I Want To Smell Good

I created this column so that people can get knowledge on what is handmade, how can I get handmade items, and how I can do handmade myself.

I have come up with this article and I was able to interview someone who is awesome in the work that she does in her handmade talent. Over the course of a few weeks and over e-mails I was able to talk to Maegan Beishline who owns her own handmade soap shop called Madeline Bea Soap Co. Maegan makes handmade items mostly, bath and body, for your everyday needs. To learn more about her here is the interview.

How many years have you been making items for the body?

This is my third year in business. I started making soap in January of 2007 and began making everything else shortly thereafter.

After you started making the soaps, lip balm, etc was the driving force for you to start selling these handmade items for bath and body?

Soapmaking is a pretty costly hobby so it was not long after I fell in love with the process that I started selling. There were so many different kinds of soap I wanted to make and so many ingredients that I wanted to experiment with that I knew I’d have to start making some money in order to keep going. Plus, my family and I were accumulating way more soap than we could ever have used. I started making everything else just to round out my product line. I had many of the ingredients that I needed to make the balms, salves, and scrubs so I thought “why not.”

Besides making soaps, lip balms and what not, what other handmade crafts do you know how to do?

Oh my goodness, I would craft all day long if I could. I love painting, scrapbooking, card making, multi-media projects, and photography. I’m not saying that I excel in any particular venue, but I enjoy and experiment with many types of crafts. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!

Out of all the things you have done in life what made you stick to making bath& body items?

Well, I enjoy making natural bath & body products. I make products that are really wholesome and nurturing and I feel like I’m contributing something positive to my household and to my customers. Also, I feel like my business provides easy, affordable, little luxuries for everyday. We live pretty frugally and with three little ones I don’t have a lot of time for myself. But I love the idea of having little indulgences throughout the day, such as a bar of yummy homemade soap on the sink and a good body scrub in the shower, to renew my spirits. I think that it’s so important to treat ourselves well, so I guess I feel that my work is in alignment with my values.

I understand that you have kids, do you make things for them and for other kids as well?

I do. I have three little girls and my oldest has eczema so I design many of my products with her in mind. I recently developed our ‘bea Squeaky’ line of products for young children. Included in the line is a really fun lotion stick called the ‘Fruits & Veggies Body Balm’ that comes in a twist-up tube (like a big lip balm) that kids can put on themselves. My daughter loves that she can go and grab some when she has an “itchy spot.”

We also have a pretty extensive ‘Baby Bea’ product line. I hate the thought of using harsh chemicals on little ones. We have a newborn in the house so making these great products comes in handy!

When some looks at your shop what should they expect?

Our shop contains affordable luxuries for everyday. We sell sophisticated, high quality Bath & Body products that are great for your skin and good for your soul. Quality and customer service are really important to me. I like to think that the name ‘Madeline Bea Soap Co.’ has an aura of wholesomeness. I’m constantly tweaking my products and my shop to be better and better.

What is your most popular item?

I would definitely say that we sell more soap than anything else but we get absolutely rave reviews on our Softest Lips Lip Balm.

Now that the interview is over what advice would you give on handmade items for the body?

I would say that when it comes to buying handmade Bath& Body products that presentation says a lot. If someone has put time into quality packaging and company image, then they’ve probably put time into developing a quality product. Look for products with natural ingredients that are sulfate and paraben-free. Oh, yeah, and stock up on Madeline Bea Soap Co. products!

If you are interested in buying Madeline Bea Soap products here is the link to her etsy shop.

If you do not know what esty is, etsy is a website that focuses mainly on handmade items. I will try to bring a new etsy shop each week. I hope you enjoyed this one.