Goggles on, apron tied, ingredients measured and lined up on her kitchen counter. Linda Starnes is ready. She makes soap. And she does it in her kitchen at least twice a week. And it's becoming a booming business in the area.
"I just couldn't find the right kind of soap here when we moved to the desert and I've always been one to look things up and figure them out myself. So I did and started experimenting with making soap. And it's turned into a business," she says.
About two years ago she bought the chemicals to make it and has now perfected the equipment to blend it. She can even give you tips on how to do it yourself.
"You can't use glass because it can interact with the chemicals," she says. "I've learned you use heavy plastic instead. You cure it in wooden molds. And there are certain colors that work best for dying it. But one of the most important tools is the hand blender."
She heats the lye and the oil to within a few degrees of each other, pours them together and blends it with the fragrance she wants and waits.
"Once you've gotten this far," she says, "You're committed."
She splits the batter into two containers, colors them and then the artistic part comes in.
"This is the creative part," she says. "This is where you can make the patterns and be creative. Once the mold is filled you can swirl it and add layers. After you've done it awhile you learn what looks best as you cut it up."
That won't be for about six weeks. Soap has to cure and the lye has to dissipate for the bar to be durable.
She knows all the ins and outs now. She's been perfecting it for two years. She has about 15 variations of mixtures and she has four large notebooks of recipes including what works and what to avoid. And she's built up an array of fragrances that aren't too fruity or sweet. She even knows which oils work best with which recipes.
"I was working at a leather shop in Virginia City and it just seemed that it would make more sense to work at home. So I started making soap and taking it to farmer's markets to get a feel for what folks liked and would buy. It's like a large focus group for businesses," she says.
And now she's selling it online, at farmer's markets and in Virginia City gift shops. Her back bedroom is lined with shelves of supplies and racks of soap that's curing.
"It's becoming a very popular thing. I love doing this. And I'm hoping it takes off enough that when my husband retires we can live on this income and I can just work at home. It all started really because of the downturn in the economy. Everyone was looking for a new path for business and I found mine here in my own kitchen."
You can check out her selection of soaps at www.highlandsoapworks.com
Written by Erin Breen
