HEAVENSOAPS

Wilderness

After a few years in the corporate world, followed by a period as a full-time mother, Elsabè Jordaan was ready for a new challenge.

“I googled ‘What business can I start if I have only a bucket?’ And Google spat out ‘soap’. Soon after that, my husband and I went backpacking in the south of France, where I noticed soaps everywhere, even in the smallest villages. Back home, I looked for advice all over and wanted to do a soapmaking course, but I found the industry to be quite closed and I quickly realised I would have to teach myself.”

Elsabè found a few good second-hand soapmaking books online, and so HeavenSoaps was born, a company with which she would like to “spread heavenly scents”. She makes her soaps from natural plant oils, and her range includes Spanish Castille olive-oil soap, as well as boerseep, glycerine soap, bath salts, a body scrub and bath balls.

Is soap-making a profitable business? Soap-making is hard work, but very creative, fulfilling and rewarding. More and more consumers are reading labels and there is a growing demand for natural products. What makes your products unique? I don’t know whether one can go as far as assigning emotion to soaps, but I would say it’s the pareddown honesty of my products that makes them special. Biggest misconceptions? Because the end product looks so pretty and neat, and is fragrant and well packaged, people are often surprised when they visit our studio and see how messy the process is and that we wear aprons, gloves and goggles. Few people know that soap goes through a neutralisation process that takes four to six weeks before the pH is low enough so you can use it.

Top tips

• Don’t be afraid to experiment – that’s part of the fun of soapmaking. Few mistakes are irreparable and some “flops” become bestsellers! • Use the resources at your disposal – you probably already have most of the equipment. After all, our grandmothers made soap without gas, thermometers and the like. • Maintain balance – this is something I still struggle with. You don’t often relax enough when you own a business, especially if that business is in your home.

heavensoaps.co.za 044 877 1752 heavensoapstelkomsa.net