Maker of the Month: Butter Me Soft

After spending a lot on store-bought bath and body products, Markita with Butter Me Soft decided to make her own. She tested bath bomb recipes for months until she found the perfect one. That hobby soon became an obsession, and Markita started selling her products. Customers love her fun and creative bubble bars, whipped scrubs, soy wax melts, and more. Get to know her below!

markita with butter me soft

How long have you been making bath and body products, and how did you get started? 
My venture into the bath and body world started six years ago after visiting a well-known bath and body store. I was looking for a bath product that'll keep my skin moisturized after bathing, and I found a remarkable number of items. I said to myself that this was now my go-to store to get my bath products. I was addicted and couldn't get enough, but soon after, I had a reality check. I started paying attention to the quality of these bath products and how much money I spent overall. So my friend suggests that we make our own. We looked up recipes and videos and discovered that we could find most of these products in the grocery store. After we purchased all of our ingredients, we made our very first batch of bath bombs. They weren't too bad, but they weren't the best either. Haha!

That following week I purchased more bath bomb ingredients from online suppliers and practiced on my "new craft" a little more. I was determined to get this right. After months of many failed batches and testing, I finally got the bath bomb recipe I was hoping for. Shortly after, I became confident enough to keep going and keep growing. Now I've expanded my brand with solid bubble bath bars, whipped sugar scrubs, soaps, shower gels, body creams, soy wax melts, the list goes on and on.

aurora bath bombs by butter me soft

Aurora bath bomb

How long have you been selling your products?
In 2015, I opened my second Etsy shop selling my bath products, where I also had a beaded jewelry shop named Nia B. & Sags. These started as a hobby for me, but making bath and body products quickly became an obsession. So in 2017, I closed my jewelry shop, took a leap of faith, and started Butter Me Soft LLC, as an official business.

What do you love most about making bath and body products?
I love that there is no limit to what I can create when combining different colors, fragrances, ingredients, and shaping them into something no one would expect. Every product that I make comes from happiness, so why not share that happiness with others? The heartfelt messages I receive from my customers on how my products helped them get through a rough day pushes me to move forward. There wouldn't be a Butter Me Soft without the support of my customers.

scrubs by butter me soft

Whipped sugar scrubs

What inspires you to create?
I love anything full of magic and supernatural phenomena. I'm a kid at heart, and bringing those things into my bath routine helps me escape from the world a little.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
Take the time and do your research on each ingredient, how they work, the usage rate, test your products, and regulations if you're making plans to sell. There are many tutorials and recipes online to guide you. Don't be intimidated if you don't get it the first time. Keep moving forward, and remember you got this!

Do you have any tips for getting the perfect bath bomb texture, especially when working with larger batches?
Before starting your bath bomb process, check the humidity in your area. Humidity plays a huge part in bath bomb making. Knowing how much moisture is in the air will let you know what ingredients you should use less or more of before making a huge batch. Make sure to sift all of your dry ingredients (except the citric acid) into a large bowl before adding your wet ingredients. Slowly add your wet mix into your dry mixture. I like to add my citric acid last to avoid premature activation. Once you add your citric acid to your mix, you must work at a quick and steady pace. Depending on your mold, lightly pack until your mold is evenly full and smooth off the excess. Lightly tap the edges of your mold, and your bath bomb should release.

bath bomb by butter me soft

Butter Me Soft bath bombs

Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
Many come to mind, but there is one amazing woman that I admire, Lushious Natural Body Care. I love how natural, sleek, and luxurious her products are. Whenever you think of self-care, think of her.

Have you experienced a fail? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I've experienced so many failed batches in the beginning stages of Butter Me Soft. It took months for me to get my recipe to work and perform how I wanted it. Bath bombs are one of the trickiest bath products that I've encountered still to this day. All it takes is one miscalculation for me, and the entire batch is ruined. After seeing how much money was being wasted, I started making small batches to test the stability, fragrance, and performance in the tub. If there's something I wanted to change, I could comfortably do that without breaking the bank. I learned that with patience and dedication, you would get the results you're searching for.

butter me soft haul

Bath product haul

What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
In the future, I would love to have a mobile bath and body shop I can take on the road. I've always seen myself having a storefront, but with the emotional and financial toll this year has taken on so many small businesses, I'm blessed to be in a position to send self-care packages right to my customer's door. Hopefully, I can bring my mobile bath shop to life soon.

Markita's top Bramble Berry picks

  • Snowflake Sparkle Mica - A must-have when ordering from Bramble Berry. This mica adds the perfect amount of shimmer to my bath bombs.
  • Vanilla Oak Fragrance Oil - This fragrance is very versatile. Depending on which fragrances or essential oils you blend with, it could be suitable for anyone to enjoy.
  • Colloidal oatmeal - I LOVE adding this ingredient to my lotions, bath bombs, and milk baths. My skin cannot live without this one.
  • Palm oil - I love how firm and long-lasting this oil makes my hot process soaps. With Bramble Berry being part of the RSPO, this is the only palm oil I will continue to purchase.

What’s the first Bramble Berry project you tried?
I tried the DIY Sugar Scrub Cubes, and they were perfect for one-time use in the shower. They sold so well, and I would love to bring these back next summer.

caramel popcorn wax melts by butter me soft

Caramel popcorn wax melts

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We're constantly inspired by the DIY bath and body community, so we'll be highlighting a different business owner or hobbyist each month. If you want a chance to be featured, share your photos with #BrambleOn!

 

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