Enola PA

When Your Kid’s Skin Breaks Out and You Don’t Know Why

Hey friends! Stacie here, and I need to talk about something that breaks my heart every time I see it:

Red, irritated, itchy skin on a child’s face. Eczema patches on little hands. Rashy reactions to “gentle” products that aren’t actually gentle at all.

As a mom and now a grandmother, I’ve been there. Standing in the drugstore skincare aisle, reading labels that promise “hypoallergenic” and “gentle for babies”—only to try them and watch my grandson’s skin flare up AGAIN.

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.

The Question I Get at Every Craft Show

Hey friends! Stacie here, writing from our Enola kitchen where soap is curing on Papa Bear’s custom racks and ingredient jars line the shelves.

At craft shows—especially East Pennsboro Pumpkinfest and Central Dauphin—I get this question ALL the time:

“Can I just make this myself at home?”

My honest answer? “You can… but do you really WANT to?”

I never get offended by this question. In fact, I LOVE it! It means someone cares about natural ingredients enough to consider making their own. That’s exactly the mindset shift we need—away from harsh commercial products and toward gentler options.

Sunday Mornings in Our Enola House: When Self-Care Became Non-Negotiable

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me be honest with you: For years, I gave everything to everyone else. Making products for others, running to craft shows, helping with the grandson, managing the business. My “self-care” was a quick shower if I was lucky.

Sound familiar?

Then one Sunday morning, about a year ago, Maddi looked at me and said, “Mom, when’s the last time you actually took care of yourself?”

“Wait, What IS That Fluffy Stuff?”

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you about one of the most confusing—and most loved—products we sell.

The scenario: We’re at a craft show (Williams Grove, East Pennsboro Pumpkinfest, Central Dauphin). Someone stops at our table. They see jars of fluffy, cloud-like product. They pick one up, look confused, and ask:

“What IS this? Frosting?”

I laugh every single time. Because honestly? It DOES look like frosting. Fluffy, whipped, colorful, sitting in a jar like fancy cupcake icing.

The Year My Hands Cracked and Bled Every Winter

Hey friends! Stacie here, writing from our Enola kitchen on a cold February morning. Let me tell you about the product that changed my life—and eventually became one of our bestsellers.

The scenario: It’s January in Central PA. Temperatures are in the teens. Indoor heating is blasting and sucking every bit of moisture from the air. I’m making soap all day (which means constant handwashing). My hands are a disaster—cracked, bleeding, painful every time I bend my fingers.

“Which Soap Should I Use?” - The Question We Get at Every Craft Show

Hey friends! Stacie here (Momma Bear). You know what question we hear most at craft shows and at our Carlisle Creative Vibes booth?

“Which soap is best for my skin type?”

Usually followed by: “I have dry skin… I think? Or maybe sensitive? Actually, my T-zone gets oily but my cheeks are dry. What do I even have?!”

Why I Started Making My Own Soap (It Wasn’t for Fun)

Hey friends! Stacie here. Let me tell you how this whole soapmaking journey started.

The problem: My hands were a mess. Dry, cracked, sometimes bleeding. I was using “moisturizing” soap from the store, but it made my skin feel WORSE.

The lightbulb moment: I read the ingredient list on my soap. Sodium laureth sulfate, synthetic fragrance, propylene glycol, triclosan… I didn’t recognize half the ingredients. And I was washing my face and body with this stuff every single day.