Every European girl, including this one, has a weakness for indulging in luxurious body care. Whether a relaxing massage, a moisturizing body mask, an invigorating scrub or a warm bath, taking care of your body has an impact not only on your physical self but also on your mind. Anytime I can take time out of the day,or a week, even just 5-10 minutes, I disconnect from the stress of the day and concentrate just on me.
To that effect, I go absolutely wild for scented body care products! The more they smell like my favourite treats (think chocolate chip ice cream, cupcakes, cookies), the quicker they find their way to my shopping cart. So when I discovered Mellanie’s new line of natural handcmade soap, bath and body care products, Clean Treats, I was in heaven! And of course I had to share my discovery with you guys!
Mellanie hand makes her beautiful products with natural and nourishing ingredients like essential oils, shea and cocoa butters, and even coffee! With a view toward them being visually appealing and smelling extraordinary, the entire line is like having a bake shop in your bathroom. My slice of the Salted Coconut Custard soap is currently enveloping the space around my sink in a fantasy island scent (and I have to keep shooing my curious cat from sampling the bubbles). And even though the boy is more of a shower than a bath guy, the Vanilla Gelato Body Bomb had him hogging the bathroom for an hour!
I asked Mellanie a few questions about her line and her inspiration, and here is what she had to say:
How did you come up with the name Clean Treats? It actually took a lot of brainstorming, revising and asking friends and family which names they liked best. In the end, Clean Treats was such an obvious choice. I loved the double meaning of “clean” in that my products a) clean your body and b) are naturally “clean” without the chemicals that are commonly used in other commercial bath and body products. The “treats” idea is also a very important part of who I want to be as a company; I love creating products that people like to spoil themselves with.
Do you test all your products personally? YES! I do not, nor will I ever, test any of my products on animals. I only test on humans! My family and I are the first ones to test each of my products. When I feel that I have it “right”, I often send my testers out to friends and neighbours to be sure each one is a winner before they make it into my store.
How do you come up with new products/scents? It is about 75% selfish actually. I love to cook and bake so many of my ideas come from the foods I love; anything pumpkin, coconut or chocolate are always on my mind. I am also a big gardener, so many of the scents I love are botanical or floral like lavender and mint. It’s really a creative process for me – I research different ingredients and brainstorm ideas for how they would work in a possible product.
Who inspires you? There are so many other soapers and women entrepreneurs out there that inspire me! I am a member of several online groups where we all share ideas and support each other in our businesses. It’s so great to find a community like that. There are a few soap companies in particular though that I look to for inspiration; The Soap Kitchen is a big one because I love the owner’s enthusiasm and spirit. You really get a sense of the joy and care she puts into her products.
What is the most indulgent thing you’ve done for yourself in the last few months? I picked my daughter up from school early (she is 7) and we went for manicures and pedicures. It was so much fun to spoil ourselves together. I really believe that everyone should take time to treat themselves and the ones they love. Reconnect with your own joy, even if it is only for a few minutes.
As you can see from her answers, Mellanie has an amazing attitude toward her business and her customers. The natural bath and body care products are so popular that she quickly sells out as soon as a new batch of freshly made items hits the Clean Treats shop. She’s already sold out of most of the seasonal items but there are plenty of others to choose from. If you want to surprise someone for Christmas or indulge your own senses, you’ll have to hurry. The deadline for Christmas shipping is December 18th!
However, I’m super excited to announce that Mellanie has generously offered one of her most popular items (and my new obsession!!!!!) the Choco Mint Whipped Body Frosting as my first official blog giveaway! A fantastic, lavish treat just in time for Christmas! It’s super easy to enter and the winner will be chosen from all entrants via a random draw December 17, 2014 at 6pm. The name of the lucky person will be announced on the blog and on social media. You have until then to play along.
** UPDATE ** The WINNER of the draw is Frank Morello. Thank you to everyone who entered!
HOW TO ENTER
1. Facebook: “Like” both Clean Treats and Cobblestones and Cappuccinos pages and share the Facebook Giveaway post on your page with an awesome comment. If you already “Like” one of us, you’re halfway there!
OR
2. Twitter: “Follow” both @cleantreatsbath and @CobblesandCapps and retweet our giveaway tweet. If you’re already following one of us, you’re one click away from entering!
OR
3. For an extra entry, do both!
Good luck to everyone!
