Updated: Sep 25, 2022
As I mentioned in my first blog (ever!) I have been a hairdresser. This gives me a ready-made battalion of testers. I started giving out bits of soap saying, try this, sniff that etc. etc. There is something wonderful about taking a big deep sniff of a bar of soap and feeling uplifted, soothed or relaxed. Experimenting with different blends of essential oils and learning about how each one affects our mood and sense of wellbeing. I had the most enormous amount of encouragement and support, and honest and valuable feedback, so by the time I'd come to my final recipe I was confident that my soap suited all skin types, but more than that was a pleasure to use, and beautiful to look at.
Once I'd got this far, the next thing was to get my recipe tested and assessed by a reputable cosmetic chemist. Did you know that it is illegal to sell soap in the UK without the assessment process being completed? I certainly didn't, but of course it makes perfect sense, we should all be secure in the knowledge that the products that we purchase to use on our skin are safe for our use and that the ingredients are not tested on animals.
That done, I was ready to launch. My passion for soap making was such that I just wanted to share my lovely product to the world.
This is where I introduce you to Mr M.I.F. Each soap has its own personality and therefore we needed a name to suit each one. Armed with a bottle of something chilled and white, and a large bowl of honey roasted (I know, classy eh?) we set about the naming process. We are both big music fans and this seemed the way to go. As the wine flowed we got funnier and funnier (or so we thought) and our first soap was named…. Soap on the Water…. I can't even say it without hearing Deep Purple playing in my head. Next, Who let the Suds Out, classic Baha Men. All 8 have musical names and have been great fun to create and develop.
I needed a company name. This was as tricky as anything. I spent nights awake with the note pad and pen by the side of the bed trying out different combinations of soapy sounding words…………. Nothing worked, everything I came up with either sounded a bit cheesy (but not in a good way) or had been done already. Then out of the blue it hit me. Made in Fishponds - it's where I live. M.I.F for short. M.I.F sounded sort of funny, a talking point which elicited some cheeky comments. Perfect, I've never taken myself too seriously and M.I.F fitted the bill perfectly. M.I.F Soap Co was born!