Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernestine Selby.
Hi Ernestine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It started as a homeschool project of melt and pour for my daughter 20 years ago, then making soap for a grandson with allergies, and for myself turned into a passion that now is my small business that I love. The homeschool melt and pour didn’t go to well it just didn’t seem like we were making soap, it was fun putting scents and colors, but I felt like i wanted to do more. I watched videos, read books, and took a class. Once I took that class, I was really hooked loving all the oils and scents and the science behind it. When I found out all the chemicals that are in the store-bought soaps and learned the difference of using fragrance oils or essential oils and natural base oils and just went into the want of using the most natural ingredients as i can. I love to educate others on the oils and essential oil properties so they can use the soaps to help themselves.
Candles came later when I got tired of the sooty wax candles and worried how they affected my animals indoors.. I do enjoy making candles also. they are just not as personal as making soap.
I am not as far along as I want to be, The Pandemic, then i got covid and it affected my heart. I had to go to cardiologist every three months, then every 6 months and i was told my heart healed itself, but I know it was God. ‘ I am just getting back out to vendor events and Just over the last week I was able to secure a Store #69 in the Corner Shops at the Daytona Flea and Farmers Market
I have a following that i have had for years and that keeps me going and now back to events, store front and new Website(almost finished ) Is getting me to where I want to be
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, at first it was finding the ingredients i wanted to use (quality). Learning what scents work with what base oils, but most of all the Pandemic made getting supplies a struggle, from lye for soap making to Jars for candles. there were supply issues.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My (real ) job … well I am a LPN and i have taken care of 2 young women since they were teenagers, I am sorry but do to regulations i cannot discuss this farther. I guess we can say soap and candles became my out then my peace. What am I known for, I would say that I am passionate about my Soaps and I love to talk about them and what they can do to help with skin issues. I am the sole maker, order maker, website updater, labeler, when we say handcrafted, there are no big pots or mixers and others helping, its me . I am proud that I have been doing it for years and have never given up on helping other through soaps
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people who know my brand might not know that i am mom to 7 children and 12 grandchildren,
Pricing:
- average price of a bar of soap is 10
- I make several styles of candles so they fit in most budgets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.southmountaingirl.com
- Facebook: South Mountain Girls Soap and Candles
