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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Find Butter Me Soft
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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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