Friday Finds: MossyCreekSoaps

Meet Michelle Rhoades from mossycreeksoaps, a certified soapmaker with the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild in Warner Robins, Georgia. She and her husband make natural herbal handcrafted soaps from scratch with olive and sunflower oils enriched with shea butter that are deliciously scented with essential oils of lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, and spearmint.

Sit down and grab a cup of tea as we get to know them better...

Tell us more about you.
My husband and I started soap making together when a direct selling company that I really loved when out of the direct selling business. Instead of starting all over with another company with a new product and I started making my own. Which means I have complete control over what goes into my soap. I love to cook and I thought well... soap making cannot be that much different? Right? It's true.. there is something so amazing creating, designing and formulating soap.

What's so special about homemade soap?
Well the answer is short... It's plainly better for you with out all the fillers of commerical soap. My soap is made with Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Lye and water. Basically thats it! You can add fragrance, you can also add color..but it's in the simplicity of the recipe that keeps most people coming back for more. I do believe most people do not know that their favorite beauty bar is not really soap? It's a detergent.. similar to the one you wash your dishes and clothes with. Allthough it may be mild and filled with lotion...it's not SOAP. Soap must be made with Lye in order to be called soap.

Name one thing that not many people know about you.
I used to be an airline flight attendant.

How did you choose your shop name?
I also own a Soapmaking Studio in town where I teach soapmaking. My business name came from a local creek that runs through my county.

What does a typical day look like for you?
There are no typical days for me..I could be running around town delivering wholesale orders, shipping out orders or making soap in the studio. Or I could be teaching a class, working on the internet, or doing nothing & enjoying my family.

What's your favorite season of the year and why?
I absolutely love spring because after a long winter I get excited about watching everything in the garden come back to life.

What do you consider your best personality trait?
My ability to teach others through compassion and understanding. I am a very passionate person concerning something I whole heartily believe in. For me it's total immersion which gives me the ability to teach others.

You can also find mossycreeksoaps on their website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Creating the Hive.