Handmade Natural Beauty Products

Chicago's entrepreneurs drive the all-natural trend

Twelve years ago, before green became the ubiquitous signifier of all things organic, Deb Kraemer named her soap shop after a shade of brown “because it was natural.” A vague interest in soap-making, inspired by her son’s sensitive skin, became a professional passion for Ms. Kraemer, owner of the all-natural Abbey Brown Soap Artisan in the West Loop.

Today, natural is making an impact in beauty shops and spas throughout Chicago. Storeowners and artisans want customers to understand why going green is equally important for skin and hair as it is for diet.

Most commercial bath products aren’t even soap, according to MyLynda Moore, creator of the natural bath and bodyline Petunia Essentials. “They’re more like a detergent you put on your skin, stripping its oils,” she says. Her products replace irritating artificial fragrances with essential oils for scent and boiled flower petals for color. She adds, “You shouldn’t be able to dye an egg with what’s in your soap.”

The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology identifies more than 3,700 substances as contact allergens, yet the FDA doesn’t review the vast majority of skincare products before they’re sold. Many body washes contain chemicals, from sodium laureth sulfate and lauric acid to blue 1 and red 33; according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, these substances can be absorbed through the epidermis into the body.

“Our ingredient [list is] three lines of English,” says Ms. Kraemer. “It makes me feel better about putting it on my hair and skin.” Olive oil, honey and coconut butter are excellent moisturizers, while essential oils contain healing properties. Amanda Kezios, co-owner of Mojo Spa and creator of the Mojo Spa Line, says her best-selling product, the Illuminata Moisturizer, “works with the skin instead of against it.” Twenty herbs, natural oils and light reflecting crystals heal and smooth the complexion like a foundation – minus the pigment. “When I had bad acne, I couldn’t afford all the expensive treatments,” says Ms. Kezios. “I made a promise to keep my products affordable while maintaining the best quality.”

Georgia Parker lives by the same mantra as owner of Ashley Lauren Salon and Spa. “I control everything from research to manufacturing,” she says. Ms. Parker develops hair and skincare products in her own shop. “We compete through quality.” By cutting layers of production costs, local storeowners eliminate the corporate attitude and create a more authentic product-to-consumer relationship. Ms. Kezios listens to her customers because they spread the word about Mojo; Ms. Parker knows the exact hair care needed for her multicultural clientele. For example, Caucasians lose hair from bleaching and blowouts, while African Americans experience tremendous hair loss due to weaves and relaxers.

“Once they give up these chemicals, hair grows in thicker,” says Ms. Parker, a chemist who says she cured her own alopecia. “I understand what women need.” As executive director of the North Lawndale Employment Network, Brenda Palms Barber understood exactly what her community needed when she designed Sweet Beginnings LLC. Honey from local apiaries, or bee yards, is the main ingredient in this natural bath and body products line, which employs about 210 former Chicago prisoners. Ms. Palms Barber says she sees people the way bees do.

“They don’t distinguish between a flower and a weed,” she says. “They simply take pollen from both and make something sweet.” And while not everyone’s a fan of organic products – detractors say they can be less consistent, sometimes greasy and may not foam up in the way we’re used to with synthetic soaps – proponents insist they’re worth it. When Ms. Kraemer sees someone cringing at a $6.50 bar of soap as they sip a $4 latte, she tells them, “In 20 minutes, that latte will be gone, but in two weeks, that soap will still be there.”

Ms. Moore left a career as an attorney to pursue her passion for soap-making. “I know this is what I’m supposed to do,” she says. “If I can help open people’s eyes about natural products, even if they don’t buy mine, that’s a success.”