Our Story

Who is Janelle’s Soaps and Succulents?

I am Janelle. I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother. I live in a beautiful country town called Wellington in Central West NSW where I was born 50 something years ago. Growing up, my family lived on a property on the Dunedoo Road, 12 kms from town. I had 3 years living away from Wellington, working at the bank in Coonabarabran and Dunedoo before I married. When I married a local, we moved into town and have raised our family there.

My working life I haven’t really had many different jobs although they have been varied. When I start something I stick with it! I’ve been a banker, a tourist officer, a book keeper, a family day care educator, a preschool director and now I create luxury bath products, including soaps.

I’m a true country bumpkin. I don’t mind a short visit to the city, but I really love to come home. I am a home body. I’ve spent so much time working at home on my own – probably 20 of the last 22 years. I guess I’m a bit of a loner.

I’m a pretty bad golfer, but I keep turning up, even though every week after a couple of holes, I wonder why 😂😂. I love to kayak but rarely get it out of the shed. Next week!

I’m not a girly girl – I’ve never had a manicure or a pedicure, I rarely wear makeup and don’t do high heels. I have my own relaxed and comfortable style of dress that often involves joggers or thongs.

I love succulents, all things aqua or teal, pasta, I wish I drank coffee but it’s tea for me, and I’m also gluten free. You so don’t want to be me! 🤷‍♀️ I drive the same car to markets I used for childcare, and I love it.

My favourite thing in the world is spending time with my beautiful family that I love with all my heart. 💕💕🥰

MY SOAP MAKING JOURNEY

My first batch of soap was probably made in around 2011-12. I started with a soap making kit. I read and read and read the instructions, and the process terrified me – all those safety warnings about dealing with lye. It took me ages to actually get up the courage and feel confident enough to make a batch of lavender soap, which was moulded in butter containers. My next batch was my beloved lemongrass. These batches were shared with family, who loved them. I think we all noticed the difference handmade soap made to our skin.

I’ve been making cold process soap as a business since the beginning of 2016. I spent time formulating and testing my own luxurious soap recipes, and over the years I’ve tweaked them until I’m really happy with them. I have a lot of happy customers who love them too.

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT MY LUXURY HANDMADE SOAPS?

I use a range of luxury ingredients formulated together to create soaps that are gently cleansing, have a beautiful skin feel, and leave your skin soft and supple.

My soap bars are conditioning, nourishing, bubbly, long-lasting, they feel nice on your skin, are a nice size to hold, and they smell and look nice. It takes time to get it to a point where you think “This is it!” but I’m there. And all soaps are not created equal.

I have expanded my product line and I make several different sizes of soap, including Soap on a Rope and a range of Children’s Soaps. I also create the most amazing range of solid Shampoo and Conditioner Bars that people are loving, as well as bath bombs and sugar scrub soap bars.

Although my soaps make beautifully scented decor items, they are made for you to use and enjoy in the bath and/or shower.

Indulge yourself. You know you want to!

WHY DO I CREATE LUXURY HANDMADE SOAPS AND PRODUCTS?

Two reasons: It helps to relieve my stress and because I love making it! And when you make something so beautiful for your skin, you just have to share it. Making my soaps and products has a soothing effect for me. I’m a very nervous person and get stressed a lot. Being creative in this way seems to help. That’s how my business began!