‘Crafty’ Lawrence County woman’s soap making grows into lucrative business
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
LOUISA — A Lawrence County woman went from making face masks during the COVID-19 period to now creating her own business, Simple Soap Kitchen.
April Steele, 32, a former U.S. Postal Service worker, quit her sub-contracting position when COVID-19 hit.
“That was also the same time that I had my second son, Henry,” Steele said. “I sewed a lot of face masks in that scary time with a new born and started selling them for extra income. I guess I have always been a little crafty.”
Steele said she thought she would try making some soap out of her lemon verbena plant that she had grown, as she had read it had plenty of benefits.
“I have always been the type to use what I grow and take advantage of what’s naturally all around me, and I love the scent of verbena,” Steele said. “I went from making my first loaf of lemon verbena soap to about 100 loaves of soap.”
Steele said it wasn’t long after that she purchased a dehydrator, and she was so curious of everything she could make and incorporate into goat milk soap.
“I harvest and raise a lot of herbs and also forage for a lot of different plants that are very beneficial for our skin,” Steele said. “I have even made jelly like dandelion and violet jelly.”
Steele said she also purchases products through organic-based companies.
Steele also said that she got curious and started making more beneficial ways to use herbs, plants, natural butters and oils.
“I now carry body butters, sugar scrubs, beeswax lip balms, healing slaves all the way to beard oil, face oil, room spray, laundry boosters and soy wax tarts,” Steele said. “My little business has bloomed, and I am very thankful for everything.”
Steele also said that she is at home with her 2-year-old son and making time to make products daily, adding that she sometimes does short video clips of herself behind the process of what she makes.
Steele does it all by herself, although her 11-year-old son, Riley, loves to help now and then.
“He enjoys all the good manly smelling soap I make for him,” Steele said. “My future plans is to hire some help, but to keep growing and be able to rent a shop one day in Louisa for everyone local to come in and experience how great natural skincare products are for your skin, its much more than an amazing smell,” she said. “I have customers reaching out in all states now and have been told how my products have helped with their eczema, rosacea, skin rashes and much more. I believe in simple ingredients with powerful benefits.”
Steele has an Etsy page — @SimpleSoapKbyApril — that has some items listed, also has a skin care service Facebook page, “Simple Soap Kitchen”