🌿 My Journey Into Handmade Skincare

 

I was born in Germany, but my roots are Turkish. Since 2009, I’ve lived in London. I originally came here to improve my English, but I quickly fell in love with the city—and eventually with my husband—so London became home. It’s where I studied, built my life, and now raise my two wonderful children.

My background is in Human Nutrition (BSc), and along the way I also studied Cupping Therapy when my son was just five months old, and later earned a Diploma in Aromatherapy after my daughter was born. These studies were part of my passion for health and wellness, but they also planted the seeds for something I didn’t yet realise would become so important: my journey into handmade skincare.

 

🌸 The First Spark

 

I’ve always had a soft spot for soaps. Every trip to Turkey meant coming back with a suitcase full of natural soaps—milk soaps, honey soaps, herbal soaps. I’ve never bought shower gels for years, only soaps. They felt pure, grounding, and comforting.

But during COVID lockdown, while also struggling with postpartum depression, I reached a breaking point. I needed something to hold onto, a personal space outside of motherhood, a passion. That’s when I threw myself into researching soaps obsessively.

My very first soap was a simple Castile soap, made with only olive oil. It was a huge success. From there, I experimented with milk soaps, vinegar soaps, honey soaps, and even a Yoni soap, which remains one of my personal favourites. I gifted them to friends and family, used them myself, and felt—for the first time in a while, that I had created something meaningful.

 

 

🧴 Why I Chose to Create My Own Skincare

Part of what pushed me deeper into this path was frustration. Time and again, I’d discover that brands I trusted had quietly changed their formulas, lowered ingredient quality, or sold out to large corporations. A product I thought was “natural” often turned out to contain hormone-disrupting chemicals or questionable ingredients.

Becoming a mother made me extra cautious about what touched my children’s skin. I no longer wanted to blindly trust labels or marketing—I wanted control. I wanted to know exactly what went into the products we used.

 

🌿 From Soap to Skincare

Starting with soaps gave me confidence, but it was meeting customers at local markets that truly shaped my brand. Speaking one-to-one, hearing what people were looking for, and sharing why I started helped me see where I could grow.

I slowly expanded:

• First came bath salts and nail oil (simple, but so loved).

• Then the lip balms, which became an instant hit.

• Later came products like my magnesium balm, which gave me real confidence in my ability to create formulas that people genuinely needed.

Step by step, Soul ’n Body was born—not from a business plan, but from a mix of necessity, curiosity, passion, and community.

 

 

💛 Where I Am Now

Today, I’m proud to handcraft natural skincare in small batches, focusing on purity, honesty, and functionality. My inspiration comes from my family, my roots, and my customers—every piece of feedback shapes me.

This blog will be a space where I share not only the story behind my products, but also glimpses of my life as a mother, a maker, and a woman trying to balance it all. From the sweet chaos of homeschooling to the joy of crafting skincare that makes people feel good—I hope you’ll find something here that inspires you, too.