Interview with Laura Hiss the owner of The Happy Soaper

What perked your interest in making hand crafted soaps?

As long as I can remember, I have loved crafting.  As a child my mom taught me how to latch-hook and cross-stitch and my love of crafting grew from there!  After card making, candles, and hand stamped jewelry, handmade soaps caught my eye.  I didn’t know you could actually make soap from scratch and I was intrigued!  Hand crafted soaps were rustic and beautiful and would make such special, unique gifts.  The seed was planted and began to grow!

Do you have a background in chemistry that you have used to make soap?

Just high school chemistry and to be honest, I did NOT like it very much.  I don’t remember a whole lot except the struggle it was!  I have since learned more about the “science” of soap making because I have a real interest in it.  If we had made soap in chemistry, I might have actually liked the class! J

What research did you do to create soaps?

I started  watching tutorials on-line, taking notes, and read soaping blogs.  I finally made my first batch of soap and then took a goat’s milk soap demonstration class.  I went home equipped with more supplies and set to work!

When did you start making soap?

I made my very first batch on April 11, 2015, almost 3 years ago. 

Did you start out making soap as a way to earn an income?

Nope…purely for the joy of hand crafting soap for my family’s personal use.  It took about two years, but the inevitable happened…I started mastering swirls and found I was making too much soap for us to use…I HAD to share it!  I decided I either had to slow down making soap, or take it to the business level.  Well…I didn’t really want to slow down making soap, so…there you have it!  I thank God continuously for giving me such joy in soap making.  I truly love the work He has enabled me to do (Deuteronomy 2:7).

How did the Happy Soaper come about?

I love sharing this, because it involves my precious kiddos.  Making cold process soap is as much of a science as an art and because of that, I have to “dress the part”.  I wear an apron, gloves and eye protection because sodium hydroxide (lye), is a caustic substance until it is mixed with oils/fats and becomes soap.  The kids would laugh to see me geared up, and I got the nickname, “The Mad Scientist”.  That quickly evolved to “The Happy Scientist” because mommy was having too much fun making soap, and then it transitioned into “The Happy Soaper” that you know today J.

What is the ultimate goal you wish to reach with the Happy Soaper?

I don’t know about an “ultimate” goal, but  my husband has really encouraged me to dream big and so I’ve allowed myself to do just that!  I would absolutely LOVE to have my own soaping cottage, a quaint, cozy, cottage dedicated just to making soap.  I see a little land, our house, and the most adorable cottage out back J, so I can make more soap of course!

How long have you been in business?

This Spring will be the completion of my first year! 

How do you choose the varieties of soaps you make?

Oh dear, what a question!!  It’s more like, “How do you narrow down all the possibilities and pick just ONE to tackle next?”!  I still make a lot of recipes and designs that fellow soapers share (because it gives me the opportunity to try new ingredients, new recipes, and new techniques), but I also like to go to my stash of supplies and start dreaming up the next creation.  Just today I picked a new fragrance I had purchased, and let the scent inspire the color scheme.  It reminded me of a burst of Spring flowers, which lead to a 6 color swirl with some of my favorite pastel colors.  Often the upcoming seasons and holidays will help me focus on what to make next, or special requests, or…lol…see…so hard to pick!

What do you think is the incentive for buying your soap versus buying soap from a large manufacturer?

 Hand crafted soap does cost more than store bought, but it is full of skin-loving ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, etc., and not synthetic cleansing detergents.  It also is not stripped of the natural glycerin that forms as a result of the soap making process (and then sold for use in other products).  You get to keep the glycerin in your bar!  Glycerin is known as a humectant, which helps your skin attract and keep moisture in (a lovely benefit)!   If you look at the bars on the shelf at the supermarket today, you will see that many aren’t actually “soap”.  According to the FDA, “Today there are very few true soaps on the market. Most body cleansers, both liquid and solid, are actually synthetic detergent products” (https://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductsIngredients/Products/ucm115449.htm).  You will not find synthetic detergents in Happy Soaper soaps.  The cleansing, bubbly lather provided by cold process soap, is all-natural, and…FUN!  Hand crafted soap formulas can also be made to help meet a variety of skin care requests such as gentle, allergen-free, exfoliating, high cleansing, etc.

What would you suggest to someone that wants to make their own soap?

 Check out Soap Queen TV and watch her first four episodes to learn the essential basics.  This will give you a great introduction to the world of soap making and help you decide if you are sure you want to get started…it’s pretty involved…and could become something big…very big…like you could end up with more curing soap than you know what to do with!

If someone wants to buy your soap how can they purchase it?

They can follow “The Happy Soaper” on Facebook to see when new soaps are ready (cold process soap takes about 6 weeks to cure after it’s made, which means a more gentle and longer lasting bar for the user!) and then head over to my website at: www.happysoaper.com.

 I also list upcoming craft fairs and markets I will be at where bars are available to sniff test J.  That might make it even more difficult to decide what to try first though!

Laura, I thank you for your time.