'Soap Lady' creates products that look, smell scent-sational

She's cleaning up with loaves that she sells by the slice

SANDY — The sounds and smells in Kathy Wawrzyniak's kitchen on a normal afternoon are not what one would expect to find.

Essential oils, fruits, floral mixtures and various other scents waft through the kitchen. A cake pan filled to the brim with three layers of soap, which will be grated to become curly-qs inside Wawrzyniak's newest soap creation, mango peach, sits on the cupboard. Two double boilers warm on the stove, melting the glycerin and other products that will become decorative soap loaves.

For the past decade, Wawrzyniak has become known as The Soap Lady and goes to various arts festivals around the valley, including the weekly Farmer's Market in downtown Salt Lake City, selling her handmade soaps. Her soaps differ in that they come in a loaf form, and customers can request a slice of one or several of their favorites.

"In Utah I was one of the first to do soaps in a loaf," she said. "It's kind of like a soap deli. You can touch it, smell it then slice and wrap it. It's fun for the customer."

About 11 years ago, Wawrzyniak was talking to a friend about how soap used to be sold in loaf form. She bought glycerin and read books to start experimenting with making soap. She wanted to start her own business, and making soap seemed like a good idea.

The first fair she attended was Mayfest at the University of Utah. She had a booth with jewelry, baskets and racks of soap. Everybody got so excited about the soap that they were lining up to try it.

"A lot of senses are affected by soap," she said. "You can pick up soap and touch it . . . look at it and smell it. It's a luxury everyone can afford."

Wawrzyniak said her soaps fall into different categories from fruit to floral to natural scents, which include almond, vanilla and essential oils. She also prides herself on the artistry in her soap. She has an unusually high amount of utensils in her kitchen because her family used to have a kitchen at Trolley Square.

She likes to utilize the utensils to make her soaps more artistic. For example, one day she was looking at a vegetable peeler and realized she could use it to make tiny, wispy curls to put in the soap.

"(Making soap) satisfies an artistic part of me," she said.

The acceptance from the community and her children's willingness to pitch in and help the family business have meant a lot to Wawrzyniak. A few years ago she signed up for a big show in mid-August. Her husband, Val, was fighting cancer and was in the hospital. She wondered if she should cancel the show, but Val said the house was too full of soap, so she needed to go.

On the day of the show, he was taken in for emergency surgery, and her children took over so she could be with him.

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