Hello and welcome to Moongarden Soapery! My name is Nancy, and I am the face behind my small soap business. I was born in California, in the San Fernando Valley, and lived there for the first 13-years of my life. I then moved to Compton, California shortly after my 13th birthday and grew up in the hub city until I married the love of my life in 2007. Honestly, I am so proud to be half valley and half hub city girl. There is so much history and culture in both cities.
Besides running my soap business, I am also a Part-Time English Instructor who teaches writing courses at two local community colleges. I absolutely love teaching and working with my students every semester. They are my joy, and when the semester is over, they take a big piece of my heart with them.
Five years ago, I fell in love with my first handmade soap I purchased on Etsy. I was amazed at how creamy and moisturizing the soap felt on my skin, and I later discovered that this was due to the natural glycerin that handmade soap retains. Truthfully, I never thought a bar of handmade soap could feel that good, so I’ve been buying handmade soap ever since.
In the summer of 2021, I decided to learn to make my own handmade soap because I just loved it that much. I read books and watched tons of soapmaking videos on YouTube from many other soapmakers around the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK. I learned about the different soaping methods such as cold and hot process as well as melt and pour. I also learned about lye safety, different oils and butters you can use in soap, creating recipes, soaping temperatures, design techniques, and curing soap. During that summer, I was learning and literally dreaming about making soap. Once I gained the basic knowledge of soapmaking, it was time to give it a try. However, I was faced with one obstacle: failure. I was afraid to fail, and as a result, I was at a standstill for several days. My husband, who has been my number one supporter since day one, helped me get over my fear. On Halloween of that same year, I finally got the courage and made my first batch of cold process soap. My first batch was definitely a big fail. It was not aesthetically pleasing in my opinion, and although my soap did not turn out the way I had planned, I was very proud of my first attempt, but most importantly, I was proud because I did not let my fear of failure hold me back. My first soap making experience was AMAZING overall, and I have been addicted ever since!
Over the past 2 years, soaping has become a big part of my life. A lot of love and passion goes into each batch I make, and I always look forward to making a new batch of soap. I have made many mistakes along the way, but it’s through those mistakes that have motivated me to work harder each day, so that I could improve my craft. I also wanted to turn my love of soapmaking into a small business, and while I specialize in cold process soap here at Moongarden Soapery, I also enjoy making other bath treats and sharing them with you. I have added some new products to my little store and hope to add more in the future. Although the journey has not been easy, I have enjoyed every part of it, and I am proud of how far I’ve gotten and where I am today.
Thank you so much for reading my bio and for supporting my small business. I’d like to invite you to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and keep up with any updates about new product releases, pop up events, sales, and much more!
With love,
Nancy
Instagram and Tiktok: @moongardensoapery
Facebook: Moongarden Soapery