Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Maria Musso. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Anna Maria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

From an external perspective, I believe that the rising costs of goods (especially raw materials) is playing a huge role in profitability in the artisan soap and cosmetic industry. This is especially true for small and medium-sized makers who aren’t quite at the point of buying things in large bulk, like oils in drums. From an internal point of view, unnecessary complexity in formulation is something to be aware of. Making a good product doesn’t necessarily mean including every bell and whistle available at your disposal. Making a solid product should be one of the most important things, and you can get that with a mix of materials that aren’t impossible to get ahold of or make your customers question its efficacy when they see a price tag.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I worked in my first laboratory position when I was 23 where the manager was a soap maker. I was rewarded for the small side projects I did for her with handmade soap, and I was hooked. I made my first cold process soap in 2015, and I have been making ever since. Although I do make other things, soap has always been my first love. I enjoy the utilitarian aspect of a bar of soap as well as the art of making something like a bar of soap be beautiful. I love providing people with something that’s not only beautiful and better for you than its industrial counterpart, but something that can be put to work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I feel like when I started making soap, I had to do everything. My first soap had aloe vera in it, and a three-color swirl, right off the bat. My second soap, I piped the top of it like a cake. As I made more and more, I realized that while the look was important, the way the bars worked with a tried-and-true minimal recipe is what kept people around. While I love making pretty bars, I’ve tried to let my product photography also be a creative outlet while I let the soap do what it does best. In the same vein, I at one point wanted to carry everything; bath bombs, shampoo bars, you name it. I’ve unlearned the idea that I need to have a lot of things available when in reality, I want to focus on a few things and make them very, very well.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Everything I have available is made from scratch, by hand, from raw materials. I do not use premade bases, premixed or premeasured materials, or recipes that I have purchased. I have developed my recipes over many years, and many many iterations. I have a scientific background, so when I think something is “perfect”, it will be for a while until I can think of a way to make it better. There is, however, a fine line between making things better and leaving things the way they are, and I like knowing that some things never need to be touched.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twobonessoapco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twobonessoapco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecleansingoracle