Fair features variety of wares, even soap

Reita Barrett assists Jane Walker, of Shelbyville, with a purchase of one of B&B Soap Shoppe's many luxurious soaps. (T-G Photo by Jaime Welsh) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

B&B Soap Shoppe, owned and operated by mother-daughter duo Reita Barrett and Amy Northcut out of Moore County, offered the handcrafted beauty supplies at the fair.

"We are very particular about what we use in making our products," said Barrett.

The soaps, scrubs, massage oils, lip balms, and lotions are all made with all natural ingredients such as fruit and vegetable oils and shea butter. The shop also offers gift baskets combined with a sample of each type of product.

To get the soaps a specific shade of color, Barrett and Northcut use herbs and spices.

Pure essential oils are used for fragrance and even oatmeal and poppy seeds are used for texture.

Dead Sea salt is used in making the body scrubs. According to the B&B Soap Shoppe website, Dead Sea salts contain over 80 minerals which are vital for skin's health.

The Barretts use cold process soapmaking, which is different from the hot process used by pioneers may years ago. In cold process soapmaking, the soap isn't cooked or heated once the lye and fat have been combined.

A variety of different oils and fats can be used in soap-making; each lends different qualities to the finished product, and soapmakers work to find what they consider the best combinations of oils, fragrances, colors and other ingredients.

"We do not use animal fats in making the soap," said Barrett.

The process of actually making the soap isn't a challenge at all, but lye is caustic, so care has to be taken.