Meet Ashley From Willow Ridge Soap Co.
My company name is Willow Ridge Soap Co. I chose the name because I wanted a name that sounded a little bit rustic. Willow is also the name of a horse at the farm of my Aunt and Uncle – one of my favorite places growing up. The farm is actually where I saw handmade soap for the first time and became interested in making it. It all started about three and a half years ago. After spending two years planning my wedding, once it was over I found myself needing something else to keep me busy! I had always been
interested in making soap and had tried a few times when I was younger but had never entertained the thought of making a business out of it. After the wedding was over, I was laid off from my job and found myself with not only a lot more time on my hands, but a need for an income. I spent the first year doing a lot of research and testing recipes, and ”the rest is history!“
My favorite part of this business is being able to offer people a product that they can feel good about using and have them be excited
about it! My soaps contain all natural ingredients and it’s great to hear from customers with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema that my soaps have changed their lives! It’s a really good feeling to know that I am helping people. I also love the creative side of soap making – I’m an artist and I love putting my creative touch into each and every batch. You’ll hardly ever see a certain scent of soap look the same from batch to batch - I have too much fun playing with colors and different designs!
The most difficult part for me is not having a supplier close to me. I live in a very remote area in Northern Ontario and I can’t get
supplies anywhere within a 10 hour radius of me. I have to have everything shipped to me which is time consuming and costly. I make do though, and my customers don’t suffer from having to pay outrageous amounts for my soap. I absorb some of the cost of my supplies so that I can still offer my soaps at a price that is very competitive to other soapmakers in my area and that my
customers are comfortable paying. Natures Garden is always great at sending out my orders quickly! While I live in Canada, I still receive my orders from them within 6 business days, which is faster than some Canadian suppliers I use!
My favorite product from Nature’s Garden is definitely the fragrance oils. I have yet to not like any of the oils I have ordered! They are high quality fragrances that smell dead on to their description. I feel confident when I order that the fragrances I receive are just what I expected. Natures Garden is my only fragrance oil supplier now! My favorite aspect of Nature’s Garden are the reviews – it is great to see what other soapmakers have to say about the fragrances before I buy. Saves me a lot of time and money on having to
test them myself before making larger batches. I also love that Natures Garden lists all the detailed information regarding usage
amount, flash point, vanillin content, and CP soap test results. ANOTHER thing I love about Natures Garden fragrances is that the majority of the ones I’ve tried have been colorless which makes them very easy to work with when adding my own colors. And finally, I love that Natures Garden includes an “Aroma Bud” with each order. It is a great way to “try” a new fragrance, compliments of NG! I almost always end up ordering the scent my aroma Bud came in with my next order.
In the next year, I hope to start selling online a lot more. For the past two and a half years I have been selling locally and it’s been going so well that I haven’t needed to worry about a website. I do however get a lot of requests from people that do not live in my area that received my soaps as gifts, etc. that want to know how they can order more. I want to be able to share my soaps with as many people as possible so I know this is something I need to make a priority.
I’m hoping to have my website open for orders before Christmas and will continue improving it and adding products throughout the year.
Our Contact Info
Website: www.willowridgesoapco.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Willow-Ridge-Soap-Co/185408328163492