Introducing our Maker of the Month series! We're constantly inspired by the DIY bath and body community, so we want to showcase their talent here. We'll be featuring a different business owner or hobbyist each month. Learn more about how they got started creating, what inspires their work, and their advice for fellow makers. If you want a chance to be featured, share your photos with #BrambleOn!
Gabby with Herbs & Soil Apothecary has been making DIY bath and body products for years. When a close family member was diagnosed with cancer, she started researching natural ingredients and what they can do for the skin. She now sells beautiful scrubs, bath salts, masks, soap, and more made with botanicals and essential oils. Get to know Gabby below!
How long have you been making DIY bath and body products, and how did you get started? How long have you been selling your products?
I have been creating and making DIY projects for years, but I just started to sell my creations over the last few years. I have always enjoyed making sugar scrubs, bath salts, facial masks, and various bath products for everyone in my family. Recently, when a close family member was treated for cancer, I started to research more about natural ingredients and their benefits. That is when Herbs & Soil Apothecary was launched, and I haven’t looked back since.
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
I’m always thinking of new ideas and like to mix it up a bit. My favorite thing about making skincare products is that it allows me to be creative daily. I have a wide product range because I enjoy using different techniques, working with different ingredients, and experimenting with essential oil combinations.
Why do you love using botanicals in your products? What's your favorite at the moment?
I have always had a deep connection with nature, and over the last few years I’ve been studying herbal medicine and how to forage. Learning about medicinal benefits that come in something so simple as a plant is fascinating to me. Once I realized I could put these lessons into my business, I went crazy and created multiple concoctions of herbal infusions. Picking just one botanical as a favorite is hard for me, but if I had to choose it would be calendula.
What inspires you to create?
Colors from nature are always changing and I find that is the biggest source for my inspiration. When I see colors that catch my eye, I will make a mental note and come back to it later to create a soap or a scrub that’s influenced by that color. Seeing the textures and shapes of the trees, leaves, and petals on the flowers inspire me to come up with new color combinations, soap tops, patterns, and blending of scents.
Cold process soap topped with botanicals
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
Rough Cut Soap Co. inspires me all the time! I love her style and color combinations, and her soap toppings are beautiful.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
It’s a scary step putting yourself out there and deciding to run your own business, but if it’s something you are passionate about then go for it. Jump in, work hard, and experience the journey because once you do, it’s amazing!
Have you experienced a fail? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I have gone through a few fails. I forgot to add the essential oils to a freshly-poured salve and had to redo the entire batch. Lesson learned is to pay attention to what I’m doing. I also remember making a cold process soap and had it expand and overflow like lava off the sides. Another lesson learned is to stick to the recipe and follow it very closely.
In my opinion, mistakes are something that you should learn from, it doesn’t mean it was a failure. It just means that I needed to slow down, stay organized, and take my time.
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
I am proud of everything I have accomplished so far in building Herbs & Soil Apothecary. Turning my passion into full-time employment is one of my biggest achievements. It hasn’t been an easy road and I’m still feeling the bumps along the way, but it’s so worth it.
What’s your favorite Bramble Berry project?
The Rose Clay and Charcoal Soap Project is still to this day one of my favorite projects from Bramble Berry. I love the rustic appearance of this bar when it is cut, from the layers of activated charcoal. Rose clay is one of my favorite ingredients to add in so many skincare products, and that color you get just from the clay is gorgeous.
Gabby's top Bramble Berry picks
- Lavender Mica - The color is BEAUTIFUL in whatever I make with it!
- Greenhouse Fragrance Oil - I cannot get enough of this scent.
- Cornflower petals - I love the color and they always arrive in perfect condition.
- Orange peel powder - I add this to one of our most popular soaps and it gives it such a creamy color, reminds me of sweet sunshine!
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