 Above: My creamy, natural goat milk soap in available in a variety of fragrances. |
 Above: My shower gel is paraben and sodium lauryl sulfate free. |
 Above: Foaming hand soap in a variety of fragrances clean and condition your hands. |
|
I would like to share a little background on how a hobby blossomed into a business. Body Essentials by Chet is my business which I established in 2008. While working as the Enrollment Coordinator for the west coast at Unum Insurance, I was given a handcrafted bar of soap as a birthday gift from a co-worker. When I tried the soap I could not believe how well it performed and was intrigued by how she made it. My co-worker shared books, web sites and answered endless questions regarding the soap making process. I began to dabble in the craft myself and I found that my new hobby was very similar to cooking which is something I also enjoy. After many attempts, I came up with my own hand crafted soap recipe. I experimented with natural ingredients like lemon grass, oatmeal, honey and cinnamon and then premium grade fragrance oils. I selected goat’s milk as the prominent ingredient because I was impressed with its skin healing and moisturizing properties. I had family and friends try my creations and I received very positive feedback. One of them had been experiencing a rash under his arms and been working with his doctor to find the cause. After trying my soap, the rash went away on its own. His doctor stated that he probably was reacting to the harsh chemicals in the commercial soap he had been using. I was encouraged to branch out and try selling my soaps at church fairs and charity events.
I soon began to work on a recipe for a body lotion that would complement the soap I created. My focus was to come up with a recipe to help moisturize and provide healing elements for the skin. I discovered that Shea butter and vitamin E absorbs rapidly without leaving my skin greasy. It revitalizes, softens & maintains skin moisture. The vitamin E helps skin look younger by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Customers cannot believe how well my lotions works and leaves their skin feeling silky. I recently had one customer comment “Your lotion is almost addictive! I put it on because I love how it feels on my skin! It is almost like my skin relaxes and says Thank you! When the feeling starts to go away I reach for more lotion!”
I moved forward and added a third item to my small line of personal care products. The addition of a shower gel gave an option to those who do not like to use a bar of soap to bathe. With feedback from my customers, I created a shower gel that can also be used as a bubble bath. Glycerine, vitamin E, aloe leaf juice and chamomile oil continue to provide a product which helps retain the moisture in your skin.
In 2009, when the flu epidemic hit, I saw a need for a hand soap to help eliminate the spread of germs throughout the day. I opted for a foaming hand soap that can be used in the kitchen and/or bathroom. It is formulated to clean, condition and protect the skin's natural moisture. I have many customers who work in the medical field who thank me for not offering my hand soap as an “antibacterial” product. They tell me it is difficult for them to find a nice hand soap which cleans but does not eliminate the good bacterial which is needed to fight germs as well.
To allow soap to drain, dry and harden between uses and extend the life of the soap, I offer a hardwood soap trivet which we make in our garage from Oak or Maple. Online, I also offer a shampoo that contains chamomile extract, aloe vera extract and papaya extract. These ingredients all clean your hair while maintaining its PH balance.
See us at these Art & Craft shows!April 30
USM Craft Show - Costello Sports Complex
Sat, 10am-4pm
May 7-8
Castleberry Fairs Mother's Day Weekend Craft Festival - Hampton Falls, NH
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
May 28-29
2011 Annual Memorial Day Show
Boothbay Common - Boothbay, ME
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
June 11
2011 Kennebec Celebration Arts & Crafts Show
Old Fort Western, Augusta, ME
Sat 11am-5pm
June 12
38th Annual Old Port Festival
Old Port, Portland, ME
Sun 11am-5pm
June 18
10th Annual Gardiner A & C Festival
Gardiner, ME
Sat 10am-4pm
June 18
Wolfe's Neck Farm Art Fest
Freeport, ME
Sat 10am-4pm
June 21-22
2011 Annual Windjammer Days
Boothbay Common, Boothbay, ME
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
June 25
South Berwick Strawberry Festival
Central School grounds, South Berwick, ME
Sat 9am-4pm
July 2-4
2011 Annual 4th of July Show
Boothbay Common, Boothbay, Me
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm, Mon 10am-4pm
July 2-3
Bath Heritage Days
Bath Heritage Park, Bath, ME
Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
July 15-17
Yarmouth Clam Festival
Yarmouth, ME
Fri 10am-9pm Sat 10am-9pm Sun 10am-5pm
July 16
Mollyockett Days
Bethel Common, Bethel, ME
Sat 9am-5pm
July 23
Artistree for all Seasons
Belgrade Community Center, Belgrade, ME
Sat 9am-4pm
July 23-24
8th Annual Harpswell Festival by the Sea
Harpswell, ME
Sat 11am-6pm Sun 11am-4pm
July 26-27
Orleans Summer A & C Fair
Nauset Middle School, Orleans, MA
Tues 10am-5pm Wed 10am Wed 10am-5pm
July 29-31
16th Annual Antique Tractor & Engine Show
Raitt Homestead Farm Museum, Eliot, ME
Fri 12-7 Sat 10am-6pm Sun 10am-2pm
August 11-14
United Maine Craftsmen 42nd Annual Cumberland Arts & Crafts Show
Cumberland Fairgrounds, Cumberland ME
Thurs - Sat 9am-4pm Sun 10am-4pm
August 20-21
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
Centre Street Congregational Church, Machias, ME
Sat 9am-5pm Sun 9am-3pm
August 27
SSMC Kennebunkport Village Green Craft Show
Ocean Ave, Kennebunkport, ME
Sat 10am-4pm
September 3-5
22nd Annual Labor Day Weekend Craft Fair at the Bay
Community House, Rt 11, Alton Bay, NH
Sat 10am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm Mon 10am-4pm
September 3-5
33rd Annual New England Arts & Crafts Festival
Topsfield Fairgrouns, Topsfield, MA
Sat 10am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm Mon 10am-4pm
September 10-11
23rd Annual Summer Solstice Craft Show
Wells Elementary School, Wells ME
Sat-Sun 10am-4pm
September 10
UMC - 10th Annual Fall Arts & Crafts Festival
Smiling Hill Farm, Westbrook, ME
Sat 10am-4pm
September 17
14th Annual Bethel Harvestfest
Bethel Town Common, Bethel, ME
Sat 9am-4pm
September 17-18
Old Deerfield Fall Craft Fair
10 Memorial Dr, Deerfield, MA
Sat-Sun 10am-pm
September 24
8th Annual Maine Lakes Brew Fest
Point Sebago Resort, Casco, ME
Sat 10am-5pm
Find Our Products At:
|
|