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Why Did You Start Making Soap?
“Why do you make soap?” is a question I get often. I feel like whenever I hear a soap maker get asked this question the answer is always the same. They had a family member, a spouse, a child, or even they themselves, who had some kind of sensitive skin issue like eczema, psoriasis, severe dry skin, acne or allergies. For me, it was my daughter Emily and her eczema.
In The Beginning
I noticed Emily’s eczema when she was around two years old. She had little patches in the creases of her elbows and the back of her knees. Her doctor recommended an over the counter cream and I used it (whenever she would let me without screaming- hey she was two and it was irritating).
Emily didn’t have outbreaks all the time and was able to keep it under control for the most part with the creams from the pediatrician. We also had her tested for allergies and she avoided any allergy triggers as best she could.
Then Came High School
And freedom. And junk food. Emily started having flare ups that were much worse than the little patches behind her knees and on her elbows. She started getting eczema on her neck, arms, and face. We made an appointment with a dermatologist and she began using prescription creams. They would work… for a while, and then they wouldn’t. We started noticing that each time she would get a new cream it would help the pain of an outbreak for about a month and then it would either stop working all together or the cream itself would seem to irritate the eczema even more.
Meanwhile…
As a mom, I felt terrible that there was nothing I could do to help her. So John started looking up ways to help through diet. He came up with a plan to eliminate all foods from her diet that could potentially trigger an outbreak (so basically everything), and then we would reintroduce one food group at a time and see which foods could be worsening her issue. We discovered that diary and processed sugar was a huge trigger for her. When she would eat ice cream you could see it on her face as soon as she woke up in the morning.
Then came the worst breakout she ever had. She was away at college and was constantly calling to tell me her skin was acting up. One day she called me and she was on her way to a clinic because the outbreak was so bad that she couldn’t open her eyes. She needed steroid injections just to bring down the swelling. It was heartbreaking to see. Her dermatologist was suggesting injections of Dupixent monthly. So she began that course of treatment.
Her Eczema Persisted
Emily was still having issues with creams and even soap was irritating her. That is when I stumbled upon a soap making video by Ariane Aresenault. You see I had been making candles as a hobby for a little while and we loved watching youtube videos of candle making. One day we were just letting youtube do it’s thing and it went from one of her candle making videos to a soap making video. I was instantly hooked. I started researching.
When I found out the difference between handmade soap and store bought soap (that is a whole other blog post), I was amazed. Making my own soap had never even crossed my mind. I mean, I learned about soap making in high school. They said it was made with whale blubber. Where was I going to get whale blubber? But when I really got into it and realized that I could control the ingredients, I could add oils and fats specifically to help out my daughter’s eczema I was hooked.
She Was Skeptical
She was hesitant in the beginning. I mean, who’s mom was making them soap to use? The first soap that she tries was oatmeal, milk, and honey. She loved it. For once, she could use a soap that didn’t irritate her skin! She became a believer. Now she has a few favorites like We Got The Beet, Cliffs of Dover, and Triple Milk. When she is having flare ups she uses these natural soaps in conjunction with Skin Fix RX. When she isn’t having flare ups, she ventures into our scented soaps- her favorite being Under the Boardwalk (right now anyway).
I Was Naiive
I have to admit, back then I thought that my soap would cure her. Now, as an experienced soap maker, I know that soap will not cure any skin conditions, but it also won’t irritate her skin any further. That is a win in my book. And that, is why I make soap, or at least that is why I started to make soap. I continue to make soap because I love it. I love the way it makes my skin feel. I love the results that Emily get from using it. I love hearing from people who tell me the fantastic results they have had using my soap.
