In this month’s Community Highlight we sat down with Tanya Abousaada, one of our lovely Mat & Barre instructors here at Scout, who just recently launched her own small business of natural artisan soaps! Tanya is a creative and felt the urge to reconnect with nature and become self-sufficient. Keep scrolling to read her full story and it might even inspire you to swap your plastic bottles of shower gel for a more sustainable option…

Hi Tanya, can you share a little bit of your background and what brought you to this passion for making homemade soaps?

I love to make things with my hands, and I’ve always dreamt of being self-sufficient, with my own little farm, like in the Good Life, which is a very old and beautiful TV show. I started to dislike the chemical-based cleaning products we had, and set out to replace them with self-made, natural options. This reminded me to reconnect with nature, where I feel at home.

I started by looking through some of my old homemakers’ books and online, and found how to make soap. From there of course I got more books and experimented. It was so much fun. I also made body butters, salves, toners, facial oils, hair oils, incense and so much more.

Soap is my dear love now, but I will expand to other products. My homemade peppermint salve has saved my sore ankles before my Scout classes many times!

Can you tell us more about the story of Nabela, and where you’re at now?

We launched Nabela online in September 2022. It was a big move for me, I didn’t ever imagine opening another business, and one so close to my heart. My husband created the website for me, and I used an old camera to take pictures in my kitchen. Nabela is my Mama’s name, she taught me how to love again. So, I wanted my brand to be all about going ‘back to love’. What is love but the source, the essence, the core of everything! And how can we give and receive love if we do not self-love.

Every order includes a heartfelt note from me. And I hope my clients feel the love I package up with the soaps.

Now I’m carving out my space online and in local markets. My first market was delayed, but I’m ready to go on 26 November in Oatley, then monthly at different markets across Sydney. I’ll always announce those on Instagram and Facebook so stay tuned!

I’m working with a few retailers to sell my soaps in stores throughout NSW. And my corporate sales have been exciting recently. I created a bespoke soap for a Sydney studio for their new member welcome packs. I also made a signature soap for a family. That one was fun, it was coloured with natural indigo, so blue!

As you can see, I am still very small but, like a sunflower, I’m working to grow tall towards the sun. And sharing the opportunity with my peers, as I support a community of family businesses, who I buy my supplies from.

How did learn to make soaps + refine the formula/recipe that you are using now to create the final product?

A lot of trial and error. I learned from books first, then watched some wonderful tutorials online, and then I attended a soap makers course.

No matter what I read and watched, I couldn’t find the balance I wanted in my soap: sudsy, creamy, cleansing and hydrating. So, I did a lot of research on the individual components of my soaps in modern journal articles and ancient texts - our ancestors know so much about our plant friends. I’ve studied and continue to study aromatherapy, herbalism and astrology, which all support my soap.

After a lot of reading, testing, trying, failing and succeeding, I’ve created my signature recipes. But I continue to learn. Each batch of soap I write notes about the experience. It’s lovely.

Here is a secret that probably doesn’t surprise you: natural, organic and local ingredients, yield the best soaps. Hands down! So, I work with local farmers and small producers, all who have families and dreams just like me, and you. I love that! I can call them when I’m running low, I don’t have to connect with a bot on my computer - blessed!

How do find your inspiration for your scents?

My walks in nature, Aromatherapy, and Astrology.

Let’s start with my walks in nature, every day, to get to work. Jasmine, lavender, rose, citrus trees, freshly cut grass, all of this inspires me. It’s not just about what will smell good in a soap, but how does that smell make me feel? Does it feel like spring, or winter? Holidays? Sleep time? Energising? Thought-provoking?

To get it right I consult my aromatherapy and herbalism resources to confirm the physical, mental and emotional correspondence, as well as other correspondences, such as organs, colours and herbs. It’s important to get this right as artisan soaps are friendlier to the skin, our largest organ, so I feel a responsibility to care for the skin, and the senses, as much as possible.

Sometimes, I just love the scent! For instance, my lemon soap, I made this simply because I love eating lemons, skin and all. Lemon is antibacterial and supports inspiration in the heart. So, I was like, lets ‘soap’ that fruit, skin and all. My lemon soap has dried peel as the exfoliant. It’s beautiful!

Astrology, well this one is my current project. So, I’ll talk to you about that a little later.

What makes your body soaps unique?

I design each soap with the intention to clean, hydrate, encourage self love and self care. Each soap comes with its own affirmation, a little thought provoker to make you slow down. Combine that with the aromatherapy benefits of the essential oils we use, my soaps aim to covey a mood, for you to feel and intuit.

