Every product has a story. Some start with a business plan. Some start with market research.

Hot Cocoa Bath Soak started with Stacie saying, “What if bath time smelled like hot chocolate?”

That’s it. That’s the origin story.

How It Actually Happened

We were at a craft show (I think it was Central Dauphin Band Boosters, but don’t quote me on that), and Stacie was doing what Stacie does: talking to customers, asking what they wished existed, mentally filing away ideas.

Someone mentioned they loved bath products but found most scents either too floral, too fruity, or too… spa-like. They wanted something warm. Cozy. Something that didn’t smell like a department store.

On the drive home, Stacie turned to me and said, “What if we made something that smelled like hot cocoa?”

I remember thinking it sounded a little weird. Bath products that smell like a drink? Would people actually want that?

Turns out: yes. Very much yes.

The Development Process

Stacie doesn’t just throw ingredients together. When she gets an idea, she researches. She tests. She makes batch after batch until it’s exactly right.

For Hot Cocoa Bath Soak, the challenge was capturing that specific smell. Not chocolate candy. Not brownies. That particular warmth of cocoa powder mixed with something sweet, the way it smells when someone’s making hot chocolate in the next room.

The first few batches were close but not quite. Too sweet. Not warm enough. Missing something.

I don’t know how many versions she went through. More than I can count. Each one slightly different, each one getting closer to that feeling she was chasing.

When she finally got it right, she brought a sample to me and said, “Smell this.”

I knew immediately. That was it. That was the exact smell of walking into a warm house on a cold day.

What Makes It Work

The final formula uses cocoa powder (the real stuff, not artificial fragrance) combined with other natural ingredients that enhance and round out the scent. When you pour it into warm bath water, the steam carries that smell through your whole bathroom.

It’s not overwhelming. It’s not like bathing in chocolate syrup. It’s subtle and warm and exactly what January needs.

The other thing Stacie got right: the texture. It dissolves completely, so you’re not sitting in grit. The water feels silky without being slippery. You get out feeling moisturized, not sticky.

When to Use It

Hot Cocoa Bath Soak has become our go-to recommendation for specific situations:

After a really hard day. Not a regular hard day. The kind of day where everything went wrong and you just need to reset before tomorrow.

When you’re getting sick. That first night when you feel something coming on. A warm bath can help you sleep, and sleep is the best medicine.

When you need permission to do nothing. Sometimes the only way to actually rest is to be physically in a bathtub where no one can ask you for anything.

As a treat after surviving something. End of a tough week. After hosting the holidays. When you finally finish that project.

It’s not an everyday product. It’s a “you deserve this” product.

The Response

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure how people would react to a hot cocoa-scented bath product. It felt like a risk.

At the next craft show after we launched it, someone picked up a tester, smelled it, and their face just… lit up. “Oh my gosh, this smells like my grandmother’s kitchen.”

That’s when I knew Stacie had nailed it.

People don’t just buy it. They come back and tell us about using it. They buy it as gifts. They ask if we have it every time they see us.

It turns out, a lot of people were looking for exactly this: something warm and cozy that doesn’t smell like a spa or a perfume counter. Something that feels like comfort.

The Stacie Philosophy

This is how Stacie approaches everything she makes. She doesn’t start with “what will sell.” She starts with “what would make someone’s day better.”

Sometimes that means solving a problem (dry hands in winter, skin that reacts to harsh ingredients). Sometimes it means creating a feeling (the warmth of hot cocoa on a cold day).

She once told me that she imagines someone using each product. What’s happening in their life? What do they need in that moment? How can she give them a small gift of comfort?

Hot Cocoa Bath Soak exists because someone at a craft show mentioned they wanted bath time to feel cozy, and Stacie couldn’t stop thinking about it until she figured out how to make that happen.

That’s the story. No market research. No focus groups. Just Stacie listening and creating.

Try It Yourself

Hot Cocoa Bath Soak is available at Carlisle Creative Vibes (152 N Hanover St, Carlisle) or online.

If you stop by CCV, ask to smell it. You’ll understand immediately.

Fair warning: You might end up buying two. One for yourself, one to give away. That’s what most people do.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a hard day? We’d love to hear. Find us on Facebook or tell us in person at CCV.

From our home in Enola to yours, Scott (Papa Bear)

P.S. - Yes, Stacie has other “what if” ideas in the works. No, I can’t tell you what they are yet. Stay tuned.

hot cocoa bath soak product story handmade winter self-care

The Story Behind Our Hot Cocoa Bath Soak