Moondance Soaps & More

About:

Looking at Moondance Soaps & More’s table at the farmers market, you wouldn’t guess many of the fragrance ideas come from Rachel and Paul’s 8-year-old daughter, Emily. Moondance Soaps began in the holiday season of 1997 when Rachel DuBois, owner and full-time soap crafter, began making small batches of soap from a magazine recipe and passing them out at her office. Pretty soon, Rachel was standing at Durham Farmers Market.

Moondance Soaps & More is now operated out of a two-car port made-over to function as a chemistry lab, mixing station, curing room and product storage. Rachel is the main soap crafter and Paul sells their product at the market.

The process of making soap involves quite a bit of organic chemistry and quite a bit of creativity. When they make a batch, they make 300-400 bars of soap, which is no small amount. When Rachel and Paul talk about the product they make, they make mention that it is 100% edible, no preservatives. Paul has even had one customer eat an entire Ginger Snaps sample!

What’s their biggest challenge? “Resisting the urge to grow,” Rachel and Paul each reply. They simply want to enjoy watching their children, Emily and Maddie, as they grow. They want to stay small and have a satisfying way to meet bills, making a product that people love and living life.