation and hearts that are touched by the simple act of giving it as a gift because you care. It makes eyes sparkle, it can cause people to relive cherished memories of people and places, just by the smell. A few months back, a friend gave her dying sister a bar of my Honey Almond soap to smell as she struggled with the pain of cancer. When she placed it on her sister's pillow, it eased her discomfort, and became a lovely way to get through the times of struggle. She called me to say that although her sister fought the good fight, she passed away. The nurses found her with a smile upon her face, and that bar of soap clasped in her hands under her chin. Blessed by soap? Absolutely. Positively.

Rose soap by Beth Phillips