Soap making is more than just a business for Rachel with SOAPothecary. After becoming a stay-at-home mom, her depression and anxiety got worse - she needed something that she could enjoy on her own. Rachel started watching Soap Queen TV and decided to give it a chance. Now, she is happy making beautiful and intricate cold process bars. Get to know Rachel below!
How long have you been making bath and body products, and how did you get started? How long have you been selling your products?
So a little backstory: I’ve battled depression and anxiety for the better part of my life, which was exacerbated after having my beautiful children and becoming a stay-at-home mom. As deeply as I love them, I was in desperate need of a hobby or something I could enjoy doing for myself. I also struggled with adult acne for years and was looking for simpler, gentler, and more effective alternatives in my skincare regimen. Soap Queen TV was my first introduction to soap making and I’ve probably seen every episode. Related side note: can you all bring back the original intro music to Bramble Berry’s videos?! ;)
I have to give credit to Anne-Marie, as she is who really laid the foundation of my soap making knowledge. It’s been 3.5 years since I started making soap and coincidentally, my business celebrated its first birthday on July 1st!
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
I love most everything about the process (except the dreadful dishes and cleanup of course)! 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!
What inspires you to create?
Artistically, the monthly soap making challenges with the Soap Challenge Club have been a huge source of inspiration for me. Each month, we focus on learning and mastering different design techniques. I feel my overall soap design skills have dramatically improved in the year I’ve been participating in the challenges. I love being able to apply the new skills I acquire from the challenges to my own unique designs.
Generally, on the other hand, inspiration comes from the demand of my customer base. This demand inspires me to research and learn how to make new products to add to my line! It absolutely fills my cup when people express how much they enjoy and even rely on using my products. So ultimately, that’s what inspires me the most to keep making products my customers will continue to love.
Your soap designs are so intricate and creative! What's your favorite technique at the moment?
Thank you so much! Gosh, this is a super hard question to answer as I love so many!!! I would say it’s a tie between the wood grain technique and the Taiwan swirl technique. I’ve been working on both off and on for months and I can’t get enough of either of them!
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
Whether it’s diving into the world of soap making or starting a business, just get started!!! There’s no better time than right now. Try not to fester on everything being perfect because perfection is a progress killer. Acquiring new skills and starting a business is a journey. You’ll make mistakes, learn a ton, and figure things out as you go. There’s also no one-size-fits-all approach to soap making or running a business. What works for one maker may not work for another. When you find a method that consistently works for you, stick with it.
Another piece of advice is to not compare yourself or your work. Social media is filled with talented makers and it’s wonderful to draw inspiration from them, but try not to compare yourself. Focus on your love for what you do and don’t allow feelings of inferiority or unworthiness to hold you back. I say this because it’s a struggle I continue to work through.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
Christina with Luna and the Leaf in Austin, TX makes the dreamiest soap tops that you wouldn’t believe and has perfected the hanger swirl like it’s nobody’s business. She not only makes beautiful products, they’re absolutely amazing to use. I’ve purchased products from her store on multiple occasions, and they are my favorite outside of my own. Her soaps are creamy, bubbly, and incredible. Christina is also one of the hardest working soap makers I know. She is not only an incredible maker, she’s also one of the sweetest people and has become a very dear friend of mine.
Have you experienced failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
Oh, absolutely! Whether it involves physically making a product or running a business, experimentation and failure are essential to learning and growing. I had lots of failures earlier on and still experience them. For example, it’s never fun when I ruin an entire batch of soap or any other body product, but these are the moments that taught me the most. Over the years I’ve been making soap, I’ve learned that temperatures of oils and lye solution, fragrance oils, and stick blending, among other things, all have a major effect on a soap’s behavior. With my main recipe, I’ve learned that with certain fluid designs, I need to put the stick blender away entirely, hand whisk and patiently wait for the right trace. I’ve messed up quite a few batches of soap to learn these valuable insights through lots of trial and error. Don’t even get me started on the business fails. I’m still figuring things out in that regard.
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
I currently have what most would consider a hobby business. I’m enjoying making great products with artistic flair, but am finding that most of my time-consuming designs are going to be impossible to scale up in production as my business grows. I’m currently re-evaluating where I want to put my focus, and am in the midst of a possible shift in the direction I want my business to go. I’ll still do fun and intricate designs here and there, but they won’t be a focal point of my business. I’ve struggled with branding and learning who my target audience is, but now that I *think* I’ve figured that out, I’m actively strategizing how I can tap into that market and what that’ll mean for my business moving forward. I have imminent plans to focus on wholesale business as well as growing my e-commerce business in the near future.
Rachel's top Bramble Berry picks
As a self-proclaimed Bramble Berry fanatic, it’s insanely hard to narrow down to just four since so many products are worthy of being acknowledged, but I’d say my top four must-haves are:
- Apple Sage Fragrance Oil - It performs perfectly every single time, allowing for a slow-moving soap batter and the best swirls - and it smells absolutely amazing.
- Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil - The best lavender EO that I use in both soaps and lotions.
- Yellow mica - My day one yellow mica. I’ve been using it for years.
- Agave extract - It’s in all of my lotions and it contributes to a silky and amazingly moisturizing feel.
What’s the first Bramble Berry project you tried?
Earlier on in my journey, I really enjoyed Bramble Berry’s projects because they made things so fun and easy as I was learning about ingredients and how to work with them! I adored the Valentine’s Day Heart Lotion Bars project! I made those for friends and family one year and they were such a hit. My first project though was the Charcoal Facial Soap Kit. Fun fact: I sell this soap in my store to this day and it’s an absolute staple in my line of products!
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