Maker of the Month: Red Hill NH

After decades of community-based work, we found ourselves craving a creative outlet during the pandemic. Cold process soapmaking unexpectedly became that outlet—and sparked a joy that can take any day from frumpy to fabulous!

Way back in the 1980s Fancy developed psoriasis and started making her own personal skincare. Coincidentally, she was working in dermatology at the time, which gave her a foundation in ingredients and formulation. Along with her background in natural medicine and herbalism, making tinctures, infusions and skincare have always been part of our self-care.

Our products are tested on vegans, not animals. (We say this while laughing, but it’s true.) We specialize in vegan bespoke soap designs that blur the line between functional skincare and giftable art.

Our designs are released in limited batches, with new collections launching throughout the year. Our quarterly SOAPscription gives customers the choice of picking their own four soaps or letting us surprise them with a curated collection delivered right to their door.

We also believe that beautiful things can do beautiful things in the world, so 100% of profits are donated to causes that matter to us.

Nature is our greatest collaborator. Red Hill is a mountain of New Hampshire, so hiking, lake life, wildflowers, changing seasons, rocks, trees and all the glorious colors of the natural world constantly find their way into our designs.

Design! A sketchpad and colored pencils go everywhere with us. I love that moment when an idea moves from a little spark in my head to a drawing, then into a mold, and eventually becomes an actual bar of soap.

There is something wonderfully satisfying about turning inspiration into something tangible—that then brings a smile to someone else.

Finding balance between the introverted artistic creation process and the very extroverted aspects of selling. As a small maker, you're the artist, chemist, photographer, copywriter, social media manager, salesperson, packer and customer service department—all while trying to protect the creative space that made you want to do this in the first place. Learning when to step back has been just as important as learning when to push forward.

Protect your joy. If you're tenderhearted, putting yourself—and something you've lovingly crafted—out into the world can be surprisingly vulnerable. Toxic bots, copycats, difficult comments and rained-out craft fairs can make it very easy to question yourself.

Don't let the noise drown out the reason you started. Every Sunday I share a “Slow Down Sunday” reel (@redhillnh) for us sensitive folk, where we
take an exhale together. It's a little reminder to not absorb the negativity and release the pressures we put on ourselves.

Replenish yourself. Take a step back when you need to. And protect what is precious—including yourself.

Also, learn to laugh. Soapmaking is wonderfully imperfect, and some of the best learning moments start with, “Oops.”

Our motto is “Use the fancy soap- you’re worth it” and we encourage radical selfcare. We didn’t want to create a business that requires us to do the exact opposite, so we balance our hobby and social media accordingly. If we miss a post, the algorithm will survive. We will too.

Clover Soapworks was actually the first handcrafted soap we purchased, so Nathan has a special place in our maker story. As fellow LGBTQ+ makers, we especially appreciate his visibility and a similar commitment to community.

We also love being part of the larger maker community. There is so much generosity among makers —people sharing ideas, cheering each other on and commiserating over a batch that did something completely unexpected. Our soaps are built on whimsy and that requires innovative tools like extruders and impression mats-one of our favorite tool makers is Megan at Jamley Lane Soaps. The spirit of creativity and collaboration is one of the things we love most.

We are living our dreams. We want to continue finding joy in the creative process, make beautiful and useful things, connect with our customers and help with their skincare challenges while helping nurture people from the outside in.

White Tea & Ginger Fragrance Oil — It's a light but distinctive scent that seems to make everyone happy, and it soaps beautifully. A true workhorse in our collection.

Hyaluronic Serum Base — We love this soothing base and customize it with additional extracts to create our own skincare formulations focused on supporting healthy, well-loved skin.

Rainbow Mica Sampler — We are known for colorful, rainbow-inspired designs, so this sampler is a perfect pairing with us. A rainbow of possibilities in one little package? Yes, please!