Today we’d like to introduce you to Genoveva Romero-Márquez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Creature Soaps is a little company that bloomed out of the sensitive skin, creativity, a curious girl & an obsessive hobby.
I grew up taking art courses ever since I was in elementary school, back when I lived in Tijuana, México. Learning about different facets of art forms & their styles always intrigued me, so taking at least one art course per semester was a must to fulfill my needy heart needs! High school was the time frame where I experienced the most appreciation for the arts, whether it was painting in art class, creating magazine covers in computer art class, or performing and dancing away in Folklorico class; it was heaven.
However, it all came to an abrupt stop during my first year of college. I was no longer surrounded and focused on art, but rather mathematics, physics, and well, engineering. I graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering & a Bachelor’s of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature. Besides the love I already held for it, Spanish literature was the wholesome safe haven my artistic sanity needed.
While I was in college (let’s say, it all started about four years ago), I had constant skin problems where random patches of (what I now understand to be eczema) extremely dry, painful skin sores tormented my arms and torso. Washing and bathing with regular soap only made it worse, and expensive lotions never really did the trick. This led me into a year-long search on how soaps and lotions are made; I needed to find out why it was causing me so much pain and discomfort! I quickly found out most commercial soaps had harsh chemical ingredients that were only making my skin worse, let alone those fancy lotions.
After searching and finding goldmines of information through books and online resources from chemists, dermatologists, botanists, and experienced soap makers, I decided to give it a go!
There was such an infinite way of making your own soap formula, that I decided to simply focus on the raw ingredients I already used on myself when my skin became unbearable: Unrefined shea butter and cocoa butter. They were expensive to buy, but they always gave me the temporary relief I searched for. I quickly learned that I had to make sure moisturizing was my focus when treating my skin, which meant more of this pricy stuff had to be a part of my formula. I did not have a lot of money to spend on experimenting (since I was fresh out of college, and well, bills were kind of important), so I would make tiny 1lb batches once a month to try out new recipes. After many (trust me, it was SO SO MANY!) trials and custom recipes, I finally found the perfect balanced recipe for my skin. Naturally, this led me to create and experimenting with all sorts of natural colorants, fragrances, essential oils, and more! And well, here we are today!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m a one-woman production company, but still, I truly wish I could say that it’s been easy, but as we all know, nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. Thankfully, I’ve had a wonderful boyfriend by my side that has been immensely supportive of my little business since its inception. We could say that he and a select few pushed me to start it! I was quite nervous to start my own business, not only because I truly had no idea how to do it, but I was also terrified of failing myself. Just like everyone else, I had failed in numerous ways & occasions before, which I was familiar with in the process of healing, but never in a business type setting; this made me extremely nervous. With that in mind, I forced myself into many situations where I felt self-conscious and unprepared, only to see myself excel. However, failure still happened. Very quickly I learned that failure was my best friend; without it, I wouldn’t have grown and learned as fast as I did in the past six months. From logistical issues, extremely limited funds (I refused to take out loans), complications with finding room to cure soaps in my tiny apartment, and an intense array of uncomfortable & hurtful experiences, I learned to accept it and use it as fuel for my passion.
But to be completely honest with you, the fact that it has been tough at times (spiritually & logistically) has only made it that much more fulfilling and rewarding to see my little company grow. I’ve always been more “product quality” focused than business minded. Many of us who have a passion for something tend to be this way though, especially those of us who have our own small businesses; we end up needing help from those awesome business-minded peeps. Find a good core group of small business owners that support each other’s passions, and help will come. It’s ok to reach out and ask for help, ladies! 🙂 Everyone had to do it at some point.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Creature Soaps – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
“Are those pastries?!” “What flavor cakes are these?!” “Are those desserts?!” “But can I eat it… are you sure?” “These smell amazing!” These are the most commonly exclaimed things people say when they see my soaps, and I love it! I can’t help but smile when people call my soaps “works of art;” it’s extremely rewarding and it makes me feel like all my hard work & tears were worth it. I tend to spend a solid 5-6 hours per soap loaf I make, and I only work in small batches (2lb loafs = about 7 or 8 bars depending on how I cut them individually), so you can imagine how special each little batch really is to me. They’re like my babies, and I’m a perfectionist, so attention to detail is something I take very seriously in everything I make (which is why I have not released bath bombs or bubble bars; I haven’t perfected my recipe yet, but I’m almost there!!).
The reality is, I love making soap. That was my very first hobby, which then grew into making all sorts of bath and body products; lotions, bubble bars, coffee & salt scrubs, bath bombs, shampoo bars, you name it! But I always ended up going back to soap making. Something about the process, freedom of design, and the power to create truly skin-nourishing, skin-loving, luxuriously blended soaps that not only saved my skin but other’s as well. Sure, the visual effect my soaps have is always awesome, but if I’m being completely honest, there is absolutely nothing more genuinely fulfilling than seeing returning customers with happier & healthier looking skin, who absolutely loved the experience they’ve had with my little soaps.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
If there is any advice I could give other boss ladies out there, it would be to believe in your product. And PLEASE, do not let other’s negative comments, discrediting & doubting thoughts, or the potentially complex process of getting started to intimidate and keep you from starting your journey. Remember that you are smart, capable, and strong.
In the wise words of Christopher Robin, “you’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” You’ve got an idea, you’ve got a passion, run with it!
Pricing:
- Basic Bars – $8
- Premium Bars – $10
- Luxury Bars – $12
Contact Info:
- Website: www.creaturesoaps.com
- Email: veva@creaturesoaps.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creaturesoaps/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreatureSoaps
Image Credit:
Griffith Observatory Hair Flop Shot + Soap Glam Shots by Alejandro (Paco) Avila
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
