My name is Don Zufall and I have been making soap for 5 years. Almost 3 years ago I decided to turn it into a business, with my daughter. I initially got into soap making because of my lovely wife's many allergies and the increasing issues I have had with my epilepsy. As all of you know, most commercial soaps are chemically toxic. They also use chemical fragrances that are the primary issue for my wife. It took a while to get good soap but I've been selling it online, at farm markets, and wholesale to an increasing number of retail stores. I use olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil (cleansing), castor oil (to create good lather), and lots of shea butter (moisturizer). I only use good quality essential oils. In fact, finding consistent quality essential oils was the biggest issue for me. When I ordered off Amazon or from US retailers, almost every oil had fundamental differences from previous orders. Some oils were unusable and I had to dispose of them (looking at you, Amazon). As you all know, consistency is critical for soap making. Luckily, I found a Canadian source, New Directions Aromatics, for my essential oils. They have great quality, consistency, and very competitive prices. I also found a somewhat local source for 5 gallon pails of my base oils, The Chemistry Store, in Columbia, SC. It takes most of a day to drive there and back but I save hundreds on shipping. I get my food grade lye from Duda Energy in 5 gallon pails.
