Soap Makers- How do they DO IT?

As per my previous post here I have been only moderately successful trying to DIY my own beauty products. At one point I even bought some real shea butter and hardened coconut oil to try to make my own moisturizer. Um, that didn't quite turn out so well! Let's just say the monstronsity that was supposed to go on my skin was composted... hah! So I have had to accept that my creative abilities end with guitar playing and once in a while painting something. 

Giving up my moisturizing making enterprise did not mean, however, that I have to depend on large corporations (no matter how Canadian and eco). Browsing through the granola stores I've seen these tiny little displays of handmade bath bombs, soaps and even lotions! GASP- people can MAKE these in their HOMES? OMG. It is the next best thing- local and chemical-free (usually) without the disaster of my attempts! These displays are usually extremely small, inconspicuous and without hoopla. I haven't quite figured out if this is on purpose by the soap-making goddesses, or if the granola stores have only grudgingly permitted them to sell their soapy goodness. These little displays rarely have any announcement that they were crafted with care by a local person- you have to ask. 

My favourite soap-creatrice in the Nova Scotia area is Birch Bark Soap made by Sherry in Yarmouth. She sells her smelly products of goodness on Etsy and in the granola store in Yarmouth- which is where I first discovered her predictably TINY display. Her website is honest and fun- filled with DIY tips and what's new in the soap world. If you check out her Etsy website she explains how her soaps haven't sacrificed the environment for their beautiful lathers and smells, made without parabens, SLS or phtalates AND a portion of her profits go to an entrepreneur via Kiva.org! Extremely open-hearted and giving, something I can feel wonderful about supporting.

I heart homemade soaps that someone else lovingly created! :)