What started as a search for better skincare options for one family eventually became a local business built around handmade products, carefully chosen ingredients, and personal connections with customers.

Sometimes, a small business begins with a dream of opening a storefront or bringing a new product to market.

For Colleen Johnston, owner of Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps, the journey began much closer to home.

She was concerned about the ingredients in the store-bought soap her family was using. Dealing with her own health concerns and experiences with gluten-related issues made her even more interested in understanding what went into everyday skincare products.

So she decided to make her own.

There was no grand business plan in those early days. Colleen simply wanted to create an alternative for her family.

But as she refined her recipes and began sharing her homemade soap with people at church, the encouragement started coming.

“After hearing ‘you should sell this’ enough times, we started at the farmer’s market. Our business kept growing from there.”

That was the beginning of a business that has been serving customers since 2015.

Colleen Johnston (right), owner of Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps, twinning with a customer.

A BUSINESS ROOTED IN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

When most people shop for skincare products, they might first notice the fragrance, packaging, or price.

For Colleen, the ingredient list was what mattered most.

Her personal experiences led her to develop products without gluten-containing ingredients, giving customers another option when choosing what to use on their skin.

Today, Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps offers plant-based, gluten-free skincare products made from scratch.

Colleen explains that most of the products are entirely plant-based, while her balms contain beeswax.

It’s a detail that illustrates something important about her approach: knowing what’s in a product and being able to explain it to the person buying it.

And for customers who have questions about specific ingredients or personal sensitivities, that conversation can be particularly valuable.

MORE THAN JUST A BAR OF SOAP

While handmade soap is where the story began, Colleen’s product selection has grown considerably over the years.

Today, customers can find a variety of personal-care products, including:

• Handmade soaps
• Body butters and lotions
• Magnesium lotions and body butters
• Lip balms and body balms
• Body scrubs
• Magnesium bath salts
• Shampoo bars
• Body and beard oils
• Roller bottles
• Pet soaps

Despite the expanded selection, Colleen says the business is probably best known for its soaps and body butters.

She also hears from customers who describe having sensitive skin, eczema, or allergies and who want to learn more about the ingredients in the products they’re considering.

For Colleen, making the products herself means she can speak directly to those questions.

“I think they like that we make all of our products from scratch and they can ask me about every ingredient we use.”

That accessibility is one of the advantages of buying from a small, independent maker.

Instead of relying entirely on a package label or online description, customers have the opportunity to speak with someone who knows firsthand how the products are made.

A colorful selection of handmade soaps from Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps, featuring fragrances including Raindrops on Roses, Pear Blossom, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Waterlily & Jasmine, and Lilac.

FROM SHARING AT CHURCH TO THE FARMERS MARKET

One of the interesting things about Colleen’s story is that she didn’t originally set out to become a business owner.

The process started with making soap for her family. As her recipes improved, she began sharing the finished products with people at church.

Those early conversations and words of encouragement eventually helped her take the next step.

She began selling at the farmers market.

What began as a household project became a way to connect with customers, introduce new people to her products, and steadily grow the business.

More than a decade later, the farmers market remains an important part of how Colleen connects with the community.

It’s a reminder that local businesses don’t always begin with a storefront, a large investment, or an elaborate launch.

Sometimes they begin with someone making something for their own family, sharing it with a few people, and discovering that others appreciate it, too.

FINDING COLLEEN AT THE SUMMERVILLE FARMERS MARKET

If you’ve wandered through the Summerville Farmers Market, you may already be familiar with Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps and its display of handmade products.

Colleen attends the market on Saturdays during its April-through-November season, offering shoppers the chance to browse the selection, ask questions, and purchase directly from the maker.

But customers don’t necessarily have to wait until they reach the booth to decide what they want.

For regular market shoppers, it’s a convenient way to support a local business while making the most of a Saturday morning.

And if a trip to the market isn’t possible, customers can also order online or contact the business through Facebook or email.

Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps at the Summerville Farmers Market, featuring a wide selection of handmade soaps, body butters, lotions, and other personal-care products.

THE PERSONAL SIDE OF SHOPPING LOCAL

There’s something different about purchasing a product directly from the person who makes it.

You can ask questions. Learn about the process. Discover why certain ingredients were chosen or what inspired a particular product.

For Colleen, that personal connection is closely tied to the reason she started making soap in the first place.

She wanted to understand the ingredients in the products her family was using.

Now, she helps customers understand the ingredients in the products she makes.

Of course, individual skincare needs vary, and a handmade product isn’t automatically the right choice for everyone. But being able to ask questions directly and make an informed decision is valuable.

It’s one of the things that makes a visit to a local market more than a shopping trip.

A FAMILY PROJECT THAT GREW INTO SOMETHING MORE

When Colleen first started experimenting with soap recipes for her family, she wasn’t thinking about becoming a familiar face at the farmers market.

She was trying to solve a problem close to home.

But one batch led to another. Friends and fellow church members encouraged her to keep going. Eventually, the products found their way to the market, where more customers could discover them.

Since 2015, Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps has continued to grow from those beginnings.

It’s a story that reflects something we see throughout the Summerville small business community: people turning personal experiences, skills, and ideas into something they can share with others.

And behind the tables of handmade products at our local markets, there are often stories just like this one.

Sometimes, supporting local means supporting an idea that started at someone’s kitchen table and grew because other people believed in it.

WHERE TO FIND COLLEEN’S COCONUT OIL SOAPS

Whether you’re searching for handmade soaps, body butters, or simply want to learn more about the products and ingredients, Colleen’s Coconut Oil Soaps is another example of the people and stories behind our local businesses.

And sometimes, getting to know the person behind a product makes the experience that much more meaningful.

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