Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphane Mitlo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daphane. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
The concept for Salty Lemon is deeply personal to me in so many ways. The same love of nature I had as a child – exploring local forest land in my home state of New Jersey, befriending and studying tiny wild creatures, relishing in family camping trips – later manifested itself in both my academic focus (Wildlife Biology) and my business’s approach to environmental sustainability.
My interest in natural, health-conscious skincare was honed during my time in beauty school and organic salon employment and is the main focus of my business today.
Finally, the company name itself is a not-so-subtle reference to a favorite cultural/family tradition of eating lemons with salt. Salty Lemon was started very soon after the birth of our first child, just over two years ago, when I was home full-time. I had been exploring the creation of skin care products for personal use for years as a part-time hobby. When I finally decided to try cold-process soap making, I took to it very quickly.
That was when it occurred to me that my experiments were really a viable product line that I was excited to share with others. In September 2017, I participated in my first makers’ market and got a great response from customers.
Not long after, we launched a website, became more consistently active on Instagram, established our first retail consignment accounts, and have been participating in regular and occasional markets ever since. We have grown steadily, with plenty of encouraging milestones along the way.
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?
In some ways, it has been a smooth road. That is, Austin is a very eclectic, welcoming city for artisans; there has been no shortage of market opportunities, which has allowed us to gauge real interest in our products. And the community of makers and small business entrepreneurs is vibrant, diverse, and loving.
Our most significant obstacle is time. That is, it has been a struggle for my husband and I to make ample time for the business without sacrificing time with our 2-year-old or quality time with each other. That said, we definitely have fun operating Salty Lemon as a team.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Salty Lemon Apothecary – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Salty Lemon Apothecary provides artisan handmade soap, candles, and skin-care products that are phthalate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.
We are most known for our handmade soaps, which stand apart from many others by being palm oil-free. We are very proud of this distinction because we see it as a burden we welcome for the sake of quality.
I like to think we are known for transparency and great customer service as well. We have great relationships with our repeat customers and wholesalers.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am always working on expanding the varieties and types of products we offer. We plan to evolve some of our product lines in 2019, among other changes.
My dream, if not plan, is to have a shop space for Salty Lemon, where I can also provide soap making classes and other workshops, and ultimately bring women together for education, empowerment, creative fulfillment, and fun!
Pricing:
- We offer free shipping for online orders over $49 – just select the Free Shipping option at checkout!
- Use the code SALTYBAE for 10% off your order at checkout
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saltylemonapothecary.com
- Email: saltylemonapothecary@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saltylemonapothecary
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaltyLemonApothecary/
Image Credit:
Faith Sams
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