HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Huntsville resident Tiffany Dangerfield went from delivering packages for FedEx, to hand making natural bath and body products.
“Originally, I intended on it to be a hobby, just to make for myself and the kids and it came out really good,” she said.
A few years ago, Tiffany’s kids were diagnosed with eczema and chronically dry skin. That was the start of her quest to find natural soaps and lotions for her family.
“So the doctors prescribed things to use for them but I didn’t really like them,” Tiffany said. “I didn’t feel like they were working very well, I felt like it clogged their pores.”
Tiffany considered different options for her kids for a while and last year, she finally stepped in.
“One day I was down the YouTube rabbit hole and I came across some soap making videos,” she said. “And I was like, ‘that looks like so much fun, I bet I can figure out how to do that.’ So I decided to try to make some.”
At the time, Tiffany did not have the proper equipment to make the soaps and unfortunately, the first batch was a failure.
“I ran off to Lowe’s and Walmart and I bought a bunch of oils and tried to go ahead and make it even though I didn’t have a stick blender,” Tiffany said. “I tried to whisk it by hand!”
A few laughs later, Tiffany bought the proper equipment and ingredients and successfully made her first batch of soap.
“I had to wait four weeks before I could try it because it takes four weeks to dry them,” she said. “So I was very inpatient but it came out really good and I was excited and happy about it.”
In March 2020, just days before the pandemic hit, Tiffany launched her business: We Made It Soap Co. She had plans to go to craft fairs and farmers markets in the area, but the state soon shutdown.
Tiffany thanks her sister, who encouraged her to put her products on Etsy. The digital route was a blessing in disguise.
“Originally I did not want to do that,” Tiffany said. “But I went ahead and I did it anyway, and that is how I started getting some traffic. People started to buy from me, started leaving reviews, everybody liked it.”
At the time, Tiffany was still working for FedEx, helping her kids with virtual school and whipping up new soaps. It soon became too much to juggle.
“I needed to find a way to make it so that I was home with the kids,” Tiffany said. “I could virtual school with them in the day-time and work on the business in the evening. So that is when I decided I had to leave FedEx, I didn’t have a choice.”
That was a turning point for Tiffany and her business. She had more time to experiment with new recipes and build her online presence. She also had more time to research and learn about natural ingredients, which her soaps and lotions are made up of.
“I did a lot of research on what ingredients were good for specific things, and that’s what I build my recipes around,” Tiffany said.
We Made It Soap Co. has been in business for about a year now, and Tiffany processes more than 70 orders per month.
“It’s a whole team that makes sure this operation happens, I could not do it by myself especially now that things are ramping up,” she said.
At the end of the day, Tiffany’s favorite part about her job is letting her creative side shine.
“My favorite part is getting in there and measuring out all my ingredients, mixing everything together, being creative, picking the colors and picking the fragrance,” she said. “And then at the end of the day, I have something I can actually use.”
