Flora's Soaps & Oils are a crowd favourite when it comes to our Build a Box selection. In fact it is not often that a Build a Box will be created and we DON'T see one of Floras soaps selected.
What I love about this business, is that Flora made it really easy to choose. There are a lot of soap makers out there, so it could have been really daunting trying to decide who to go with. When I reached out to Flora she happily offered to send samples so we could try.
We have not stopped using her soaps since then, in fact at one point we ran out, and went back to a different brand from the supermarket for the meantime until our next order came in, and wow....we felt the difference. It was like we were washing ourselves with plastic. So NOW, we just make sure we are stocked up with Floras soaps at all times!
We had a chat with Flora to learn a little bit more about her business.
1. When did you start Flora soaps and oils and how did it all begin?
I started making soap back in 2018, when my almost 1 year old, started having some skin sensitivities. At the time I started with making a goat's milk soap as well as laundry soap. I've never looked back, since. As a business, Flora's Soaps and Oils turned 1 year old on the 25th of September.
2. Did you have any reservations when you first kicked off?
Yes! My biggest reservation was the unknown of running a business and how it would perform.
3. What is your favourite thing about your business?
I am passionate about making good products that are good for you. I am conscious of what we put into and onto our bodies. Making things from scratch is my forte. I have always loved homemade, handmade products. Being able to share with the world and seeing how much our handmade products are helping others makes me happy and I love helping others finding the perfect skin care product that works for them.
4. What were some of the obstacles during your early days and how did you overcome them?
Social media nowadays is such a big deal that to this day I really find it hard to put myself out there and look I'm still learning every day and for now go with the flow kind of thing.
5. Who/What is your biggest inspiration?
My family is my biggest inspiration. Strong, resilient, humble and supportive.
6. How do you decide on/come up with your product ideas?
I love having the variety of different products in particular soaps. I have, kind of, gone against the rule of building one item at a time. I have had interest in pretty much all of the variety. And I just love making all of my soaps and other products. There's a few other products I'm working on but I don't plan on launching anytime soon.
7. What are you most proud of so far with your business?
Proud of getting out there and doing what I love and enjoy doing.
8. What are your goals for the future of Flora soaps and oils?
I am kind of taking it day by day and enjoying the journey. Ultimately, I would love to have my own little store selling our handmade products as well as supplies.
9. What advice do you have for anyone who is on the fence for starting their own business?
Go for it! I was interested in soapmaking back in 2017, I listened to one too many saying don't do it and it's not easy. That put me off a little. Looking back I wish I never listened to anyone. In the end, not long after I decided to start making our own soap plus my son started to have slight skin sensitivities so I saw that as a sign. Don't fret about it! Go for it!
10. What was your mission when you started your business?
Helping others! Too many products out there that claim to be good for skin and help skin sensitivities. Honestly, you cannot get any more natural than handmade soaps. Helping others have that understanding that handmade is the purest product for the skin. I too have used so many high end expensive brands for both skin and hair and I had always left feeling: what a waste of money! and having to just dispose of the product.
11. What product is an absolute favourite and why?
I love using all of our products! I have a few favourites. Face and body balm is one of them. I used it religiously whilst pregnant and didn't get one stretch mark. I mean stretch marks can be genetic, however, I am a firm believer that using the right product helped me with keeping skin nourished and smooth. I still use it after every shower and I love how nice and nourished my skin feels.
12. What is unique about your business? What makes your product stand out from the rest?
We live in a society where we are growing more and more aware of what goes into the every day products we use. We know you care about what goes in your soap, just like you care about what goes in your food. Flora's Soaps and Oils is all about keeping it natural using skin-loving oils, essential oils and clays.
13. What benefits could one see, switching from a supermarket brand to your brand?
As you stroll down the aisles of the supermarket you will see an assortment of body cleansers to choose from that are labelled as body bars, body washes, cleansing bars, skincare bars, deodorant soaps, and even beauty bars. They are nothing more than detergents in disguise. Natural soap is made with natural ingredients, they are moisturizing and won't strip out your skin's natural oils.
Most of all natural soaps RETAIN their natural Glycerin = created during the natural soap making process. The chemical reaction of making soap is called saponification. Once saponification is complete, the ingredients have combined and chemically changed into soap, glycerin, and a bit of water which evaporates as the soap cures.
Commercial soap manufacturers remove the glycerin from their soaps. They can sell it or use it in products that command a higher price like the lotion your skin needs after using their glycerin-free detergent "soap." Think about it! Commercial soap companies remove the moisturizing ingredient (the glycerin) which in turn creates a soap that dries your skin and then they use the glycerin they removed to sell you a skin-moisturizing lotion. Quite an ingenious profit-making strategy!
Glycerin, a precious and gentle emollient, is a humectant that draws moisture from the air to the skin creating a moisturizing protective layer.
14. What is your personal fav and why?
It is very hard for me to choose one product as I absolutely love using them all! I love using our Face and body balm it is a must have 100% natural product.
So there you have it, learning to be a bit more aware of what you are putting in and on your body will make such a huge difference to how you feel. Check out Flora's full range HERE and don't forget to add one of her soaps to your next Build a Box so your gift receiver is hit with an amazing smell when they open their gift!
Let us know what you think!