The Weekend Spotlight - Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium

Mud and Minerals Soap

It's the weekend again!! You know what that means right?? Well, it means that we will once again be featuring a fantastic Etsy shop! This week's feature is from the aromalicious (yes, I did just make that up!) Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium that sells some truly fantastic bath and body products! And how do I know they're fantastic? I've tried them that's how!!! If you want to know exactly what I thought of their products, check out my review!

Once you're done reading my incredibly insightful interview (HA!) you really MUST go enter this week's  GIVEAWAY, which is sponsored by the lovely Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium!!

Now for the interview...



1. What, exactly, is a caldarium anyway?
The definition of "caldarium" is a hot bath in a Roman bathhouse but I love the word so much it's our "kitchen". Our "caldarium" is located in our boutique behind our retail space and that is where we make all of our products fresh daily.


2. Which soap or fragrance is you personal favorite?
My personal favorite is our "Bathhouse Couture" fragrance. It's not what you think traditional, handmade bath & body products would smell like. It's for the modern person who loves handmade. It's a draw of fresh fruits, white florals, and sweet caramel. It can not be described it words. It's a fragrance that you just HAVE to smell.



Cookie Dough soap -yummy!

3. Your Goat's Milk Body Glaze fragrances sound amazing - have you ever made a real stinker of a fragrance?
Oh yes...I've made soap for 13 years so in that time I've made a stinker or two. I've made many that I personally don't care for but are true to the fragrance they represent, many of them being great sellers for me. One that stands out in particular is a "dill pickle" scented soap. I made wedding favors for a customer who's last name was changing to "Dill" and she requested dill soap as wedding favors for 300 guests. It took about 6 months to de-funk my workshop!


4.With soap fragrances like Peanut Butter N' Jelly, Cookie Dough and Root Beer, do you ever get hungry while making soap?
Totally! To the point that I am opening a cupcake boutique right next door to Bathhouse Soapery! Our biggest comment when customers come into our store is that they wish they could eat the soaps....so now they can get satisfaction from cupcakes that match our soap names. I do get to live out some of my cravings through our veggie lip balms though!


If so, what is your snack of choice while you're working? Ha! I love this question... I typically don't eat in the caldarium because I will end up eating soap! You would think soap making is a clean process but it's not.  Before I made soap in my own desginated shop I would make it in my kitchen and my kids would always yell out things like "Mom, my milk taste like soap!" or "Dang it Mom, my spaghetti tastes like soap!".



Milk mineral bath

5. Which of your products is your favorite to help relax after a stressful day?
My favorite relaxation concotion is our "Sleep" Mineral Bath mixed with our "Milk" Mineral Bath. The scent is like a lavender milkshake that leaves you oh-so-soft and super relaxed. I just throw a handful in a warm bath and soak. It helps my achy muscle and joints while giving the water a luscious smell.


6. I see that you mention a "drydown" scent - what is that?
It's when the topnotes and midnotes evaporate and lead the fragrance into the endnotes that settle on the skin to form the intended fragrance. All fragrances change with one's skin and they will transform during the dry down.

 

Foaming Body Scrub

7. Have you ever tasted, or been tempted to taste any of your soaps? If so, which one and how did it taste? Absolutely because the smells are so dead on! Personally, I've tongued our Oatmeal Foaming Body Scrub because the process is so close to making a delectable dessert. I start out whipping the soap in a Kitchen Aid mixer, I then add a pinch of cane sugar, a few cups of colloidial oatmeal, a dollop of shea butter, and my own fragrance blend of cream cheese frosting, buttercream, and real vanilla bean. There was an almost a full-blown makeout session with "Cookie Dough" soap because it smells like cookie dough heating up in a warm oven. I even tell customers that they shouldn't be ashamed if they taste their purchases; the smells play tricks with your mind!


8. Mac or PC?
I'm a newely converted iPad and iPhone user so I'm gravitating towards Mac but up to this point I've only had a PC because I buy off the bargain rack!

 

9. What other crafting style/genre are you most amazed/impressed/intimidated by?
I love photography and if I didn't make soap I would absolutely persue that venture more. I like old photographs turned into mixed media. One of my favorite artists is redheart13.etsy.com. I own many of Leila Marvel's Skeleton Krew prints. I enjoy gravestone rubbing and old ephemera. On the opposite end I can't get enough 20s, 30s, and 40s style pinup art. My cupcake boutique in will be called "Fat Bottomed Girl's Cupcake Boutique". It will be styled after the pinup era that I love surrounding myself with!



10. If you were limited to being able to have only one of your products, personally, which one couldn't you live without?
Aside from soap because that is my true obsession it would be my Goat's Milk Body Mist. Not only is it fabulous for quick lotion application and full body fragrance it's so versatile for general purpose uses. It works as an air freshener, leave in hair conditioner, facial moisturizer, and car freshener.


11. How is your bath and body boutique unique from others?
My goal for Bathhouse is to give our customers a truly unique experience. When a customer orders one of our Foaming Body Scrubs in store, online, or over the phone they are freshly hand-dipped from the body scrub bar my husband built by hand. Our soaps are cut fresh from the raw loaf by the slice. We even hand-scoop our mineral baths fresh out of the jar when ordered. Because bathtime is the only time in your day that you are truly alone, I strive to make essentials that maximize the quality of that time.


Like I said...I've tried their producs and I can attest to the quality! If you want to see a more detailed review of the products I've tried, check out my Product Reviews!


Also, be sure not to miss out on the fabulous GIVEAWAY sponsored by Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium - and the prize is a fabulous Milk Bath kit valued at $30!!!!!!!!