A family affair. Swan, aka Christina, does all of the formulating and soapmaking. Mike, her beloved husband of 21 years, supplies the patience, encouragement and words of wisdom and also serves as Chief Guinea Pig. Their five kids help cut paper for labels, pick hundreds upon hundreds of rose petals, dandelions and spruce tips every spring and summer, and generally keep Mom and Dad laughing 24/7.        

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Six years ago, we were like most Alaskans - tough, rugged, self-reliant ... and itchy. Alaska can be a harsh place to live, especially in winter, when below-zero temperatures and frigid winds combat you on a daily basis. Our skin was dry and scaly. Our kids' skin was dry and scaly. It was not a pretty sight.

Then we discovered the joys of handmade soap. We were instantly addicted, and being the rugged individualists we keep telling ourselves we are, learned to make our own soaps and body products. We also started learning about the plants and herbs that grow so abundantly around us in summertime. Our birch trees yield sap that makes wonderful jelly, syrup and great soap and lotions. Our Spruce tree tips are equally as tasty in jellies and work just as well in soaps. We harvest some of the hundreds of wild rose petals near our creek for jelly - even the happy golden dandelions in our meadow prove delicious as a happy, golden jelly. Our garden supplies us with plantain, horsetail, chickweed, chamomile and calendula for our herbal salves and balms. We are discovering the amazing bounty that can be found from wildcrafted herbs  and foods.

We take inspiration from the wild beauty of our Alaskan wilderness - like the deep pink fireweed that grows along the shore of our lake in August and the purple lupine that lines the highways. We also find it in the world around us, from the beer we craft in the winter months and the coffee that keeps us sane on freezing nights to the geeky friends who are constantly making us smile.

Most of the “soaps” you see in stores are not really soap at all, but detergent, which has been stripped of its glycerin and is drying to the skin. However, our products contain no detergents, fillers or lather boosters, no formaldehyde, and no parabens - just naturally-good, skin-loving ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter and olive oil. And the occasional beer.

Today, we're still tough, rugged, self-reliant Alaskans. Only now, our skin is happy and smooth. We invite you to try our handmade soaps and bath & body products, and see for yourself what natural goodness can do for you!