4 minute read
CLEANING UP
It started with a simple idea: a need for natural products free of dyes and harsh chemicals that would cause more irritation rather than resolve sensitive skin problems. Olga Boldyreva said she spent years trying to find products to help with dry skin and eczema. In her frustration she decided to craft her own soaps and lotions. Making a homemade batch of soap means making a lot, so she shared some with family and friends who encouraged her to sell her products. With their encouragement, she brought her soaps and hand balm to a farmers’ market in Chicago and sold almost everything on her first day. It wasn’t long before MION Artisan Soap Company needed more space to make their products. Boldyreva’s location in downtown Wheaton offers her space to sell products and more importantly, room to continue overseeing production made in-house, with all-natural ingredients lining the shelves. “Everything is very transparent,” Boldyreva said. “Everything is made in this space.” She and her husband, lulian Nedelea, opened the Wheaton location in February 2020 and their second location in St. Charles in October 2022. From tinkering with recipes in her kitchen to owning and operating two boutiques with products for adults and babies, she never strayed from her original goal of creating naturalbased products. “Customers would come to the shop and make suggestions, asking for a scrub or body butter. Many of our products came from suggestions from our customers,” she added.
CLEANING UP
| By Melissa Rubalcaba Riske | Photos by MION Artisan Soap Company and Mary Westerhaus |
She and her staff are happy to help customers understand their mission and explain the products. Boldyreva said it’s not uncommon for someone to purchase soap, lip balm or a gift and then return to try more. Her recipes are simple. Yet, she’s passionate about items that are safe and healthy for everyone, from adult products to diaper creams, to lotions and soaps safe for babies too. “There’s no point in substituting nature for chemicals. We have great options from nature,” Boldyreva said, adding that our skin is our largest organ and it’s important to think about what we put on it or what we are exposed to on a daily basis.
Ideas Bubble Up
Children were the inspiration that prompted Mary Westerhaus of Sugar Grove to create her well-loved bath bombs. Her son Lane uses fizzy bath bombs, but Westerhaus didn’t like how the tiny toys revealed in the bath bomb could slip down the drain. She questioned the ingredients that stained the tub and worried about skin irritations. “I said ‘Ok, we can make a better product’ or something pure and safe that doesn’t stain the tub, and the surprises inside are more substantial,” Westerhaus said. Her career in consumer packaging, as well as sales and marketing included time spent with major household brands and served as a foundation to create a better bath time product. She’s at the helm of her family business Purposeful Bliss, better known for Fizzy Magic products. She works with her husband Gregg and welcomes input from their sons Lane, 10, and Milo, 7. “I always dreamed about having my own company,” Westerhaus said. In the five years since launching the business from their home they’ve gone to selling their products online and in retail locations nationwide. Westerhaus said they’ve learned a lot and are always adjusting their products to be in line with trends as well as offering seasonal items. Their bath bombs are made from natural ingredients designed to be gentle and to soften skin. They include essential oils with calming properties, ideal for a pre-bedtime bath. Understanding that most children receive baths before bed, Westerhaus said she wanted to enhance the entire experience for children and parents. Rather than just plastic toys stuffed inside the bath bomb, she crafted products tied to learning experiences. The dinosaur gift box includes a short book and a card filled with facts alongside fizzies that reveal dinosaur toys. And some of the toys are just plain fun, like the toy volcano you take in the bath. You can drop a fizzy bomb into the water and watch the suds tumble forth before revealing a prize. “Every product we create not only has a purpose, but we also make people happy,” Westerhaus said. Having outgrown their home businesses, they moved into a space in the historic Campana Factory in Batavia. The space was ideal for having the ability to control the temperature and humidity as well as plenty of space to build the products, including a dock to load and unload pallets. Westerhaus also loved the historic ties to the building that was originally home to The Campana Company which produced Italian Balm, a popular hand lotion during the Great Depression. Like many small businesses, there are challenges. Making all their products in house, they feel the impact of inflation with rising costs for natural ingredients like citric acid which used to cost 98 cents and, at one-point last year, its cost rose well over $3. There are also challenges in finding enough employees to meet consumer demands. But with the heart of an entrepreneur and her family support, Westerhaus isn’t short on ideas, developing new products she hopes to introduce later this year and crafting new ways to make bath time fun and safe.
