About Me: When I was about 9 years old my grandmother started letting me help her make her “lye” soap. I have to admit that at 9 I would have much rather been out in the fields on the tractor with my grandfather, but soap making was still fun. The more I aged- the more I actually got to participate in the soapmaking process.

Now fast forward about 25 years later. Out of the blue I woke up one day broken out all over. It looked like I had rolled in a bed of poison ivy except I hadn’t. I was itching from my toes to my nose. To make a long expensive story short we found out that I had used a soap with triclosan. I just about had my skin cleared up and then I broke out even worse. It seems I had bought laundry detergent on sale and naturally it had triclosan in it.

It was at that point that I decided I would make my own soap and laundry detergent. My grandmother had passed away over 10 years before that and I had not ever made any soap by myself, but I had the internet and a reasonable chemistry background.

That was 24 years ago. I started making soap and laundry detergent for myself and began experimenting with herbal infusions and essential oils. My friends found me out and started asking for special requests and that is how I ended up in the soap business.

I have 3 children, all grown up and living all over the country. Each one has been used as a guinea pig for all my products throughout the years and they have all managed to survive and thrive.

Now I use the grandchildren that live here in town to test products. My oldest grandson demands to get paid in Green Irish Tweed Cologne, soap and shaving cream. My granddaughter just wants me to name products after her(Kaylee’s Bite Be Gone).

Check out my Etsy Shop at bjrussell.etsy.com