“I’ve always been intrigued by making anything from scratch, the old-fashioned way,” Brown said.
Her shop, which is located in an old house, has the soap kitchen attached, where you can find Brown, who lives in Vandalia, making as well as selling her soaps.
She bought a book on making soap several years ago, but the process seemed too complicated.
But when she was helping her brother recover from surgery, she decided to look into soap-making once again, and found a simple recipe online.
“We made soap, and it was so much fun,” Brown said.
“I researched, and practiced, and learned about oils and the values they brought to soap. I taught myself through research and reading.”
The recipe she now uses is one she created herself using olive oil, two kinds of oatmeal and shea butter.
Brown said her goal is to create gifts under $10, and takes pride in how she packages her product.
“If soap makes good gifts, I want each one to look like a present,” she said.
She started the business 2½ years ago, and now has 40 different fragrances.
She said the most popular are fresh linen and lavender and sage. She sells soaps for boys and girls, and men and women.
A true family business, her husband, Bud, makes the molds, and her children help out with the packaging.
Living Simply Soap is located at 9140 N. Dixie Drive. The hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
She also is at the Tipp City Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The phone number is (937) 789-0515.
The Web site is www.livingsimply soap.com.
Contact this reporter at joanneclodfelter @ameritech.net
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