Laura Hubner-Diaz is a full-time mom and geophysicist by day, and soapmaker by night! She takes inspiration from celestial bodies, especially the moon and stars. She describes herself as an eternal optimist and an extrovert. The name Three of Cups is inspired by the tarot card of the same name, which symbolizes happiness and fulfillment. This fulfillment is why she started her business. Meet Laura!
How long have you been making soap and bath products, and how did you get started? How long have you been selling your products?
I started making lotion bars for my family in 2019 as a way to remove plastic waste from our household. I had tried one from a major brand and I found I really didn't like it and I thought, Hey! I wonder if I could make these better myself. Sure enough, I was soon making lotion bars for my whole family. It wasn't until the fall of 2019 that I tried making soap and I immediately fell in love. I loved how many different ways there were to make soap, with designs, scents, ingredients and techniques, I was quickly obsessed. Soap making quickly became my weekly ritual for stress relief. With making so much soap I soon found all of my closets full so I first opened my online shop on February 15th 2020.
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
I think what I love most about making bath and body products is getting to experiment with different ingredients, colors, scents and designs. Partner that with the little bit of joy that using a pretty product that you know is packed with healthy ingredients and a lot of love and I just can't resist!
What inspires you to create?
My favorite type of soap to make are landscape soaps, so most of my designs are in inspired by nature and natural landscapes. In my day job I'm a geologist and I've always loved mountains and moons so you'll definitely see a lot of those in my soaps designs, but sometimes I make them a bit more abstract or whimsical depending on my mood.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
Don't give up! Soap making can be tricky and not all designs turn out as you see them in your head but in the end, it's still fabulous soap. When making new products or using new ingredients always do small batches so you can test the results.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
Oh, there are so many other makers out there that I admire! The soap community is all so incredibly skilled and kind. Amber of @am_happy_soap is an amazing soap maker and she does darling soap tops look that look so soothing. Nathan of @clover.soapworks is an amazing soap swirler, I swear he can do anything with a swirl.
Have you experienced a failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I have had so many failures. Soapmaking will keep you humble. I think my biggest mistake was making 4 loafs of soap and realizing at the end they were all lye heavy because I had forgotten to add an oil to the mix. Right after this I learned to master batch my oils so I wouldn't forget an oil again and it was a huge game changer for me, saves me so much time and I'm no longer worried about forgetting an ingredient.
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
For 2023 I'm planning on returning to my roots on why I started my business, the joy of making soap! I would like to start making tutorials for how I make some of my designs so I can share the love of soap making with others.
What are your 4 must-have Bramble Berry products? Why are they your favorite?
Orange 10X Essential Oil - I love the juicy orange scent of this oil. It holds up fantastically in cold process soap and is definitely a crowd favorite.
Gold Sparkle Mica - This is my favorite gold color that I've found yet. It makes amazing mica lines and mica swirl tops.
Black Amber And Lavender Fragrance Oil - I absolutely love this scent, it's a deep and complex twist on regular lavender and I just keep coming back to sniff it all the time.
Cactus Flower Fragrance Oil - An all time favorite for me, it makes an amazing bath fizzy.
What’s your favorite Bramble Berry project/What’s the first project you tried?
I think my favorite project I did was the Cactus Flower Soap Project. It was so fun and one of the first times I ever used soap embeds. It was also the soap that introduced me to the fragrance oil. The scent is so juicy, cool and clean.
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