Briana Moore started Larkmartin Soaps that now sells to different parts of the state.
“I was staying home with my first child and it gave me something to do,” said Briana Moore, owner and soapmaker of Larkmartin Soaps in Hot Springs.
It is not that common to make soap, but it is something Moore started doing as a hobby which eventually turned it into a business. It has been around for 12 years.
“Larkmartin came from a street in Madison, Georgia that we lived in,” said Moore.
That was before the family moved to Hot Springs. What started at home, quickly spread to various stores across Arkansas and online. Moore learned how to make soap in her spare time.
“Just experimenting and finding something to do, and we watched some YouTube videos and checked out books from the library and just learned how to make it and just really enjoyed it,” said Moore.
The basic ingredients in soap are olive oil, lard, sodium hydroxide, and lye. You heat it and mix it up to create a chemical reaction. You pour that into molds and add the scents.
“When it's out of the mold when it's finished, it has to sit for 24 hours. I have a couple different cutting devices,” said Moore.
Then the bars sit for a couple of weeks and they are ready to use. Moore has advice for others looking to turn their hobby into a business.
“Just keep going, just do the work, even if you do doubt yourself. If you love it and it's your passion just continue on,” said Moore.
Larkmartin Soaps makes more than soap. They have sugar scrubs, hand creams and ointments. Their store is located at 1003 Park Avenue in Hot Springs. The products can also be found at various stores, including in Eureka Springs, and at the Green Corner Store in Little Rock, and online.
Here is a link to their website.