Meet Alison Easterby | Soap Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Easterby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, how did you come up with the idea for your business?

Despite the fact that I had personally battled with skin sensitivity from a young age, I wasn’t motivated to research skincare until my daughter was diagnosed with vitiligo and rosacea at a young age.

The first product I created was actually makeup!  I created a mineral foundation that would not only camouflage areas of vitiligo on her face, but also be easy for a middle-schooler to apply quickly before school and safe enough to accidentally fall asleep wearing.

Unfortunately, the cleansers and creams prescribed by my daughter’s dermatologist caused further irritation on her already-sensitive face, and a few of them caused intense and painful skin reactions.  It was those reactions to the skincare products prescribed by a doctor that were the tipping point; I had never given skincare ingredients much thought before then.

Because I needed to replace her cleansers and moisturizers with more gentle ones, and for complete transparency and control over the ingredients used, my next steps were learning to create soaps and moisturizers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The need for gentle skin products led to the birth of Busy Girl, but creativity is what motivates and sustains me.

I love to see and participate in creative posts on Instagram and the app has introduced me to some wonderful people.  Through Instagram, I have not only found and befriended amazing soapmakers from around the world, but I’ve also been found by many of my now-customers on the app.  I try to devote some time to it every day for both work and pleasure.

I’ve been really excited about the monthly subscription box we began just before Christmas last year and we have several really busy days each month creating and coordinating everything that goes into those. You can check out our subscription boxes here: https://www.cratejoy.com/subscription-box/busy-girl-bath-bakery

One of my favorite parts of this job is creating custom products for wedding favors, baby showers, or one-of-a-kind gifts.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Atlanta is an amazing city with something to offer everyone, but I have a few personal favorite spots I like to take friends or family.

For a wonderful weekend day, I love to take visitors to the Belt Line where they can enjoy an incredible array of ever-changing murals painted by stunningly talented artists.

For a fun evening, Chastain Park is the best spot to see live music because concert-goers are encouraged to bring their own coolers with food and drink to enjoy while being entertained.

Atlanta has so many great restaurants that I couldn’t pick a favorite, but no matter what kind of food an out-of-town guest is craving, I can always find several amazing restaurants to choose from.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

First, my daughter is credited with the birth of Busy Girl.  Had she not needed more gentle alternatives to her skincare products, I would likely never have taken this career path.

Next, I owe a huge shoutout to my family in general, but to my husband specifically.  Busy Girl’s first products were created in our kitchen.  At any given time there were strange concoctions in the refrigerator or on the stove; I made incredible messes; cluttered up every counter and table; caused a glass explosion (or two); set off the smoke alarm; made stink bombs trying to mix fragrances; and sometimes burst into tears of frustration, yet my husband never complained about any of it.

But I owe much thanks and credit to the many friends, coworkers and extended family members who were willing test subjects, giving me invaluable feedback on both products and packaging.

Website: www.BGbathbakery.com

Instagram: @busygirlbathbakery

Facebook: busygirlbathbakery

Image Credits
n/a – all photo credits belong to Alison Easterby / Busy Girl Bath Bakery