Maker of the Month: Soaps by Lyss
Alyssa's journey began with handmade soap favors for her own wedding, a project that quickly turned into a full blown passion. After years of making gifts for family and friends on the side, Alyssa left her job teaching elementary school to run Soaps by Lyss full time. Six years later, she is home with her two kids and has grown her line to include solid dish soap, body butters, shampoo and conditioner bars, and more. Her story is proof that a little wedding DIY can turn into a thriving handmade business. Meet Alyssa of Soaps by Lyss!
How long have you been making bath & body products, and what led you to start your own business?
This is my sixth year making bath and body products! It all started when I decided to make soaps for the guest favors at my wedding. I had so much fun making them that I decided to make more through the holidays for family and friends and absolutely fell in love with the craft! I had been teaching elementary school at the time and now I get to stay home with my two kiddos and do this full time. I’ve now been able to widen my product line now to include solid dish soap, body butters, shampoo & conditioner bars and more!Insert your text here
This is my sixth year making bath and body products! It all started when I decided to make soaps for the guest favors at my wedding. I had so much fun making them that I decided to make more through the holidays for family and friends and absolutely fell in love with the craft! I had been teaching elementary school at the time and now I get to stay home with my two kiddos and do this full time. I’ve now been able to widen my product line now to include solid dish soap, body butters, shampoo & conditioner bars and more!Insert your text here
What sets your products apart, what makes them unique?
Having my daughter four years ago really sent me on a dive deep into the ingredients in everything we were putting near her. She and my son both ended up having very sensitive skin and would react quickly to things I had thought were “gentle” or “sensitive” based on their labels. All of our products are made with organic oils & butters and high quality, phthalate & paraben-free fragrances or pure essential oils. We keep our ingredient list small and try our best to stay as affordable as possible. It’s hard to find quality, trustworthy companies nowadays for your home, body & hair products. And I feel so honored that people trust us with the things they put on their loved ones and their own bodies.
Having my daughter four years ago really sent me on a dive deep into the ingredients in everything we were putting near her. She and my son both ended up having very sensitive skin and would react quickly to things I had thought were “gentle” or “sensitive” based on their labels. All of our products are made with organic oils & butters and high quality, phthalate & paraben-free fragrances or pure essential oils. We keep our ingredient list small and try our best to stay as affordable as possible. It’s hard to find quality, trustworthy companies nowadays for your home, body & hair products. And I feel so honored that people trust us with the things they put on their loved ones and their own bodies.
Where do you find inspiration?
I get sooooo excited when it comes time to plan a new line or collection. My Pinterest boards & saved posts are OVERFLOWING with ideas, future seasonal themes, and products I’d love to make someday. The maker community on social media is such an incredible group to be a part of. Everyone is so supportive, kind and helpful. I LOVE (and am so constantly inspired) seeing all the creative things they are always coming up with!
I get sooooo excited when it comes time to plan a new line or collection. My Pinterest boards & saved posts are OVERFLOWING with ideas, future seasonal themes, and products I’d love to make someday. The maker community on social media is such an incredible group to be a part of. Everyone is so supportive, kind and helpful. I LOVE (and am so constantly inspired) seeing all the creative things they are always coming up with!
What is your favorite part of the creative process?
My favorite part of the creative process is getting to sit down and plan out the scents & design for an upcoming line/collection of products! Planning the scent blends, the colors to use, matching each bar to a special theme or name, designing the labels, etc.-It’s the coolest thing ever watching it all slowly come together and your vision coming to life!
My favorite part of the creative process is getting to sit down and plan out the scents & design for an upcoming line/collection of products! Planning the scent blends, the colors to use, matching each bar to a special theme or name, designing the labels, etc.-It’s the coolest thing ever watching it all slowly come together and your vision coming to life!
What has been your biggest challenge to navigate as a small business owner?
The biggest challenge that I face as a small business owner is figuring out how to juggle alllllllll the hats by myself. The planning, making, designing, marketing, packing orders, DISHES lol, etc. while also being home with two littles can lead to overwhelm a lot. I’m getting better at knowing when I’m taking on too much and learning to be okay with turning things down once in a while (no matter how hard it is to say no to opportunities sometimes, lol).
The biggest challenge that I face as a small business owner is figuring out how to juggle alllllllll the hats by myself. The planning, making, designing, marketing, packing orders, DISHES lol, etc. while also being home with two littles can lead to overwhelm a lot. I’m getting better at knowing when I’m taking on too much and learning to be okay with turning things down once in a while (no matter how hard it is to say no to opportunities sometimes, lol).
What advice would you give to makers looking to start their own business from home?
My advice to new makers starting at home is to just do it! Do what you can and what you like and ALWAYS make sure you’re having fun! This can be whatever you make it-and make sure you make it your own.
My advice to new makers starting at home is to just do it! Do what you can and what you like and ALWAYS make sure you’re having fun! This can be whatever you make it-and make sure you make it your own.
How do you balance making with content creation, managing your social media pages, and website?
I try to always prioritize the making first (and keeping my website up to date), and THEN get to social media as often as I can. Soap has such a long cure time and planning out making times throughout the year has to be veryyyyyy strategic and thought out, haha. But social media has had a HUGE effect on my support/sales over the years and it can be a lot of fun, too!
I try to always prioritize the making first (and keeping my website up to date), and THEN get to social media as often as I can. Soap has such a long cure time and planning out making times throughout the year has to be veryyyyyy strategic and thought out, haha. But social media has had a HUGE effect on my support/sales over the years and it can be a lot of fun, too!
What other makers do you admire, and what do you like about their work?
There are SO many incredible makers that I admire, a few of them are Alicia at Pine Creek Soapworks, she is the kindest person and makes such a beautiful array of thoughtful, handcrafted products. Dani at Amber & Oak tells the most unique, beautiful stories with each candle that she makes. And Stoked Suds has such fun, outdoors-inspired soaps and they are always so supportive and kind!
There are SO many incredible makers that I admire, a few of them are Alicia at Pine Creek Soapworks, she is the kindest person and makes such a beautiful array of thoughtful, handcrafted products. Dani at Amber & Oak tells the most unique, beautiful stories with each candle that she makes. And Stoked Suds has such fun, outdoors-inspired soaps and they are always so supportive and kind!
What are your dreams for Soaps by Lyss? Where would you like to see your business in 5 or 10 years?
My dream for the next 5-10 years is to continue to grow this little business to include more and more products, to start offering monthly subscription options and to teach my kiddos the art/fun of making their own craft/products at home some day.
My dream for the next 5-10 years is to continue to grow this little business to include more and more products, to start offering monthly subscription options and to teach my kiddos the art/fun of making their own craft/products at home some day.
What are three of your must-have Bramble Berry products, and why do you love them?
My top three Brambleberry products are the Wildflower Honey fragrance oil (an all-time best seller for me over the years in all different products!), their Rice Bran Oil makes for the most luxurious hair products, and I have been loving the hyaluronic serum base in my skin care routine!
My top three Brambleberry products are the Wildflower Honey fragrance oil (an all-time best seller for me over the years in all different products!), their Rice Bran Oil makes for the most luxurious hair products, and I have been loving the hyaluronic serum base in my skin care routine!
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