A FEW years ago, Sandy Williams started making handmade soaps as a hobby. Now she is the proud owner of “Selah Scents”, which offers 100 per cent natural products for skin and facial care.
Williams, 29, a former Leonora Secondary School teacher, migrated in 2014 with her husband to Georgia, USA and that is when her love for soap-making started.
“After I moved to the US, I started to get really dry skin, so I took up this challenge and went after it. He [her husband] supported me throughout all my testing of everything I made,” Williams explained.
“I have a crazy obsession with bubbles… My husband would get on me for the different detergents I used. I was always trying different bath products such as bath bombs, so he said why don’t you just make your own soaps,” she related.
According to the soap lover, her main goal is to provide a naturally made product for facial and skin care, as her company provides the market with handmade soaps using natural ingredients such as goats’ milk, buttermilk, and a variety of butters such as shea, kokum and turmeric.
After trial and error, in June 2017 Selah Scents was officially launched with the tagline, “Let us help you love your body.” The small business is an online company run through their Facebook page.
Selah, which means Warrior in Hebrew, was chosen for the company’s name.
Williams further explained that she never thought that she would have become an entrepreneur, since she was a teacher for the past 11 years and the business was the brainchild of her husband, Kwame.
“Selah Scents was really built on his dreams and my creativity. He is my biggest supporter and motivation. We have single-handedly conceptualised our brand. I have relied on his marketing and sales skills and I have used my knowledge from my communications degree to create my labels, business cards, banners and packaging ideas,” she added.
The entrepreneur strongly boasts that Selah Scents is the best care that you can afford for your skin, as she explained their facial bars last almost two weeks if used twice daily.
She further pointed out that their soaps offer natural care for the skin, without the cosmetic preservatives and if one checks their Facebook reviews, one would be able to see how much Selah’s products are loved.
Some of the products currently offered by Selah Scents are the company’s best seller, the charcoal soap, which is used as a detoxing mask for the skin; the turmeric luxury soap, which is a two-layer beauty bar that cleans and moisturises the skin; and novelty soap, which comes in any scent the consumer desires and could be molded in any shape such as mustaches, cupcakes, honeycombs, mermaids, unicorns and other fun shapes.
Within the horizon, Williams disclosed that their product line will expand to include items such as body sugar scrubs recipes, clay hair mask recipes and whipped body butter recipes, while remaining consistent and loyal to their customers.
“It’s really getting the feedback from our customers. When someone returns for a second order, it’s the best feeling in the world. Not just for the sale, but mostly because it lets us know they love our products. It’s a really good feeling, knowing that we can create something for people that they love,” Williams said.
Her advice to other entrepreneurs is to not let anyone or any thoughts distract you from making that investment. “However small, just make that start. Second and most importantly, do not be discouraged when people do not support you, even the people closest to you.”
