.png)
The Soap You Use Every Day Matters More Than You Think
Updated: Jul 24
Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about the soap we use. It’s simply part of the day. We wash our hands after gardening, shower before work, rinse away paint after a creative afternoon, or scrub off the dirt after playing outside with our kids. It’s such an ordinary part of life that we rarely stop to wonder what’s in it or how it makes us feel.
When I started making soap, I wasn’t trying to build a business. I was trying to find myself again. Like many people, life had become full. I was taking care of everyone else, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized I had stopped making time for myself. Making soap became one of those quiet moments that belonged only to me.
Around that same time, after using natural soaps made with essential oils more regularly, I noticed something I hadn’t expected. The strong artificial scents I had been surrounded by for years started feeling overwhelming. They gave me headaches, made it harder to breathe comfortably, and took away the simple enjoyment of using products that were supposed to feel good. That quiet search eventually became Soaps Candles & Dots.
An Evolving Way of Creating
The way I create today isn’t exactly how I started. Like most things in life, it has evolved. Over the years, I’ve experimented, changed ingredients, refined formulas, let go of ideas that no longer felt right, and learned to listen more closely to my body, to the process, and to the people who use what I make. Every season has taught me something. Today, when I begin creating a new soap, candle, oil, or spray, I don’t usually start by asking, “What will sell?” I ask myself, “What do I need right now?” Sometimes the answer is grounding. Sometimes it’s clarity. Sometimes it’s peace, courage, comfort, or simply a reminder to slow down. From there, I begin choosing the essential oils, botanicals, and ingredients that support that intention. Again and again, I’ve realized that if I’m needing something, chances are someone else is too. That’s how many of my collections begin.
Every Formula Has a Purpose
My soaps are not just ingredients mixed together. Every formula is created with intention. Plant oils each bring something different to the final bar. Goat’s milk creates the creamy, gentle soap I’ve come to love. Clays, herbs, and botanicals add their own character and connect each bar back to the plants that inspired it. Every ingredient is there for a reason. Not because it’s trendy, but because it belongs.
Why I Choose Essential Oils
One of the questions I hear most often is why I don’t use synthetic fragrance oils. The answer is personal. Strong artificial scents overwhelm me. They give me headaches, make it difficult to breathe comfortably, and take away the simple enjoyment of the moment. I wanted to create products that felt different, so I chose to work with essential oils. That also means you probably won’t find candy-like scents, fruity perfumes, or fragrances that fill an entire room here. The aromas are softer, closer to the plants they come from, and become part of a quieter experience. Everyone gets to choose what they enjoy. This is simply the way I’ve chosen to create.
Small Batch, On Purpose
Every single product passes through my hands. I formulate it, make it, pour it, cut it, cure it, wrap it, design and print the labels, and pack the orders. Even the behind-the-scenes work is done by me. That isn’t because I have to. It’s because staying connected to the process matters to me. I don’t make more than two soap batches at a time because I don’t want the process to become something I’m rushing through. I’d rather create fewer bars with care than rush through the work just to make more. That slower pace allows me to stay present with what I’m creating and with the intention behind it.
More Than Clean Skin
Soap washes our hands, but sometimes it becomes something more. Sometimes it’s the first quiet moment before the day begins, the deep breath while warm water runs over your hands, the pause after a difficult conversation, or the reminder that today is another chance to begin again. Those moments don’t require an elaborate self-care routine. Sometimes they begin with something as ordinary as washing your hands. That’s the kind of companion I hope my creations become. Not something that promises to change your life. Not something that claims to fix you. Just a small reminder to come back to yourself.
Thank You for Being Here
If you’ve spent any time around here, you’ve probably noticed I talk about more than soap. I write Moon Letters, host The Weird Is Sacred podcast, and create candles, oils, sprays, and herbal self-care inspired by everyday life because I’ve never believed these things are separate. The soap, the candle, the quiet cup of coffee, the walk outside, and the honest conversation are all invitations to slow down just enough to notice ourselves again. Everything I create starts with one simple question: “What do I need today?” If that question leads you back to yourself, then maybe this little corner of the world is for you.
Comments