BearNaked was born out of necessity for a couple of reasons a little over a year ago.

 

The first came from my need to be able to be creative and mentally stimulated; however I had just had brain surgery and my physical abilities were less than capable of being able to perform very much.  I had a friend that made soap years ago and I loved using her products.  I also remember her telling me there were health benefits to them.  I decided to use the "downtime" after my surgery to research the craft of soapmaking and learn everything I could about how to do it.  What I didn't know is that my recovery would become very difficult and my doctor would not release me to drive for almost 9 months post op.  It continued to take me a long time to regain energy and stamina during this time.  I felt like I was a prisoner in my own home at times and desperately needed something to do that was within my physical and mental capabilities.  Making soap and body products filled that void for me, and soon I needed to find people to purchase my products to justify my need to continue to create new products!  I was like a mad scientist and couldn't stop myself!!  I have since had to retire from my postion as a school based Occupational Therapist. (Let me explain for a second.  I have a genetic syndrome called Ehlers Danlos syndrome Hypermobility type (EDS) that affects the connective tissue in my body.  My body has extremely lax ligaments and connective tissue and I suffer from daily joint dislocations among other issues related to the disorder.  The EDS, caused the development of an Arnold Chiari Malformation and cranial settling which led to needing brain surgery in November 2013, among many other problems).  The process of making soap continues to be so healing for me both mentally and physically. 

 

Secondly, my friend was right about homemade soap being much healthier for you.  One of my secondary conditions affects my digestion and as a result I also did a lot of research about changing my diet in order to help myself get healthier without the use of medications.  And I started thinking...why do I worry so much about what I put in me, but not so much about what I put ON me.  My skin is my largest organ of my body.  I started taking as much time to read the labels of my skin care products as I did my food labels.  And I saw a LOT of chemicals on those labels!!  Wowza!  I knew with homemade soap I could control what went into my product and it was natural products, that for the most part were even edible!  I knew making a change to natural bath and skin care products would help my overall health (I'm realistic and not saying or thinking that it will heal me by any means, but to feel even a little better because what I eat and absorb is healthier is worth its weight in gold for me!!).  

 

My goal with BearNaked Soap is to share my products at a reasonable price in order for you to access the health benefits (see the ingredients page for an explanation on how homemade soap is different than store bought soap and worth the difference in price).  You can feel like its ok to indulge in a relaxing bath with a bubble bar that has ingredients that you know are good for you and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg like you would at a company that rhymes with hush ;-)...  You can keep your hands moisturized throughout the day and negate the effects of all of the handwashing and hand sanitizer you use at work with a lotion bar and know you're not introducing more chemicals into your body.  You can let your kids take a bath with a bath bomb and have fun coloring their water and moisturizing their skin at the same time and know that it is perfectly healthy for them, and it doesn't have to be an expensive treat.   All of that makes me happy and feel good to be able to provide that not only to my own family but to all of you as well :-)

 

(So why BEAR Naked you ask?....before my body decided to completely shut down on me I loved to backpack.  On my first backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail I had a "run-in" with a bear of all animals!!  It ended up eating my food on my very first night on the trail, and while on a search to salvage whatever I could so I could continue my trip (I was determined not to quit after MONTHS of planning and traveling so far just to be there, not to mention my excitement of it finallhy happening!!) I ended up coming face to face with my furry friend that decided to share my meals for the week!  He/She stayed there several minutes and kept walking towards me for several steps before deciding to leave.  The whole thing felt like it lasted an eternity to me.....and for those of you that will never know...bear slobber STINKS!  You definitely need some good soap after getting that on your hands ;-)  I thought it was more than an appropriate play on words...)