The Five: Me!

Thursday, September 3, 2009 |

Woohoo, new feature! Soon I'll be posting some little features on soap artisans that sell their work all over the world...but just as a little teaser (and to get to know a little about me!) I decided to be the first guinea pig!

My name is Megan!
You can buy my stuff at Metropolis Soap Co.

How did you first get started? I got started doing this as a sidenote, actually. I was making jewelry 6 years ago and decided that since I could make jewelry I could do it all! (HA.) I got a lipbalm-making kit from Michaels and caught the bug right then. I stopped making jewelry and got into some small-time bodycare stuff...basic melt and pour soaps, simple body scrub and butter recipes, etc.

How did your first soap turn out? My real first soap was pretty idiot-proof so it went well. Got some M&P base, liquid colorant, fragrance oil, and plastic soap mold from a craft store called Pat Catans. It wasn't anything special but I couldn't believe I made soap! My first cold process soap (many years later) ew, it was AWFUL. I made it with some rootbeer fragrance oil I had gotten on ebay and tried to do a brown swirl...I used too much mica and ruined my friends washcloth! Plus it sweat everywhere. Ugh!

Do you remember your first sale? I remember my first sale ever: I sold a duct tape rose to a little girl who asked her mom for $1 to buy it. I don't remember my first M&P sale. My first Cold Process soap sold was to another vendor at a show!

Who has been a big influence in your craft? I have a lot of friends who also make soap and I like to bounce ideas off of them. One girl, named Lela (of Naturally Lela, but I think she might have closed) I met at my first craft show when I was still making jewelry. She gave me 2 of her lip balms to try and they were great! The next show (about 6 months later) I saw her when I was making simple b&b stuff, and she congratulated me for joining her side and gave me ANOTHER lip balm! I still can't believe it to this day...on one hand I wasn't any competition because I wasn't making things at her level, but on the other hand I was still another competitor! Lela showed me that this is a community and there is no need for negativity or to be closed-off, even when you're dealing with direct competitors!

What advice would YOU give someone who wanted to sell soap? Start SLOWLY. I didn't and that was really stupid. I had to learn as I went and that is never a good idea. Don't sell right away, give yourself time to learn and grow as a chemist (it is chemistry, after all!). Don't be afraid to use preservatives, they're made for a reason. Ask questions, accept critiques, and be graceful. You never know who is going to become a customer!

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