Bee’s Knees Artisan Soap

Well hello there! I'm a soap-slinging, retired attorney-turned-entrepreneur and a wife of over 40 years with two grown sons. My story of becoming a soap maker is a wild and wacky one, let me tell you!

You see, my husband's skin was as dry as the Sahara Desert and my heels tend to crack like the Grand Canyon. We were spending all our money on store-bought products with no relief in sight. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and scoured the internet for DIY lotion recipes. And then, it happened... I fell down the rabbit hole of Pinterest and stumbled upon a whole world of beautiful soaps made by others. I thought to myself, "Why not give it a shot? What do I have to lose?"

I found what I thought was an "easy" soap recipe and before I knew it, I was in the kitchen whipping up my first batch. But, as it turns out, I didn't do enough research and that first batch was a complete disaster. Straight to the trash can it went! But I didn't let that defeat me. I did more reading, watched some videos, learned from my mistakes, and tried again. And you know what? This time, it actually turned out okay! I had to wait 6 whole weeks to see if it worked, but it did!

As I continued making soap, I soon had more soap than my family and friends could handle. So, I started giving it away and getting feedback on my different recipes. (And let me tell you, my friends and family are no cute and cuddly animals. They're big and smelly, but they make great guinea pigs!)

Finally, with the encouragement of those closest to me, I started Cottonwood Soap Company to share my soapy creations with the world. And let me tell you, it's been a wild ride!

And what about my original goal of helping my husband's dry skin and my rough heels? Well, my husband says his skin has never felt better and my Happy Heals Lotion Stick has made a world of difference for my cracked heels. Mission accomplished!