Prairie Wife of the Week Eliza from Vintage Body Care

Posted December 19, 2014 by Prairie Wife - 23 comments

I first met Eliza this summer at my local Farmer’s Market where she was selling her all natural, hand crafted body care products. At the time I didn’t have a moment to stop by her table and actually try or buy her products. So, when she approached me a few months later and offered me the opportunity to try a few of her amazing products I was thrilled! She sent a wonderful collection of her products to me, and I immediately  dug into them. The products were wonderful, and I can’t get enough of her luscious body creme and shower truffles. I approached her about being a Prairie Wife and despite her already packed schedule she was more than happy to share her story. Her desire to bring all natural products to her local community and to help others improve their health makes her the perfect Prairie Wife of the Week!

As a special Holiday Gift for ALL of our readers Eliza has offered 10% off all of her products at VintageBodyCare.com (if you spend more than $15). Simply shop at her site and enter the code PRAIRIE10.

Don’t forget to take a moment to enter our Vintage Body Care Giveaway! Eliza has given one lucky reader the chance to win a jar of Body Butter and a package of her best selling Shower Truffles in a scent of their choice. All you have to do is stop by VintageBodyCare.com and check out her products. Leave a comment in our comment section telling us what product you would love to try, and follow us on social media to earn more points. Be honest please, we do check to make sure you are truly following us.

Prairie Wife (PW): First tell us a little bit about your family (where you grew up and where you are now etc.).

Eliza (E): I am originally from Utah and my family moved to Idaho when I was young. I went North to Alaska when I was in the Army. I met my husband there when I was a flight nurse and he was a pilot. Eventually we decided to move back to the lower 48 and moved to Wyoming 4 years ago. I continued to work as a flight nurse for several years but have been able to stay home since March. I have a daughter that is 2 ½ months old and 2 year old daughter, as well as two stop kids that are 17 and 21.

PW: I first met you this summer at a local farmers market where you were selling your handmade all natural body products. Can you tell me what prompted you to create Vintage Body Care?

E: With my first daughter I was put on modified bed rest because of premature labor concerns. With all this free time I spent a lot of time on the internet, just looking around. Somehow, I ended up on an all natural site that had several articles about all the toxins in lotions and beauty products for adults, and even in baby products! As a nurse I was already pretty health conscious and we were already on a whole food diet. Also, because of my training I knew that our skin is the largest organ in our body, and absorbs everything that is put on it. So, I started to meddle around with lotion and gave it as gifts. Eventually people stared to ask to buy it and Vintage Body Care was born! I have to give my husband credit here; I was really scared and nervous of disappointing customers and myself when I first began. He encouraged me and told me I needed to do it, and COULD do it. I also work really hard to try and keep the prices of my products reasonable because I want to provide everyone with a healthy way to take care of their skin and bodies.

PW: Can you walk us through your process for creating your products?

E: It usually starts at 3 am when I can’t sleep and a recipe just hits me. As far as creating products I started with a lotion because I am a self proclaimed lotion freak lol! Then I developed an herbal diaper cream that works especially well with cloth diapers. As the brand grew I stopped thinking about myself and started to look at what other potential customers were wanting and using. I listened to my customers and naturally found our products developing into more of a spa feel.

As for the actual hands on creation it depends on the products. Several of the products involves a lot of measuring ingredients, exact temperature control, and at times just trying things and seeing what happens. I am also currently taking an herbalist master certification course. I am thrilled because I can then combine this new knowledge with what I am already creating, and integrate it into our products.

PW: How do you find the time to create and sell your products as the mother of two young children?

E: With a lot of help and support from my family. Both my mother and my husband watch the two little girls while I make products. I have to plan my production schedule around them because there are some things I simply can’t do with them around. I use lye in our soap and I can’t have them anywhere near that. My kids also help when they can. My two year old helps me tie the soap twine and loves handing me ingredients. My husband watches them so I can go and manage a booth at craft fairs or shows. My step daughter also helps me sell when she can, and even is getting ready to run a booth all on her own for the first time. I am so thankful for their unwavering support and confidence in me!

PW: I was able to try your body butter, shower truffles, and handmade soaps. Each and every one of them smells so good! How do you come up with your lovely scent combinations?

E: Some of them I just think will go well together and try it! Other times, I look for a scent that has therapeutic properties. For example, my pregnant mama body balm has both lavender flower and essential oil as well as vanilla beans, all of these can naturally and safely help calm and sooth a pregnant mom. My healing hand balm has oils known to have antibacterial and antiviral properties in it , which helps it to work aid in my client’s health and it contributes to the smell. I also pick some fragrances because they smell great (to me at least) and because my customers ask for them.

PW: As a mother with young children do you plan to create products just for babies or children?

E: I am actually putting the finishing touches on a few products now and will soon be releasing our Mama and Baby line! Some of the products are teething oil, herbal diaper cream (that works wonderfully with cloth diapers), baby powder and pregnant mama belly balm and bath products. But, most of my products I already create are totally safe for a new born. The only ones that aren’t are unsafe for infants because they contain an essential oil that isn’t recommended for use on infants.

PW: Are you currently working on developing any other new products?

E: We are always working on new products! Lately I have been focused on developing herbal baths and some mineral based soaps and bath melts. I’m trying to find a way to make magnesium a part of my products because so many people are unknowingly lacking it in their diet. I love to hear from my customers, what they love and what they wish we made helps drive our development of new products.

PW: Where do you hope to be in five years?

E: If I can keep my sanity and don’t have too many more kids, I’d love to have a retail location. One of my favorite parts of Vintage Body Care is the interaction with customers. I really enjoy guiding them in the right direction and helping them find the product that will truly help them feel better, and beautiful. I can do a little of this at markets but often with the crowds and getting everything set up it can be a rush. Not to mention, more than a little exhausting! I love that I have the ability to sell online and offer my products to people all over the country, but online I don’t have the opportunity to interact with customers.

PW: Any last Prairie Wife words of wisdom?

E: If you have a dream or an inkling of a dream try it, you never know where it will take you.

As a special Holiday Gift for ALL of our readers Eliza has offered 10% off all of her products at VintageBodyCare.com (if you spend more than $15). Simply shop at her site and enter the code PRAIRIE10.

Don’t forget to take a moment to enter our Vintage Body Care Giveaway! Eliza has given one lucky reader the chance to win a jar of Body Butter and a package of her best selling Shower Truffles in a scent of their choice. All you have to do is stop by VintageBodyCare.com and check out her products. Leave a comment in our comment section telling us what product you would love to try, and follow us on social media to earn more points. Be honest please, we do check to make sure you are truly following us.

Vintage Body Care.com Giveaway!

Categories: #GiveAways, Prairie Wife of the Week

Tags: , all natural products, beauty products, Giveaway, Prairie Wife of the Week, small buisness, wintage Body care