Soap to Use, Not Eat!

One of my favorite shops on etsy is called Buzz Planet. They make wonderful soaps and are consistently coming up with new stuff that has catchy names that are too cute, for example: Idaho Dirt, Crunchy Mama, Lime in the Coconut, Buttermilk Blossoms, Naked Lady, and even Dirty/Clean! She even sales "Ugly Duckling" grab bags of her soaps that just don't quite look perfect. Meet Brandi the shop owner of Buzz Planet.

Idaho Dirt Cold Process Castile Soap with Cocoa Butter


My name is Brandi, and I'm a stay at home mama to five sweet little boys. I've been a stay at home mom since my first son was born in 2000; and it's always been important to stick to a budget; and I'm always looking for ways to save money. After I had my fifth son last summer, I did some research on the so-called "natural" baby products I was using, and didn't like the ingredients I saw. I also didn't like spending 8 or 9 dollars for a bottle of baby soap that invariably got poured down the drain by one of my curious boys! I did some research on making liquid soap, finding that the products I thought were gentle because they were "tear free", were only tear free because of the addition of a numbing agent that did nothing to prevent irritation of the eye, just kept my boys from feeling the irritation! I was shocked! I found a basic recipe using a store-bought bar of castile soap (which is a high percentage or all olive oil soap). I made my first batch, but wasn't completely happy with it, especially since a bar of the soap they recommended was expensive and hard to find. I decided to make the soap I used; and got a book, "The Complete Soapmaker" by Norma Coney and learned about the basics of saponification and what ingredients make soap that is good for different uses. My first soap was quite an experience, I was extremely scared of lye, and even had my boys at my mother's house while I made soap! There I was, goggles, gloves, plastic covering every surface, gingerly adding the lye solution to the oils. I stirred the mixture for over an hour, having no real idea what I was trying to

Tell No Tales Sea Kelp Herbal Soap

see! Fortunately, it turned out, and I began hand-milling soap, because that's the real focus of the book. Over time I discovered that the handmilling process has it's benefits in some cases, but the curing time is extended and it doesn't allow you to make a great quantity at a time; so I learned how to develop my own recipes using a lye calculator. After several weeks and several batches of soap, my little house started to get overwhelmed! After giving my soap to family members, several of them encouraged me to open an etsy shop, no small task since I had made the decision not to have a computer or internet access in my house; so this meant borrowing a laptop from my Dad, which I'm still using, and the wonderful gifts of $60 from my sister in law which allowed me to buy the supplies I needed and a wonderful digital camera from my aunt. I opened my shop in December 2010, and I've loved every minute, even the nights I'm up until 3 am shipping orders or making my soap! Oh, and I've discovered lye isn't all that scary, and while care is necessary; it's not STRICTLY necessary to have your children across town every time you work with it!

What's the inspiration behind the soaps you create?



Naked Lady Unscented Loofah Soap



Most of the time my ideas come from the seasons, I've made soaps using heirloom tomatoes and Meyer lemons from my mother's greenhouse, and my Hippie Mama soap came about in the fall, when someone requested a cinnamon and oatmeal soap. I've also gotten ideas for some of my bestsellers from my fans, Crunchy Mama was actually named by a fan who liked my Hippie Mama but wanted something more "granola". Lately I've been inspired by the first signs of spring I'm seeing, Idaho Dirt is based on a freshly plowed field, and I have a upcoming soap, Summer Lawn which smells like freshly cut grass. I love to be able to take an idea someone has and create something they love.

Are you hoping to expand in the future?

Start Fresh Laundry Fizz

Yes, I've just started ordering greater quantities of my supplies, including 20 pounds of shea butter and cocoa butter which I got from a woman who's family business imports them directly from West Africa. I want this to be an outlet of creativity that I can do while being home with my children, and also finance a few extras for my brood!





Tropical Lady Gift Set

 


Beside Etsy, where else can we find you?

Right now, I'm only selling on etsy, but I applied for a sellers license so that I will be able to sell at a Farmer's Market locally this spring. Stay tuned! I do have a Facebook Fan Page and a Blog.

Anything else you'd like us to know? 

I know I'm 30, but I love the Twilight Saga, books AND movies. And I won't apologize for that! It's great for a busy mom who needs a little fun break! TEAM EDWARD/JACOB! :D

I hope you enjoyed reading her story and inspiration and take the time to visit her shop, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy your weekend everyone!