Jany did a lot of research before starting her soap making journey, and now she’s making some of the cutest soaps around. She blends her artistic passion and training into soap making to create some really beautiful and unique soap. Meet Jany!
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’ve been making soap since April 2022 and have been watching Brambleberry videos on Youtube since 2010, but was really afraid of working with lye. In 2022 I met a lovely soap maker who told me all about it! She started her own soap business during the pandemic. I immediately thought, “hmm maybe it’s my time and I can incorporate my artsy side into soap making and bring something different to the table!”, and so I did. Then in July 2022 after getting great feedback from family and friends about my recipe, I started selling my products.
What do you love most about making bath and body products?
Having multiple health issues including a heart condition has been really difficult for me. Between worrying about my health, being a mother, a wife and a small business owner at times it feels like a lot. Being able to express myself through soap making has been a blessing. When I’m creating I don’t think of anything else, it’s just me and the process. Being able to incorporate my art into my products is my favorite part! Soap making has also given me the opportunity to share my process with others through Youtube and inspire others in their journey. This and the reaction of people to my soaps keeps me motivated to push myself and never give up!
What Inspires you to create?
I’m an artist (painter and sculptor) and I get inspired by textures and colors! I love being creative and being able to bring what's on my mind to life.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to get started?
Do extensive research before starting! This will minimize confusion when buying supplies and will give you more confidence. I read lots of books and I watched countless of Brambleberry’s videos. I joined Facebook soap making groups and once I felt I was ready I purchased my supplies and got started.
Who’s another maker you admire? What do you love about their work?
I love Ellen Ruth Soap. She’s very knowledgeable and her Youtube videos are very fun and informative. I like that she explains the benefits of each ingredient and generously shares her recipes.
Have you experienced a failure? How did you work through it, and what did you learn?
I have! I actually have a Youtube video about it where I show how a fragrance oil accelerated my batter and “ruined” my design. This pushed me to be VERY creative to fix it. I designed and created my own stamp to compensate for the swirls I was not able to create. It was one of the coolest soaps I’ve created so far!
What plans do you have for your business moving forward?
I have lots of plans! When I went to art university for graphics design, I learned a lot about traditional arts which has given me the knowledge to expand my creativity to another level. I create and design my own embed molds, stamps, scrapers and more! I also create my own bath bomb molds with my 3d printer. My plans are to keep creating unique soap and bath bomb designs and sell them in local stores around Raleigh, NC. I also want to sell my unique molds to fellow soap makers to help inspire them to think outside the box and create different designs. I’ll keep creating Youtube videos and will incorporate topics like “how to create your own brand” “How to create professional packaging for your products” etc. I want to help with the business aspect of soap making.
What are your 4 must-have Bramble Berry products? Why are they your favorite?
Fragrance oils hands down. There’s just such a unique quality to them. You can feel the difference when you mix your batter and I’ve never experienced a fragrance fading in any of my soaps. I LOVE the Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil.
Shea Butter. I’ve used shea butter from other companies and they can’t compare with the smooth fresh butter from Bramble Berry.
Sodium Hydroxide Lye. Most sellers have it in beads which creates a lot of static and can be super dangerous. I love how Brambleberry carries it in flakes!
Activated Charcoal. Again, the quality is just superb.
What’s your favorite Bramble Berry project/What’s the first project you tried?
My favorite project was the Watermelon Cold Process Soap Project. I’ve watched the video tutorial a thousand times! It’s so fun to watch Anne Marie make it.
My first project was back in 2010. I followed the “Make a Solid Sugar Soap Scrub” video tutorial with melt and pour. Super easy to make!
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