Chartel from GOLD+WATER CO.®. started making bath and body products as a way to practice affordable self care. Today, GOLD+WATER CO.® is a wellness advocacy brand providing handcrafted, small batch products that facilitate consistent self care. They support anti-abuse organizations as well as organizations addressing mental health and hygiene needs. They’re also dedicated to excellence in customer service and customer engagement.
How long have you been making bath products, and how did you get started?
I have been consistently making bath products for about four years, but I have long enjoyed being able to casually blend oils and butters to create hair styling and cleansing products for personal use. My initial interest was piqued by watching videos of other Black women who were making products to care for their hair in its natural state.
I grew interested in creating bath and body products and eventually making soaps during and following a particularly painful time in my life. While watching motivational videos online and trying to come to terms with the difficulties I was facing, I came across a tutorial from Katie Carson of Royalty Soaps. After seeing some of her cheerful videos, I immediately started to research the techniques and materials needed for the items I wanted to make and for soap making.
It took a few months to gather the necessary supplies before I was able to get started, but I haven’t looked back since that time.
How long have you been selling your products?
I started GOLD+WATER CO.® in 2019 (well, it had a different name at the very start and then I changed it). When I first started making products, I would give them to family and friends or take them to my musical performances and leave samples for the members of the band to use throughout the night. They would then give me feedback when the event was over.
Once I began to sell the products (I also worked as a music teacher at that time), I could be seen shuffling from one part of the school building to the next on my lunch break with two little black baskets, delivering products or asking my co-workers to review fragrances.
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
I’m a singer in terms of my educational background and longer-term career, so I have always exercised and understood creativity through music. Making bath and body products, designing labels, creating packaging, and deciding on presentation amongst other things has allowed for further artistic expression.
Soap making in particular presents the opportunity for endless creativity in terms of shapes, colors, designs, and fragrance combinations, which is akin to visual art. I have also thoroughly enjoyed the people that my business has allowed me to meet and connect with.
What inspires you to create?
I am motivated to create by the thought that someone will use GOLD+WATER CO.® products and experience a moment of respite and care regardless of their whereabouts or life's circumstances. When I have endured challenging moments in life, I have used bath and body products as grounding elements in reclaiming my peace and establishing a sense of routine. It is inspiring to think that someone else might encounter the same feeling.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
I think that sometimes we defer our own dreams and ideas longer than necessary because we fear rejection or are waiting on perfection - the perfect time to start; the perfect budget; the perfect packaging; the perfect team; the perfect audience. I would encourage someone who wants to get started to just start. Take the time to learn the foundational skills, rather than copy what can be seen from others so that you can make quality, informed decisions.
Maybe you'll want to run a business, and maybe you'll choose to simply enjoy being creative without any pressure. Maybe you'll come up with a winning formulation on the first try and maybe it will take several iterations of a product before it is ready to sell. You can't fully know what you want or what the results will be until you give yourself the opportunity by starting and then being responsible for your learning and growth along the way.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
It is very important, personally, that I tell people how I feel about them directly and regularly. While I won't get to acknowledge everyone that inspires or encourages me, I want to mention how much I admire Michelle of Tobi Quinn. She offers candle and fragrance work that is decadent and sophisticated. Her product presentation is elegant and meticulous.
I admire Melissa of Vellum Street Soap Company for her incredible work ethic, clever and thoughtful branding, and for the resourcefulness demonstrated in her entire line of products. Both of these makers have been supportive and kind and I am forever grateful.
Have you experienced failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I don't have rigid expectations for myself or for GOLD+WATER CO.® I have decided that there are things in life and along this business journey that I will do again, things that I absolutely won't do again, and things that I will do differently if I have the opportunity. Thinking of things that don't go to plan as "failure" feels irreconcilable and permanent to me. I try my best to frame things that don't work out in the way that I initially thought they would as opportunities to be flexible, creative, and to grow. What plans do you have for your business moving forward? I am particularly excited to launch a subscription service. In addition, I have plans to continue to build and deepen community with our customers, whom I reference as "Golden Friends." Connecting with our customers is easily the most rewarding aspect of this business.
What are your 4 must-have Bramble Berry products? Why are they your favorite?
I love the essential oils at Bramble Berry! The Lavender and Eucalyptus Oils are favorites, particularly because the quality, and therefore potency, is unmatched. The Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil is my not-so-secret favorite component for use in my most popular products, ranging from body butter to room sprays. The Eucalyptus Essential Oil requires just a small amount in my salt soaks for maximum impact on the senses. I like the Candelilla Wax as an alternative for Beeswax and for the bit of shine it adds to finished products. I also love the White Soap Boxes, which I have faithfully used for a variety of finished soap products from the start of my business.
What’s your favorite Bramble Berry project/What’s the first project you tried?
The first time I ever made soap, I was extremely ambitious and attempted two Bramble Berry projects at one time : the charcoal soap project and rose clay soap project. Unfortunately, my results were not anywhere near as lovely as either of those projects (think poorly mixed additives and pockets of crumbly powder in the middle of soap bars). I reattempted each separately and carefully and was pleased enough with the next batches that I have been making soap ever since.
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