Today we’d like to introduce you to Misti Morningstar.
Misti, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Savage Soaps™ Story.
As a child, I found myself in my Mother’s flower and herb gardens trying to make fragrant scents out of leaves and petals. I loved all the different blooms and varieties she had. She knew all the technical names of the plants and I thought it was fascinating how she could remember them! Back in the day those experiences ignited my creativity and I had a lot of fun experimenting and creating my concoctions. When I got a bit older I started buying and collecting soaps during our family travels. I enjoyed sampling every kind of soap possible and I was intrigued with how each one was packaged. Over the years, herbs and healing became a priority to me, which led me into the study of aromatherapy where I gained further knowledge in the application of essential oils and their effectiveness against literally any type of affliction, including aging.
One day, while browsing in a liquor store, I stopped to admire all of the artistic labels on microbrewery beers. They were so cool, it made me want to buy some just for the label – knowing the beer inside was just as good! I was inspired at that moment with the idea to create superb handcrafted soap with trendy packaging!
I spent a year perfecting an exclusive soap recipe and creating the Savage Soaps™ brand. The soap had to be decadent and different; long-lasting; have a great lather; be natural and beneficial, and be appealing to men and women. At last, Savage Soaps was born! We have created soaps that are fiercely original, such as Lizard Queen™, Goodfellas™, Beersud™, Vajingo™, and Power Shield™ to name a few.
After using the soap religiously and trying everything we made, within a few months, I started to notice that my skin had changed. My face was smoother. People thought I was a lot younger than I actually am (a good thing, since I”m in my 60’s! Blemishes disappeared, and I no longer needed to wear foundation. Savage Soaps™ turned back the clock! The natural oils present in the soap rejuvenated the skin on my entire body.
Our clients started telling us their success stories of how our soaps improved their skin and made it softer. Some clients that experience severe skin issues, or issues with other soaps either being too drying or giving them rashes, said that upon using Savage Soaps – their issues completely disappeared.
I have a passion for helping people feel great mind, body, and soul, through our products. People love buying our soaps because they love the difference and they relate to the packaging. We frequently hear, “I love the labels and the names.”… “This soap is awesome and it’s the only soap I can use!”
Savage Soaps are handmade olive oil based, wildly natural with an edgy ancient appeal. We produce our soaps in the highest gourmet standards, using essential oils and the purest ingredients from our natural earth. We also handcraft body lotion, shower gel, salt scrubs, natural body sprays, and facial serums.
Savage Soaps have been featured on ABC’s TV Steve Harvey’s Funderdome show. And we’ve won multiple global awards for package design. The soaps have even been requested by Universal Studios by actors for movie sets. Our company is a certified, woman-owned business and twice awarded as one of the Top 100 MBE businesses in Maryland.
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?
One of our first challenges was when we appeared on the ABC TV Steve Harvey Funderdome show. We had so much fun doing it, and we gained so much attention, but it crashed our website twice and then we had zillions of orders to fulfill. We had to quickly streamline our process to gain momentum and, while it was quite stressful at times, we got through it!
Other challenges were marketing outside of our brick and mortar location to feature our products nationwide online. Spreading our brand awareness to others so they could realize the benefits for whatever skin issue they may have. That always seems to be a common complaint we hear – where people are looking for: A soap that doesn’t cause them to become over dry, breakout or cause some other allergic issue because the many additives in today’s super market brands.
I guess I’d have to say I’m someone who doesn’t easily give up once I set my mind on something! When you’re in business it takes a lot of perseverance and having thick skin to succeed. My family is also very supportive with ideas and helpful advice. When problems arise – we just tackle them!
As you know, we’re big fans of Savage Soaps. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I created the brand Savage Soaps™ because I wanted it to represent raw and uncivilized ingredients, because that is what we use in our products. My background is in marketing and design and I started out as a graphic artist, then started my own marketing company in 1990. The skills I have were put to use in every part of Savage Soaps. We design the labels, make the products and do everything in-house, which saves not having to utilize a lot of outside costs. We pass these savings on to our customers.
I’m most proud of our soaps because they help people. I’ve created several niche soaps for certain applications, such as Power Shield™, which is a great outdoor soap that naturally prevents mosquitoes and other bugs. And then the soap also help eliminate body acne, eczema and psoriasis. The other niche soap is Vajingo™ and that is targeted to women seeking a natural alternative to keeping the vajayjay in tip top shape. Both of these are top-selling so I know that customers are wanting natural solutions to their skin issues.
I think what sets us apart from others is we are a small business focused on small batch quality! Our soaps are dermatologist recommended by Dr. Lisa Ginn of Chevy Chase., MD. She prescribes our products to her patients looking for natural solutions. It’s like music to my ears when a customer comes back and tell us that Savage Soaps has helped them and that motivates me to continue on the quest to keep creating new blends.
If you happen to be in downtown Frederick to visit, you can come in and try our Salt Scrubs. It’s like having a little free spa time for your hands. We often run specials for the Salt Scrubs as well and all of the Savage Soaps make excellent gifts. Holiday shopping is easy because there’s something for everyone and we also have Gift Boxes!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support us by shopping in-person or online at our Small Business. There is a growing movement for people who want more natural products.
If you are a wellness practitioner you can wholesale our products at your facility.
We also partner with businesses who may have an ingredient that we can incorporate into the soap and then we co-market that business with a coupon in the box that directs them back to their business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.savagesoaps.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savagesoaps/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SavageSoaps
