Lotion Quest – Part 1

I distinctly remember the day my husband said, “Why don’t we just make our own lotion?” This was at a time when we were particularly exhausted. Our 2 year old daughter had just developed very sever eczema. Nothing was working. It was so bad we used to tie socks on her hands at night to keep her from scratching. Many of the creams and lotions we would try to use on her would burn her or make her itching worse.

This was back in the early internet days, encyclopedia and library info only. Making lotion just seemed impossible. I didn’t even know what half the ingredients listed on the lotion bottle were. My husband had much more faith in the process. He took out the blender and various ingredients and went to work. He was enthusiastic but unsuccessful.

Fast-forward to 2005, we are in the soap business. It’s my first farmer’s market, things are moving right along. I am ready to expand my product line but 3 children later I still haven’t solved that lotion problem. I see another vendor selling lotion and that is when it happens…people walking away from the booth rubbing their sticky, grease slathered arms and holding their hands out as to say, anyone got a napkin? It just brought back bad childhood memories being rubbed down with Vaseline by a well-meaning Grandmother, then going outside and having all manner of dust and debris stick to your oil slicked skin.

I knew right then and there, I had to do something. I didn’t want people to associate natural products with this negative experience. There had to be better way.

If you want to know what happens next you’ll have to come back tomorrow for Part 2.