A single bar of soap on Etsy sparked Merilyn Konnerth’s imagination after her design company closed in as a result of the 2008 Economic Crash. She submersed herself into the soap making process and in 2010 launched Utopia Bath, Ltd, a featured vendor participating in our Holiday Market.
This isn’t the end of the story. Merilyn told us that two weeks after she launched her new business she was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed to formulate gentle lotions and creams to sooth her skin, which was suffering from the effects of chemotherapy.
“Interestingly enough, I’m from three generations of Chemists, so formulating comes naturally to me,” she said.
Now, Utopia Bath, Ltd is her full time job. And as a result of her battle with cancer, she has a collection of Skincare for chemotherapy and radiation patients.
“I’ve created thousands of bars of soap at this point but still get silly excited when I lather a fresh bar in my hands,” Merilyn told us.
One of her best sellers is the “Wet-n-Wooly,” a hand-crafted soap that she wraps in sheep’s wool. The purpose is to use it like a loofah. It’s mildly exfoliating and comes in an assortment of scents. All of her products are hand-blended, hand-packaged and custom-formulated with natural and organic ingredients.
She chose the name “Utopia” to reflect the idea of craeting one’s own utopia through the daily ritual of cleansing.
Check out Utopia Bath LTD this Sunday (12/8) at the Holiday Market!