Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Sloan.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am the daughter of a beekeeper and know how important honey bees are to our ecosystem. When my husband and I bought our first house in Chicago, setting up a backyard apiary was always a distant dream. It became a reality when our neighbor said she was interested in keeping hives but the timing wasn’t right for her family. So I said, “Well, I can get supplies from my dad and we can host the hives!” That was 10 years ago.
After our hives were established, I began thinking about the possibility of blending honey, beeswax, and the blooms from my garden to make soap. I have always enjoyed handmade soap, seeking them out at farmer’s markets and boutique shops. The idea of using simple, earth-friendly, locally sourced ingredients appealed to me. My grandmother also made soap over an open fire when she was a girl. All of these things kindled my desire to know more! With my new found interest, I began to research the science of soap making, digging into ingredients, methods, essential oils, and triglyceride structures. After I made my first batch of soap I couldn’t stop! In making something that is both practical and beautiful I found my passion. My soap business, Nature’s Trace Co. was born.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Try finding a natural soap company brand name that hasn’t been taken already! That took a minute. The biggest thing being a small business owner has taught me is how much work it takes to build a small business. I have so much respect for anyone crazy enough to do it. It makes me love and appreciate small businesses all the more and I am honored and proud to count myself among them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I see cold process soap as a blank canvas and the variety of colors and designs is one of my favorite parts of soap making. I am constantly experimenting with roots, flower petals, tree bark, and teas to come up with fun new varieties, all inspired by and derived from natural ingredients. I have a soap currently that is topped with burnt grapeseeds from a winery in downstate Illinois. And another with a single black feather from my hen, Tilde (don’t worry she dropped the feathers in a molt and I washed and sterilized them). I think my soap ingredients are unique because they reflect my unique perspective and complete infatuation with all things outside.
Another thing that sets Nature’s Trace Co. soaps apart from others is they last! One of my main goals in recipe formulation was to create a hard, long lasting bar that doesn’t quickly melt down the drain. One of the most frequent compliments I get is people appreciating how long the bars last. I also custom blend all my scents to create soaps that smell like wet rocks after rain, or a forest floor, a sweet summer garden, or a bonfire night. Because my scents are custom blended you won’t find them anywhere else.
I have done two collaborations with the Field Museum and am so proud of both. The Field Museum was one of the very first places I visited on my inaugural trip to Chicago over 20 years ago and I still remember being amazed at the size of the building and the variety of exhibits. The first collection came together in 2019 and was based upon the museum’s botanical collection featured at the World’s Columbian Exposition hosted in Chicago in 1893. This collection includes specimens from as far away as India and as close as neighboring Michigan. Working with those botanicals and scents I came up with 4 varieties specific to Field and the history of this city and state that I love.
In the Spring of 2023 we did a second collection to celebrate the most famous dinosaur in the world, Sue the T-Rex. To develop the scents I did a deep dive into the Cretaceous period and learned about ancient plants that would have been part of Sue’s every day rambles.
I’ve done collaborations with vintage shops, coffee shops, wellness brands, a chocolate shop, and even a taxidermy shop! Everyone needs soap, and I love customizing recipes and designs for venues that most wouldn’t associate with soap.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My parents taught me the names of the trees and flowers surrounding my childhood home in rural Michigan. I remember sitting in the woods with my mom and sisters, sketch pad in hand, drawing Trilliums and Spring Beauty. My dad also gave me a profound love of trees, and I remember walking through the woods with him, listening to him name each tree by their leaves or bark. To this day it feels like running into a friend when I see a tree or flower I recognize and I am able to greet them by name.
Pricing:
- Soaps range from $4 – $11.
- The wooden soap dishes are $12 and were made using hard maple salvaged from a Michigan barn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://naturestraceco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturestrace
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturestrace/
- Twitter: https://bsky.app/profile/naturestrace.bsky.social
