Each year, we select makers from our community to showcase each month. The goal is to uplift the creators and small businesses that support us.
Meet our 2022 Makers below. Each interview includes information about how they got started in soap making, what inspires them, and their plans for the future.
January: Nath Soap Company
After a surgery left Nataly of Nath Soap Company with chronic hives, she found relief by changing her skincare routine and products. She’s been making her own skincare products for six years, and turned her own healthy change into a business. She displays her gorgeous products on the company’s Instagram page, where she has more than 39,000 followers!
“Making cold process soap has become a creative outlet for me. I love being able to be artistic and let my imagination run with all the different colors, additives, and ingredients.”
February: Cocoa Body Co.
Stephanie with Cocoa Body Co started making soap and bath products around 3 years ago as a way to manage her depression. She started selling on Etsy, and quickly grew into her own website in 2020. Her business philosophy is to sell products that she enjoys making to people who enjoy using them.
“My favorite thing about making products is formulating a recipe and then seeing it come to life. When you dream up a product and it turns out even better than you thought it would be, it's such a magical experience.”
March: Astrid and Aurora
Rachel was pregnant and on bed rest when she started making soap. She has always been artistic, but she found that soap making allowed her creativity to flourish in a new way. Now she sells luxury bath and body products at her store in Nashville.
“The process of concocting new formulas and combinations of aromas stimulated internal creativity. Creating something new and deciding what ingredients to use are definitely my favorite methods of discovery.”
April: The Little Flower Soap Co.
Holly with Little Flower Soap Co. heads out to her two acre flower farm when she needs inspiration. Between her green thumb and her husband’s background in chemistry, they create fresh and beautiful products that their customers love.
“I love working with my husband to create top notch recipes. His background in chemistry and biology make it possible for us to exceed our customers' expectations with how well our lip balms, body balms, and lotions work and smell.”
May: Goat to Bee Natural
Coby with Goat to Bee Natural discovered an unexpected passion for soap making after her children left home and she was looking for something to do with her time. She now sells bath bombs, beeswax candles, and soap. She hopes to bring business back to her local downtown area.
“I absolutely love the research behind making my various products, and the creative aspect of adding unique details to my products. But most of all, I love the feedback from my customers.”
June: Clover Soapworks
Nathan with Clover Soapworks initially learned to make old fashioned soap with lard from his mother, and got hooked. He’s now selling his own version of traditional soap with a modern twist. He displays his beautiful soap and bath bombs on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
“As a full-time accountant, I spend the majority of my day in front of a computer working on spreadsheets and numbers. Creating soap and bath and body products is my outlet; it allows me to express my creativity in ways that are not possible in my day job.”
July: SOAPothecary
When Rachel with SOAPothecary became a stay at home mom, she found her anxiety and depression worsening. To help manage it, she took up soap making. Now she makes beautiful cold process soap bars and sells them online.
“Making bath and body products, especially soap, allows me to express myself artistically and be infinitely creative. The best part is that the products are useful and serve a purpose in everyday life!”
August: Schendel Home Scents
Kátia from Schendel Home Scents moved here from Brazil, and decided to pursue a lifelong passion: fragrances. She’s fascinated with scent’s impact on memory and emotion, and she now makes elegant scented candles, reed diffusers, and wax melts.
“For me, a perfect day is the candle making day, where I put all my study into practice with a lot of love. I’m a restless person, and I always had difficulty following rules and processes, but I realized that in this world of scents, I can work with my creative side.”
September: Gold + Water Co.
Chartel from Gold + Water Co believes in handmade soap and bath products as a means to practice and provide affordable self care. You can see that self-care ethic in the luxurious look of her products and packaging.
“Making bath and body products, designing labels, creating packaging, and deciding on presentation amongst other things has allowed for further artistic expression.”
October: Bathroom Cult
The founder of Bathroom Cult turned a difficult time in their life around with soap craft. After just a few years, they started selling their products online and locally. They’re inspired by myth, legend, and horror films.
“... over the last year or so I’ve really fallen in love with the photography part of the process. I’ve spent a lot of time studying product photography and working to improve so I can best capture the spirit of my products in a photo.”
November: Goods Apothecary
Melissa is a farmer by nature, with a long lineage of farmers in her family. She’s dedicated to regenerative agriculture, and grows many of the herbs and botanicals used in her products. What she can’t grow, she makes sure to source from ethical sources.
“I love that I can be creative and explore topics that interest me through my work. I also like that I can control what ingredients I use.”
Keep tagging your photos with #BrambleOn for a chance to be featured next year!
