The Story Behind Sea Spray Soap

Sea Spray Soap started in November 2023. I make everything myself in Flagler County, Florida. Here's what led to it and what actually matters about how and why I work.

What Happened Before This

I spent nearly two decades in corporate digital marketing. I moved from the Midwest to Florida in 2018 — an intentional choice, not a default. Then in 2024, I lost that job. The timing was what it was. But it created space to do something I'd already been building on the side.

Cold process soap making isn't a hobby that turns into a business overnight. I'd been testing formulas and making soap for years. The difference was suddenly having time to take it seriously, and the clarity to decide that this was what I wanted to build.

Why Soap (and Why It Matters)

The short answer: I wanted products I could use on my own skin without reading an ingredient list with 30 entries, most of which required a chemistry degree to evaluate.

The longer answer involves watching people around me deal with skin reactions to products labeled "natural," "gentle," or "sensitive skin safe." Coconut derivatives are in almost everything in the natural personal care space. They're also a surprisingly common sensitizer. If you have reactive skin, you may have spent years blaming your skin instead of the ingredient lists.

That's what the coconut-free line is about. Not a marketing angle — an actual formulation decision made because the need was real.

What We Make and How

Everything is small-batch, cold process, and made by me. I formulate and test every product before it goes into the shop. The ingredient lists are short and specific because I've made choices about what's worth including and what isn't.

The product range covers bar soap, solid dish soap, laundry soap, enzyme booster, toilet cleaning bombs, lotion bars, shower steamers, and a few other things I've developed because I wanted them for my own household and figured others did too.

We ship from Flagler County. The packaging is low-plastic by default, not as a special program — it's just how I package things.

What We Don't Do

We're not a DIY brand. I don't sell soap-making kits or base oils for other makers. I don't use fear-based ingredient framing — "free from" language, toxin warnings, or the implication that conventional products are dangerous. Some are worth replacing. Some aren't. I'd rather tell you why a product works than scare you into buying it.

What "Sea Spray" Means

It's the smell of the coast — salt air, a little mineral, completely clean. That's the sensory baseline for everything I make. Even the cleaning products. The goal is a home that smells like fresh air, not like product.

If You're New Here

The best place to start depends on what you're looking for. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, the coconut-free collection is worth exploring. If you want to reduce plastic in your cleaning routine, start with the solid dish soap and laundry products. If you want to try things without committing to a full order, the starter bundles are how most people begin.

I appreciate every order. Every one of them directly funds what I do next.