How a mom turned her passion for taking care of her kids into a successful business
A young mother’s search for the perfect soap for her two boys suffering from atopic dermatitis led to a business which, for seven years now, has been making other mommies very happy–By Nature Soaps.
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(photo by Pinggot Zulueta) | | "I’m really into personal products–soaps, fragrance, and aromatherapy. It so happened that my two boys–Darrence Lenzo and Deiuss Lucian–both have topical dermatitis and I went into serious research in finding the perfect soap for them," 33-year-old Darlene del Mundo says.
Del Mundo reveals that seeing the results in her children made her realize that she made the right choice in starting her soap business.
"Well, it’s not really because of the profit; it’s more of the benefits my husband and children get [from] using all-natural handmade soaps," she adds.
Del Mundo admitted though it was not easy at the start.
She spent countless hours researching how to make all-natural handmade soaps and did a lot of experiments at home.
"I ended up with batches that did not pass my standards. Some were too dry and others were too soft; some produced [too few] bubbles, and others lathered but did not bubble at all. Then after quite a [few trials and errors], I finally came up with a batch that was just the right concoction. That batch bubbled with a very nice lather. I felt so clean and refreshed after trying it, like all the dirt on my skin came off, and yet, it did not feel dry at all," Del Mundo says.
She stuck with this formulation and experimented with more all-natural scents, spices, and ingredients to come up with other varieties.
According to Del Mundo, her investment for her first outing as a soap-maker was around P100,000.
She joined bazaars, and news of her all-natural handmade soaps spread like wildfire. By the Christmas season of her first year, she could hardly descend from the third floor of their home, which she used as her soap-making area, because of tons of orders.
The start of a dream
For the last six years, By Nature Soaps could only be bought at bazaars, which Del Mundo actively joined. Her first customers became her resellers.
"The soaps were such a hit that I eventually decided to market it via [a] website last year," Del Mundo added.
From the three products she initially came up with–sampaguita, jasmine, and lavender bars–Del Mundo now has a long list of regular, standard, and premium bars that not only do wonders for the skin but also smell good.
Regular bars contain coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, fragrance oils, ground oatmeal, herbs, spices, honey beeswax, cocoa butter, milk, cocoa powder, dried leaves, ground pumice, and ground coffee, and sell for P85 per bar.
Meanwhile, her special bars contain essential oils and plant or fruit extracts plus vitamin E. Special bars are sold for P115 per bar.
For the premium bars, Del Mundo said that these bars are high with essential oils. They sell for P145 per bar.
"They (the soaps) can also serve as an all-natural shampoo bar for your hair," she adds.
Her bestseller is the Baby Blue soap, the one that she made especially for her two boys. Baby Blue contains chamomile essential oil, calendula extract, goat’s milk, honey, aloe vera gel, oatmeal, and vitamin E.
"These are all wonderful ingredients that are perfect for my kids’ sensitive skin," she says.
Another bestseller is the No Bites Bar, which is made with insect-repelling essential oils. It also has chamomile extract to moisturize skin and oatmeal to soothe the body.
One of her latest offerings is the Olive Beauty, a castile soap that is also 100% natural.
"It is so mild that it is safe to use [on] infants and newborns," Del Mundo says.
She also boasts about her Cocoa Butter soap, which Del Mundo claims helps clear traces of tummy scratches on pregnant women.
Home-based business
"What I like about this business is that it allows me to be home with my boys while at the same time making products that I am most definitely proud of and which my family and I use ourselves," Del Mundo says.
She spends an average of half a day in her soap-making area to produce at least 10 batches of soap daily. One batch is equivalent to 50 bars.
"Moms are my regular clients. They love the Baby Blue, No Bites, and Olive Beauty bars," she said.
Del Mundo’s By Nature Soaps have gone global, too, courtesy of balikbayans and expats who have brought the soaps as pasalubongs or giveaways for their friends and families abroad. In fact, recently, a bride’s mother ordered hundreds of her soaps to be used as giveaways for a wedding in Switzerland. The Swiss couple immediately posted their testimony in Del Mundo’s website (www.bynaturehandmadesoaps.com) and shared how they fell in love with the soap.
Giving back
Del Mundo added that through By Nature Handmade Soap, she was also able to fulfill her dream of giving donations to organizations, whom she shares the same visions with.
She has been giving part of her profits to Haribon Foundation, the Lactation Attachment Training Counselling Help (LATCH), the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and UNICEF Philippines.
"My only goal is to be able to share (By Nature Soaps) [with] as [many] users as possible, especially mommies like me with kids who have sensitive skin," Del Mundo says.
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