Botanical Suds

Sally's interest in Handmade Soaps and toiletries started when she was very young watching her Grandma Sallie make soap for her family. Handmade soaps were not nearly as pretty then as they are now. Certainly they did not contain the absolutely fantastic fragrances that we have now. On occasion handmade soap would contain lemon zest that would cut... through the somewhat odd smell of the beef tallow used to make the soaps. Now we use very fine oils and butters. There is almost no limit to the fragrances we can add using essential oils or blend using combinations of essential oils to replicate fragrances that we can not extract. Handmade soaps are a healthier alternative to the chemicals contained in commercial soaps. There is even one commercial soap currently on the market that advertises that it "contains only gentle detergents." We really don't want to put detergents on our skin, even if they are "gentle." For many years Sally enjoyed crafting soaps and toiletries to give as gifts or for personal use. In December, 2002 she married Michael Clark, owner of English Country Gardens a Nursery and Garden Center in the Mountains of North Georgia. She decided to use some of their herbs and botanicals to color, enhance, and fragrance her toiletries. Thus Botanical Suds was born. In 2014, Vicki Constantinides joined the Botanical Suds family. She started making soap in the fall of 2000 after a trip to an herb farm outside of San Diego, California where she got the soaping bug. We formed a fast friendship that began because of her passion for making soap. It didn't take long for us to realize we are "Soaping Soulmates" and were destined to work together! In 2015, Vicki retired and moved to Hiawassee and began soaping full-time. An enormous amount of pride and attention go into the production of our high quality soaps and toiletries. By combining some of the finest oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Soybean Oil, and/or Sweet ...Read More