Old Town Suds
As a pastry chef, the most interesting thing that I learned from visiting Steffanie Housman of Old Town Suds was how similar the processes of baking and soap-making are. Watching her work, I was amazed to find that we use many of the same techniques and tools to create our products. It was amazing to watch Steffanie measure and mix her ingredients, check the 
temperatures and blend and scrape her way through a soap recipe. Just as in baking, she needs to follow a meticulous, very precise process in order to make sure the soap comes out just the way she likes it. And when she does, she creates an amazing, beautiful product that she sells at the Mosaic Central Farm Market.It all started a few years ago. In January 2011, Steffanie was diagnosed with Chiari, a brain malformation where your brain doesn't fit in your skull so it pushes its way out into your spinal cord. That then turns into Syringomyelia, or cysts inside your spinal cord. By March 2011 she was at Hopkins in Baltimore having brain surgery. The surgery was considered a treatment to help slow the progression of the Chiari symptoms.
By mid-April, less than a month after the surgery, Steffanie was bored sitting at home. The holiday presents were over. Daytime TV was boring and she still had two more months at home before she could return to work. A close friend who was doing research at a national laboratory told her about all the nasty chemicals that were harming red blood cells. That got Steffanie thinking and she started researching cleaning products, soaps and everything that she used on a day-to-day basis. She began to wonder if these chemicals caused her brain/skull defect, and questioned if they could be causing harm now.
It was then that Steffanie decided to start making her own soap. She began by researching soap making methods on YouTube and then started taking classes to learn about saponification, the process of using lye to turn oils into soap. Steffanie uses 8 different oils in her soap: rice bran, canola, almond, avocado, coconut, caster, shea butter and olive oil. All of her ingredients 
are technically edible, which is one of the reasons she can call her product all-natural. In her soaps, she also uses beer, goat’s milk, avocado, blood orange juice and wine to name a few!Steffanie also makes face wash, shampoo, lip balm, yoga mat cleaner, bug spray and laundry detergent. The laundry detergent was one of the first products Steffanie made. It was mainly for her use, as she had some allergic reactions to store-bought detergent, but it became so popular with her friends, that she started selling it. And that’s how Old Town Suds got its start! Now Steffanie sells her products at a few markets in her area, including our own Mosaic Market, as well as participating in local craft fairs and conventions.
Stop by the Mosaic Central Farm Market and take a moment to smell the delicious soaps that Steffanie makes. Some of her flavors are Blood Orange, Dirty Mojito, Japanese Citrus, Milk and Honey, and Peppermint Surprise. Steffanie has also done some soap-making classes out of her basement soap-lab. Drop by her stand and talk to her about her product, ask her about her classes, and you will get some really interesting information about the soap-making process. She’s more than willing to share her knowledge and passion with you! And you will love taking home one of her delicious products. In fact, they make great gifts, so if you are starting your shopping early this year, you won’t want to miss Old Town Suds!
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