SFA student Ashleigh Martin is bringing finesse to soap making with her business, Finesse Scent Shop. About two years ago, she started making soap and a year ago decided she enjoyed it so much that she started her own business.
The idea to make soap began with her desire for a summer project. “It started out as a hobby” said Martin. “I like to take up a new craft each summer.” She soon realized that people enjoyed her soap and decided to start selling it.
According to Martin there are two main methods of soap making- hot process and cold process. The method she uses now is hot process, which is also called “melt and pour.” In this method, the soap base is pre-made and then scent is added along with color. It is then put in a mold to dry before being packaged. (To see/hear Ashleigh explain the process check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r4_7hY6iIY&t=1s)
Experimenting with different soap color and shape possibilities is exciting for Martin. “Instead of buying clothes I’ll go to the craft store and buy silicone molds” said Martin. “I like seeing the different shapes and experimenting with different colors to get different unique ones you wouldn’t normally find.”
Martin is an English major and Children’s Literature minor at SFA. She plans on getting her master’s in Library Science after she graduates from SFA in May. She also hopes to do more traveling and wants to volunteer for AmeriCorps with a program where she would work with kids in libraries.
In addition to her post-undergrad plans she says that Finesse Scent Shop will continue to grow. She plans to expand her shop in the future to include things like bath bombs, lotions, and body scrubs. “That’s what’s really in right now” said Martin. “People are obsessed with bath bombs.”
To check out Ashleigh’s soap, visit her website at: https://squareup.com/store/ashleighs-scent-shop, and follow her shop’s Instagram: @finessescentshop and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinesseScentShop/