The Ingredients I Trust (After Years of Trial and Error)

Hey friends! Stacie here, writing from our Enola kitchen where I’m surrounded by jars of natural ingredients—shea butter, coconut oil, essential oils, dried herbs.

Let me tell you what I’ve learned after making soap and skincare products for over a decade, testing every single batch on my own skin before I’d ever sell it to a customer.

Here’s the reality: Not all “natural” ingredients are created equal. Some work beautifully. Some are overhyped by wellness influencers. Some are great IN THEORY but don’t hold up when you’re actually making products in your kitchen and using them through brutal Central PA winters.

After making thousands of bars of soap, hundreds of batches of body butter, and testing on my own family (including my grandson’s sensitive skin)—I know which natural ingredients actually DELIVER results you can see and feel.

No ingredient trend-chasing. No “superfood of the month” nonsense. Just the ingredients that have proven themselves, year after year, in our Enola kitchen and on our customers’ skin.

Let me share what works, why it works, and which of our products contain these powerhouse ingredients.

The Big 3 Ingredients I Use in Almost Everything

1. Coconut Oil: The Lightweight Workhorse

What it does: Moisturizes without being heavy or greasy. Creates beautiful lather in soap (yes, that matters!).

Why I love it:

Absorbs quickly
Rich in fatty acids that nourish skin
Natural preservative qualities (helps keep products fresh naturally)
Affordable and sustainable

Where we use it:

Our cold process soaps - Coconut oil creates that rich, bubbly lather people love
Whipped body butter - Adds moisture without weight
Sugar scrubs - Binds everything together and leaves skin soft

My experience: When I first started making soap, I tried a batch WITHOUT coconut oil. It didn’t lather well and felt… flat. Coconut oil transformed everything. Now I don’t make soap without it.

2. Shea Butter: The Heavy-Duty Protector

What it does: Deep, lasting moisture. Creates a protective barrier on skin.

Why I love it:

Perfect for dry, cracked skin (my hands in winter!)
Gentle and soothing (great for my grandson’s sensitive skin)
Rich in vitamins A and E
Doesn’t clog pores despite being thick and creamy

Where we use it:

Whipped body butter - This is the STAR ingredient
Lotion bars - Provides that solid-but-meltable texture
Some of our specialty soaps - Adds extra moisturizing boost

Real Central PA application: Our winters are BRUTAL. Shea butter is what keeps my hands from cracking and bleeding when I’m making soap all day and the temperature outside is 15°F.

3. Essential Oils: The Therapeutic Scent + Skin Benefit Duo

What they do: Provide natural fragrance PLUS skin benefits.

My go-to essential oils:

Lavender - Calming scent, gentle on skin, traditionally used in aromatherapy

Where: Lavender Goat Milk soap, relaxing body butter scents
Why: Gentle enough for sensitive skin, smells amazing

Peppermint + Eucalyptus - Cooling, opens airways, energizing

Where: Vapor Bear Balm, shower steamers, invigorating soaps
Why: Natural congestion relief (lifesaver during Central PA cold season!)

Tea Tree - Traditionally used in natural skincare, clarifying, refreshing scent

Where: Facial bars, acne-fighting products
Why: Helps with breakouts without harsh chemicals

My take on essential oils: They’re NOT just for scent. The right essential oils provide real therapeutic benefits. But quality matters—I only use pure essential oils, never synthetic fragrances labeled as “essential oils.”

Why Natural Ingredients Matter (Beyond the Buzzwords)

Everyone talks about “natural” now. But here’s what it actually means:

Gentler on Sensitive Skin

My grandson has eczema. Store-bought soaps with synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals make it flare up. Natural ingredients don’t.

Reality check: Natural doesn’t automatically mean “perfect for everyone.” But it DOES reduce the risk of irritation and allergic reactions.

Actually Nourishing (Not Just Coating)

Synthetic products often just sit on top of your skin. Natural oils and butters ABSORB. They deliver vitamins, fatty acids, and nutrients deep into your skin.

What this looks like: When you use our whipped body butter, your skin FEELS different. Soft, protected, healthy. Not just “slippery” for an hour.

Better for Central PA’s Extreme Weather

We deal with:

Freezing winters (dry, cracked skin)
Humid summers (need moisture that doesn’t feel heavy)
Indoor heating (strips skin of moisture)
Outdoor allergens (need soothing, gentle ingredients)

Natural ingredients handle all of this better than synthetic products because they WORK WITH your skin instead of fighting it.

How to Get the Most from Natural Ingredients

Here’s what I’ve learned from 10+ years of making and using natural skincare:

Start Simple

Don’t overhaul your entire routine at once. Pick ONE natural product to start with—a soap, a body butter, a lip balm. Use it consistently for 2-3 weeks. See how your skin responds.

Why: Natural ingredients work WITH your skin. They need time to show results. They’re not harsh chemicals that strip everything instantly.

Layer Products Thoughtfully

My routine:

Cleanse - Natural soap (Lavender Goat Milk or Honey Donkey for my face)
Exfoliate - Sugar scrub 2-3x per week
Moisturize - Whipped body butter or lotion bar

The result: Soft, healthy skin that can handle Central PA’s weather extremes.

Pay Attention to Your Skin

Natural ingredients let you LISTEN to your skin. Because they’re gentler, you can actually tell what your skin needs instead of fighting constant irritation.

Example: My hands feel extra dry after making soap all day → I reach for our Cocoa Butter lotion bar. My grandson’s eczema flares up → We use Honey Donkey soap and unscented body butter. Your skin tells you what it needs if you pay attention!

Real Reactions from Central PA Customers

These are ACTUAL conversations from craft shows:

At Williams Grove Speedway Craft Show: “I’ve been using your Lavender Goat Milk soap for 3 months. My skin has never felt this soft. What’s in it that makes it so different?”

My answer: Goat milk, coconut oil, shea butter, lavender essential oil. That’s it. Simple, nourishing ingredients that work.

At East Pennsboro Pumpkinfest: “My daughter has eczema and everything irritates her skin. Can she use this?”

I let them test our Honey Donkey soap (unscented, ultra-gentle). They came back the next year to buy 6 bars and tell me it was the only soap that didn’t cause a flare-up.

At Central Dauphin High School Show: “This body butter smells AMAZING and my skin feels so soft! What’s the secret?”

The secret? Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, and natural fragrance oils. No mystery chemicals. Just ingredients that nourish skin.

Try Natural Ingredients and Feel the Difference

After 10+ years of making soap and skincare, I stand behind these ingredients 100%.

Not because they’re trendy. Not because “natural” is a buzzword.

Because they WORK. On my skin. On my grandson’s eczema-prone skin. On Central PA customers dealing with brutal winters and humid summers.

If you’ve never tried truly natural skincare—start with one product. Our Lavender Goat Milk soap is a great entry point. Or a jar of Signature Scent whipped body butter. See how natural ingredients feel on YOUR skin.

I’m confident you’ll notice the difference.

Shop Our Natural Ingredient Products

All our products feature simple, effective natural ingredients:

Shop online:

Momma Bears at Carlisle Creative Vibes

Visit in person:

Carlisle Creative Vibes (152 N Hanover St, Carlisle, PA) - Ask me about ingredients! I love talking about what’s in our products and why.

Stay connected:

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for ingredient spotlights and skincare tips
Join our mailing list for exclusive offers and natural wellness guides

Questions about natural ingredients or which product is right for your skin? Message us on Facebook or visit our Contact page. I’m always happy to help!

— Stacie (Momma Bears Creations, Enola PA)

P.S. - At craft shows, people ask me, “What’s the ONE ingredient I should look for in skincare?” My answer: Look for products where you can actually UNDERSTAND the ingredient list. If it reads like a chemistry textbook, put it down. If it reads like food (coconut oil, shea butter, honey, oats), that’s what you want on your skin.

natural skincare skincare ingredients coconut oil shea butter essential oils Enola PA

The Natural Ingredients That Actually Work for Your Skin (From 10+ Years of Making Soap)