I have had sensitive skin since as long as I can remember, always buying new products to try, just to end up dry, itchy skin. Over the years I have found some soaps, I have really loved, but usually while out of town, and can't readily find ones I love. In 2017, I found a need for two problems
1. I was travelling back and forth almost every weekend as we travelled to our summer home/Campground resort. I was always either forgetting my good soap bars at one location of the other.
2. While travelling each weekend, we were renting out part of our home on Airbnb. The waste of soap bars we were getting each weekend was driving me crazy. The germ phobe in me didnt like the idea of leaving a larger bottle of body wash amongst multiple guests, plus the plastic would be a waste. I felt that the only "guests soap on the market, were cheap and definietly not luxurious, which was the experience we were trying to give.
I could not find a good solution for either of these two problems, so I decided to buy a few molds, and start making my own melt n pour soap with high end Essential Oils, and butters.
I started experimenting with several different types, and had enough to share with some friends and family that wanted to try. Lavender was the one in particular that became an instant hit! I brought some soap to our friends at the resort, and since our section was "Lakeside". My first soap that had a name was "Lakeside Lavender" It is now my number one selling soap.
It used Pure Essential oils and either goats milk or shea butter. Today I am happy to say I have perfected that blend with the perfect ratio of top, mid and base tones. Our first year of sales (2019), it was the one the number one seller. Now I am in even more control of its properties, unlike back then during the melt and pour days. I like to keep it within a few ingredients, and even add our own grown lavender buds when we can.
There are a few choices that I made along the way, ideally because they fit within my values. So here is a little more background on the other materials we have chosen to include into our soaps, feel free to reach out with any questions about any of our soaps
WE CHOOSE TO:
- Proudly support local suppliers right here in Ontario, although the materials are widely sourced and documented from all over the world
- Use ONLY natural colorants and botanicals found in nature.
- Use Pure Essential Oils that are genuine and authentic, plant derived, preferably organic, and obtained by solvent-FREE extraction methods
- Use only distilled water in our products and to use the smallest amount required to help our products remain stable and without premature spoilage
- Use 100% Plant based oils. All products considered vegan*
- Use beeswax obtained responsibly from our own tiny apiary on site. The wax is obtained from cap scrapings only and honeycomb frames remain intact. (*No bees hurt and no damage done while collecting)
- Continue to challenge ourselves on how we can do better for the environment, animals and mankind
- Use responsibly Harvested Palm Oil (RSDO) as opposed to avoiding altogether. If you are interested in reading up on how we arrived at our decision, you can click HERE
- Offer fair market pricing, given the ingredients and services we offer
- Be Open to accept feedback on the choices we choices we have thoughtfully considered.
- We choose NOT to use Micas, dyes, or pigments.
- We choose NOT to use any artificial fragrances or perfumes.
- We choose NOT to use any chemical preservatives in our products.
- We choose NOT to support companies that test products on animals
- We choose NOT to use GMO products
- We choose NOT to add SLS to our products
So what do you look for in a soap, or soap maker? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.