Emily from Dear Botanicals was just taking a break from her career as a television producer, and she stumbled on soap making. Now she’s growing her own soap making business, finding inspiration in her own Taiwanese heritage. Meet Emily!
How long have you been making soap, and how did you get started?
I’ve been a creative my whole life, and was slightly devastated when I decided to take a break from my career as a TV producer. It was 2018, I had just had two kids, and was really missing my job. One night, like so many others before me, I stumbled upon all the Soap Queen soap making tutorials, and I was completely mesmerized. I ordered my first kit from Bramble Berry, and have been making soap ever since. So it was a real full circle moment when you reached out about featuring me here!
How long have you been selling your products?
I started Dear Botanicals almost three years ago, after two years of research, practice, and formulating.
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
There is something just so satisfying about creating a tangible object that is both beautiful and inherently useful. I love the hands-on, methodical process of soap making – it forces me to slow down in an almost meditative way.
What inspires you to create?
I’m really inspired by my family and my cultural heritage. My parents are from Taiwan, and live in the Pacific Northwest where I grew up, so perhaps it’s my way of connecting with them – and connecting different aspects of my identity. When I’m formulating, I’m constantly diving into my childhood memories, interrogating my family about different Taiwanese ingredients and traditions, and finding the exact combination of scents to evoke the very specific feeling I’m aiming for. I want to celebrate and elevate my heritage in the work that I do, and I hope that comes through!
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
On the soap making side: do your research, and keep it simple at the beginning. It’s so tempting to try everything all at once (all the additives, all the designs, all the different scent combinations – ask me how I know!) but you’ll learn so much by taking the time to master one technique or tweak one element at a time. When it comes to soapmaking as a business, I would say to focus on your own work and try not to worry too much about what everybody else is doing.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
I can’t stop watching Ariane Arsenault at La Fille De La Mer – not only is she a master soap maker (and fellow Canadian!), but her videos are also so soothing. Sometimes I’ll just put them on at night if I need to relax. Her soaps are beautiful and so authentic to where she lives and who she is. She is also incredibly generous and kind to other makers, and I’ve learned a lot from watching her at work.
Have you experienced a failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
Oh, there have been many failures. Soap making is a science, but most of us aren’t working in a controlled lab environment, so a lot can go wrong. Most of the time, when I have a failed batch, it’s because I tried to change more than one variable at once. Maybe I wanted to try a new essential oil blend, but I also changed the temperature of my soap batter. Sometimes it works out, but when it doesn’t, you won’t really know if it was the new essential oil or the temperature. So I’ve learned to keep a detailed log every time I make something, and to experiment with one thing at a time.
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
I hope to grow my business sustainably, and as organically as possible. My short-term plans are to attend more markets this year, and create a presence in my local community. The pandemic really did a number on me, and I want to meet more people and get more soap in their hands – in person!
What are your 4 must-have Bramble Berry products? Why are they your favorite?
Orange 10X Essential Oil – This is the best orange essential oil out there. It smells incredible, and really sticks in cold process soap. It’s a staple of mine, and I love it on its own and blended with lavender.
Rose Clay – Rose clay is one of my favorite natural additives. It is super gentle and you can create a wide range of pinks in your soap, from the palest blush to the deepest rose color. It’s really versatile and a great way to add a little color to your soap.
Coffee Seed Oil – If you want a true coffee scent, this is it. It really lasts in cold process soap, and is so much like the real thing you could drink it (but please don’t!).
Sodium Hydroxide Lye – I love that Bramble Berry’s sodium hydroxide comes in flake form. That makes it really easy to measure out without spilling - great for beginners or anyone intimidated by working with lye.
What’s your favorite Bramble Berry project/What’s the first project you tried?
The first project I tried was the Natural Soap Kit for Beginners - Relaxing Lavender. It has everything you need to start making soap for the first time – in fact, I still use quite a few of the tools it came with!
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