Maker of the Month: Solid Soaps
After several years of making soap for friends and family, Emlyn left her career as a nurse and started Solid Soaps in 2018. Crafted with simplicity in mind, Emlyn’s cold process soaps and candles focus on natural ingredients. Meet Emlyn!
How long have you been
making soap, and what led you to start your own business?
I made my first soap in 2013 – it was melt & pour soap,
and I gifted soaps for the holidays.
My husband and I started making
soaps for our home around 2015. We would make a loaf, keep a few bars, and give the
rest to friends and family. Enough people said that our soap is awesome, it smells
good and does not dry their skin, and they thought others might want to buy this
soap.
I started Solid Soaps because I was curious
if I can start a small business. In April 2018, I got my LLC and started selling
soap on Etsy by May 2018 before Mother’s Day. My purpose evolved to
providing practical and consumable gifts that you can give to others. Everyone needs
to wash their hands, and Solid Soaps helps transform a mundane task into a luxurious
ritual.
Where do
you find inspiration?
I will sometimes get asked to
make a custom soap for a holiday, gathering, or season. I research colors, scents,
and symbols related to the topic, then go from there.For example, 2024 Lunar New
Year is year of the dragon. I found dragon molds, used red and yelllow colorants,
and an earthy, incense-like fragrance and made festive soaps for markets and custom
orders.
I’ve made soap for a local plant
shop for their subscription boxes, too. I made a light green and pink soap (their
shop colors) colored with spinach powder and pink kaolin clay, succulent embeds on
top, and scented it with eucalyptus and peppermint essential oil. We love a soap
with a good theme!
What is
your favorite part of the creative process?
I enjoy
doing custom orders because I get to design a soap based on a client’s
requests. I’m creating a soap that’s meaningful and special for
my client.
In the actual physical process of soap making, I really
love texturing the soap tops. It’s like playing with soft ice cream or
pudding!
What has been your biggest
challenge to navigate as a small business owner?
Finding the time for everything, personal life and business life, has been
a real challenge. It’s hard to “turn off” my business
brain and set boundaries with work hours.
May is
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! Can you tell us a bit
about what this month means to you as a Filipino small business
owner?
I’m honored to be a Filipino artisan
soap maker, specifically because it’s outside of the traditional
occupation norm. I was a nurse for 14 years, and I gave up my medical career to be
an artisan and start a small business. I almost feel like a pioneer in this artisan
space, and I’m happy to share my story. Hopefully it inspires others.
I’ve met so many AAPI-owned entrepreneurs in my community, and
I’ve recently learned there are a lot of Filipino artists around me!
That’s been the most inspiring thing of
all.
What advice would you give
to makers looking to start their own business from home?
Seek help! Don’t reinvent the wheel or go at it alone.There are
so many resources for entrepreneurs online and in your community; you just have to
look. My soap maker community on Instagram has been so helpful, and it’s
nice to “talk soap” with others who understand the craft. The
small business community in Austin is very strong and supportive of one
another.
How do you
balance making with content creation, managing your social media pages, and
website?
I try to devote one or two days for
production (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays), and this includes making soap and all
the other physical tasks related. Wednesdays are usually my day to drop off soaps to
my local brick and mortar shops, the post office, or other errands outside of my
studio.
Mondays and Fridays are for administrative
work, such as answering emails, updating my website, or scheduling phone or video
meetings.
I try to be present daily on my Instagram
through stories because this is my main form of customer engagement and social media
presence. Right now I only have energy for one email newsletter a month, and I
usually send this out before any markets or workshops coming up. I’m able
to push my Instagram posts to Facebook, and this makes my life a little easier. I am
not on TikTok by choice; I decided early on that I should limit my time and energy
to one main social media outlet (Instagram).
What other
makers do you admire, and what do you like about their work?
Amber of Am Happy
Soap is one of my first soap making friends, and I love her fun soap
videos and cool color combos. Her soaps just exude happiness. She’s also
the nicest person, and we’ve met in person to chat about soap-related
things.
Lavanya of Vaanya Soap Co is
another inspiring business. I enjoy watching her content on Instagram, her journey
as a soap maker, and I really love her
packaging.
What are your dreams for Solid
Soaps? Where would you like to see your business in 5 or 10
years?
I feel like I’m living the dream
now! I enjoy growing my business organically, at my own pace, learning new things,
meeting new people through markets, and networking with other small businesses. I am
able to spend more time with my family and friends and set my own schedule. After
working in the medical field for 14 years, this was a breath of fresh air.
It’s definitely a luxury to be able to have a leisurely lunch.
In 5 years I hope to be teaching regularly scheduled soap
making workshops, more wholesale, more custom orders, and less in-person markets.
Maybe my kids will be more involved with Solid Soaps. In 10 years, I hope that I
love soap making just as much as I do
now.
What are three of your must-have
Bramble Berry products?
Tobacco and Bay Leaf Fragrance
Oil is hands down the best fragrance. It’s masculine and
complex, and it’s my best selling soap. I renamed it to change it up, but
my long-time customers know the original name.
Rose Gold Fragrance
Oil is my other best selling soap, and I renamed it to keep things
different. I feel like this fragrance is the perfect balance of feminine and floral
without being overly rose scented.
Espresso Fragrance Oil is
like indulging in a sweet cafe latte. I add finely ground coffee for my Espresso
Yourself Coffee Scrub soap, and my coffee lovers really love it.
12
Bar Round Silicone Mold is a great size and has the right amount
of sturdiness and flexibility to pour and unmold soaps. I’ve used them for
cold process, melt and pour, and lotion bars.
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