About Us - Our Story
Having
returned to South Africa after 17 years in the UK, I rented a cottage on a farm
in Cato Ridge, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. In these beautiful
surroundings, my Landlady, Lizzy, said she wanted to go on a soap-making course
which turned out to be almost impossible in the surrounding area. Out of curiousity I hit the google button and
discovered the art, and pitfalls, of making soap.
After many
successes and some disasters (including turning a batch into a meringue after
attempting to rescue a hard-as-rock seized soap), I gave Lizzy her first lesson
in making soap. Since then, she has made several batches herself.
I have
always been interested in the self-sufficiency of the “Old Ways”, be it
traditional cooking, pickling vegetables and preserving fruits, wood lathes using
a branch and rope, and, of course, making soap from scratch.
Although I
have not yet tried making the lye in the traditional way, I make natural soaps
with none of the harsh chemicals or synthetic surfactants in commercial soaps.
As a youngster
I suffered from contact dermatitis and having a family prone to eczema and
allergies, my interests also extend to the beneficial properties of natural
products from essential oils, activated charcoal, clays, fruits and vegetables.
I also have an affinity with colours and designs. All of these I try to incorporate into my
soaps and other products.
Our artisan
products are all home made using sustainably sourced ingredients and
additives. I have tried to create a
variety of differents soaps to cater for everyone. Due to the high cost of
essential oils, and the instability of some natural colourants we do use fragrance
oils (which contain a blend of synthetic and essential oils) and mica
colourants.
Because
everyone has different requirements, the website has been designed to be as
user friendly as possible so you can filter through to your exact requirements.
We hope you
enjoy our products and website and welcome any ideas or suggestions.
Enjoy