Our story
Hi, I'm Natalie — the hands behind Black Cat Artisan Goods.
Some people don't think much about the barrier that is our skin. I certainly didn't until my hands began to split and crack from being so dry. Not all soaps are made the same. Washing my hands with cheap, mass-produced soap stripped the top layers and left my knuckles with wounds. Strong unnatural smells gave me headaches and left me nauseous. My attempt to go all natural, eliminate microplastics, and avoid endocrine-blocking chemicals in my day-to-day life led me to the decision to start making my own soaps. Developing sensitive skin and a sense of smell in my 20s wasn't a thing on my bingo card of life, and yet it's hard to believe what strange chemical goop I was using to clean and "moisturize" my skin before now.
The learning process of what can be used for skin care led me down a rabbit hole. The hours dedicated to YouTube, Google, online forums, and homesteading blogs helped me align myself as a soap maker and businesswoman. From the base ingredients, how they're sourced, where to get them, to the different types of lathers produced, and ways the oils bond together, I fell in love with the process: melting oils, calculating lye, and timing the saponification. The scientific method of soap making scratches a part of my brain that I had no idea I was missing out on.
Along the way, I've discovered more products I can make, and what properties they have within skin care routines. My desire to try different hobbies using my hands to make things has left me with an endless list of chores. That said, my premium bars are always made with organic and grass-fed ingredients. The ingredients list may vary, but all are made in small batches with great attention to detail. The botanicals in the soaps come from my garden, tended by my hands. The oils I use are vetted by me, and most importantly, I use all of my products. My hopes for the business are built on a desire for independence, craftsmanship, and creating something meaningful with my own two hands. I have full intentions of being a complete handcrafted apothecary-style store that sources its own products and supplies.
My commitment
All-natural, ethically sourced, human-rights oriented.
That means I want to have botanicals that aren't treated with harmful pesticides or herbicides; I want to one day source many of my own ingredients directly, including growing or producing as much as possible myself. For now, I vet my ingredients and suppliers to ensure I am getting the most reliable, safe, and high-quality goods.
Oils and other ingredients are sourced in a way that doesn't deplete the Earth's resources or harm the environment — and, in fact, give back to it. Some of my favorite parts of learning about the ingredients are how the oils are sourced; due to the difficulty in finding ethically sourced supplies, oils such as palm oil will always be a limited-time ingredient. I also don't use plastic — only silicone, wood, and stainless steel in my production. My oils and finished products are kept in temperature-controlled conditions to preserve their quality.
I want to have my supply chain vertically integrated to the business, so that I can eventually eliminate the need for third-party suppliers. My supplies at this time come in a range of shipment forms — containers vary from metal to plastic. I would love to one day have consistency in the containers being all metal, but for now I want to be transparent that my production is always plastic-free, and post-production boxing and labeling are plastic-free.
I'm happy to share my goals for this business clearly. I've got a long way to go in order to meet any of these dreams. For now, the standards for my product are high, and each batch is made with carefully selected, naturally derived ingredients.
The products I make will evolve. What I grow, harvest, and create may change, but how I do it won't.
— Thank you for supporting my small business.