In turn, they show the same love and care for mother earth. I do not use artificial colours and exfoliants which usually contain plastics and metals that end up in our waterways.

All my soaps are sudsy, creamy, cleansing, hydrating and packed with natural clays and oils that add to their skin care opportunities. It’s like a full body mask. And vegan, so planet friendly and plant packed!

My soaps are also unique as I use Australian grown and produced ingredients as much as possible. I get:

Cold pressed olive oil from NSW farmers. Over 50% of a bar is olive oil.
Organic coconut oil from Queensland.
Australian essential oils and clays form across Australia.

I make my own exfoliants from flowers and fruits I grow, and coffee from my local café to reduce waste. My aloe vera gel is from my own garden, and I create my own floral water and herb-infused oils.

I don’t cut corners. I always think, what would my Mama want? And I make the soap for her.

What qualities are required for soap making?

As a soap maker we have got to be creative, patient and ready to fail. If an essential oil behaves well in one batch, it doesn’t guarantee it will again. If the clay turned green in one batch, it may skew to grey in another. So, I am ready for anything and to be honest that is exciting for me. I feel like it has it’s own personality once I’ve poured it in the mould. From then on, it’s its own being, I can’t wait to ‘meet’ it once cured. Just like when you plant a seed in the ground. It’s up to the seed and mother earth. Beautiful, amazing, joyful thought!

Also, becoming a soap maker has changed me, so we need to be open to change. Soap making has given me confidence, a deeper love for mother earth, connection with flowers and plants that fill my days with joy and substance, and stronger intuition.

Any challenges that you had to face so far?

While I am a fitness teacher, I am shy about showcasing my skills, so not the best at getting ‘out there’ with my product. This is something I am working on daily, connecting with people and companies to bring my soaps to everyone.

Marketing has always been a huge challenge for me so I’m working on social media posts and collaborating with different people to try to increase our reach. The more authentic I stay to what Nabela is and who I am, the more it flows and works! I know that sounds obvious but sometimes we want to be what our clients want us to be. Just remember that being ourselves is always, and will always be, enough.

Lastly, culling my range. I have 38 soaps now. Yes, overkill I know but when you start it’s so exciting to try try try. I’m reducing my standard range and adding my AstroSoaps. This will be an exciting change in January 2023. So, watch the website and social media for all the updates.

What goal do you hope to achieve next year and/or any exciting projects coming up for you?

Oh, I really want my soaps to be out there, working their magic on the skins of many! LOL 😊 It would be wonderful for my clients to find my soaps in their local small retailers and markets, so I’ll be focusing on distribution and collaborations.

It’s also important to me too that homes and local businesses switch to locally made, sustainable, earth-friendly soaps. I’d love to see artisan soaps everywhere! This will be kinder to our waterways and reduce rubbish as artisan packaging is generally minimal. But also, better quality soaps support better skin health. Artisan soaps that use all-natural ingredients, like mine, promote healthier skin, hydrated skin, and reduce the introduction of extra toxins through chemicals you’ll find in some soaps, or by simply stripping your skin of its natural oil defense system.

As for exciting projects, well Astrology is it! I’m making AstroSoaps, as each Zodiac has corresponding essential oil, flower and herb. I’m currently translating this into a range of soaps. These soaps will either help ground you in your Zodiac sign, or help you get to know a Zodiac sign that you may be struggling to understand. The olfactory system is highly intelligent, let’s awaken it.

When you’re not working on this project, what are you up to and how do you like to spend your free time?

I’ll be in my kitchen listening to Indian flute or Celtic music, trying a new recipe or reading a book, or even outside talking to plants. You’ll also find me in thrift shops looking for books, baskets, milk jugs, plates, big spoons (just love them), doilies, dresses, things I don’t need. Or in a café, drinking coffee and reading, I love reading.

Honestly, you’ll find me just happy to be alive. Being alive is beautiful. Every day I wake and am grateful that I am here to experience every feeling possible to a human. I thank my Mama and Nabela for bringing love, and life, back for me. So let me share this same love and life with you, through my soaps.

Where can we find your soaps? Do you have any favourite to recommend to try?

My website is here.

Instagram and Facebook you can find me here.

Upcoming market in December:

Kirribilli Markets Sunday 4 December and Sunday 23 January

My favourite soaps at the moment:

· Lavender Large - so hydrating and smells spectacular.

· Dish and Laundry soaps - so amazing on dishes, surfaces and windows. It even takes stains off light coloured clothes!

· Orange Blossom - natural orange peel exfoliant and strong Australian orange essential oil scent.

· Rosewood - intriguing, delightful scent, hydrating from the Australian pink clay, great to promote younger skin.

SCOUT COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT - Meet Tanya