Over the four years I've been making soap I have been asked many times: "How did you end up doing this?" "Why salt soap? - What makes it so different?" "What did you do in your former life?" "Who did your packaging?". Myriad questions that I can answer with honesty and passion but it's only of late that I've really dug deep into the whys and wherefores!
I recently went through the process of writing my 'Origin Story'. Something I had never heard of until a few weeks ago. It's the process of writing down key experiences and decisions in your life that have shaped who you are and how you think. Basically where you've come from – a combination of decisions that have shaped you. The idea is that once you understand where you've come from your path forward is easier to navigate.
For me, writing my origin story was a cathartic release, a realisation of just how much I've achieved! I really feel like I understand me better now! I realise that to some this probably sounds a little 'airy fairy' but I promise it is so worth doing. It has not only benefitted me on a business level but also on a deep personal level.
So what did I learn?
Writing it all down identified key experiences that lead me to discover my love of soap-making. I am, and have always been, what I would describe as, a 'makey' person. I love making things - to create something where the end result is a tangible thing - it gives me joy. I have made things as my job for more than 30 years and I've always loved it - give or take the odd niggle.
In my 20s I became an artworker in the graphic design industry. Artwork is both creative and technical, a process by which a design concept becomes suitable for printing in its final desired format. This definitely fuels my 'makey' gene. I've worked with some amazingly talented designers on some amazing projects. Typesetting Jamie Oliver's first cook book, artworking CD covers for Decca Records, printing graphic panels for bus shelters, rebranding Schweppes, Cadburys - I've pretty much done the lot! Finding my way into packaging artwork has definitely been the biggest identifier in my journey to soap making.
Artwork is my forté, my super power if you like. I love it. I am happy with scalpel in hand, making a mockup. What I have learnt though, alongside a lot of technical expertise, is that the bigger the brand, the bigger the desire for speed of production and process efficiency. While this doesn't sound like it should be a problem, what I have seen is that it can lead to a disregard or sometimes even ignorance of the environmental impact it causes. There always seems to be a push to produce more and produce quicker while simultaneously reducing costs. In the world of packaging this push has lead to the use of more single use plastic in every sphere and the introduction of more chemicals to make product last longer, or smell stronger, or be more appealing!
It's only in the last 5 years or so that I've become much more aware, of just how much I don't like the fact manufacturers give me little choice in how much plastic or how many chemicals I have in my life, if I want to shop in mainstream supermarkets. For me, this disregard, is about excess and convenience. It's easier to wrap a product in plastic instead of paper for many reasons. If paper wrapped products are exposed to damp conditions then the potential for waste is increased. Products in transit could be more easily damaged if not protected by plastic. Obviously, this is only my opinion but this is not what I want in my life. I want simplicity. I don't want or need my toilet rolls to be wrapped in plastic that's going to end up in landfill. I certainly don't want products that are filled with chemicals to make them smell sickly sweet or of leather and cashmere! I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this thinking.
It's this exposure to manufacturing processes alongside watching a BBC TV social experiment in Bristol in 2019 that have been pivotal shifts for me. The experiment involved the residents of one street being given the opportunity, over a period of 4 months, to reduce the amount of single use plastic in their homes. It started with each household taking every piece of single use plastic out of their homes and put it in a pile in the road in front of them. That way they could see just how much there was. Genius idea for maximum impact. Seeing how much there was shocked me but also inspired me.
I instantly looked at my own home - I counted 7 plastic bottles in one family bathroom! Gobsmacked, and horrified, just about sums it up. One question came to mind:
"How can I reduce the amount of plastic in my home?"
It came to me almost instantly while looking at the half empty bottles. Revert to bar soap. That one simple change would remove at least 5 bottles. 5 bottles of sickly sweet smelling, chemical filled shower gels. But what else? If I make a little extra effort I can refill my existing shampoo bottles by making a simple switch to a more ethical brand, one that offers refills and is easily accessible. Both of these decisions required minimal effort and my eco-conscience was eased. By making these two simple decisions I reduced the number of bottles to 2 - those 2 being the refill shampoo bottles. Now I am not here to preach and it is very much 'each to their own' in my world, however, these were very easy changes to make.
As I moved to bar soap my search for chemical free, non plastic wrapped bars began. It was frustrating, many bars were wrapped in protective plastic sleeve and filled with chemicals for very little reason other than to make them smell like something you'd want to eat! This wasn't the simplicity I was looking for. After scouring shops for 'lovely' handmade soap I finally realised that if I could make my own I could have any kind of soap I desired. And so it began.
I learnt how to make soap with a fabulous lady in Dorset and I was hooked. My 'makey' gene is sated and it still involves both my technical and creative skills that I've honed over the years. My choice is chemical free, not a jot of plastic in sight, salt soap and that is where I'm staying. The soaps I make smell how I want them to smell without the use of any synthetic fragrances. They're made from what nature provides. And my packaging is cardboard, which is recyclable - although it has presented challenges when the atmospheric nature of salt soap has drawn every ounce of moisture out the air!
If it wasn't for my working in packaging and watching that TV show I wouldn't be where I am now. I consider myself lucky that I have found what I really love to do, I love making soap. I love that others appreciate it too. Sitting in an office doing a desk job - that was never going to be my destiny despite what I was told when I was 18 years old.
And so there you have it - my journey so far... who knows what the future holds but I'm pretty sure it'll be soap-fuelled.
Hx