[IMG]http://www.tori.ng/userfiles/image/2016/dec/09/Jasmine.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.tori.ng/userfiles/image/2016/dec/09/Jasmine1.jpg[/IMG]
A mother-of-two who uses breast milk to make bespoke soap says word-of-mouth demand for the bars has led to her turning the hobby into a business.
The unique soap, which is created using defrosted breast milk and different natural oils, is the handiwork of Jasmine Overton, 37, from Queensland, Australia.
The mother-of-two says she began making the soap after having a 'light-bulb' moment when hearing her sister complaining that she was over-producing milk while nursing her young baby.
Her sister Chrystal, 30, began expressing her excess milk and passing it onto Jasmine so she could add it into her beauty products.
Jasmine mixes the milk with oils, then makes the mixture into bars of soap, which are said to help soften skin, as well as reducing redness, oiliness, acne, sensitivity and itchiness.
The product has been such a success that Jasmine has made personalised batches for her sister's friends and now hopes to launch her breast milk soap as a bespoke business.
'It's liquid gold, full of vitamins and minerals and so good for your skin,' Jasmine from Mudgeeraba, Queensland, Australia, said.
Jasmine and her daughters
Jasmine believes she should only make the product for mums from their own milk.
'It's more of a personalised soap, it comes from them, so I believe it should be for them,' she said.
Chrystal agrees, saying: 'My children and I have very sensitive skin and it is so creamy and gentle.
'Now, I wouldn't use anything else. Knowing it is made specifically for you out of your own milk supply is a very comforting and special feeling.'
Her soap-making started a few years back, as she is a stay-at-home mum and carer for her 16-year-old son Noah, who has cerebral palsy.
First she experimented with coconut oil, olive oil, caster oil, shea butter, sunflower oil, cocoa butter, and goat's milk. Initially, her products were just special treats for friends and family, but last November she started selling them at markets.
'I called my new business 'Rosie Posie Handcrafted Creations,' after my nine-year-old daughter Rosie,' she said.
'Customers just keep coming back, it's amazing.'
'It's always been about using natural ingredients, with essential oils to add a fragrance.'
She always loved the feel of goats' milk soap, so when Chrystal gave birth and started lactating, she thought she'd expand her repertoire.
'She had so much milk, and I had read about breast milk soap before, so I thought let's try it,' Jasmine said.'
Chrystal uses the soap made from her milk on her own skin, and for both her daughters, Pearl, two, and Gypsy, three months.
A sample of the soap
Jasmine preserves the milk in the freezer with ice packs after Chrystal has expressed it.
When she is ready to use it, she defrosts it and mixes it with oils – taking about 45 minutes to make 500g worth, then about four-six weeks to set.
She pours it into a mould, leaves it for two days, cuts it into bars, then leaves it to harden.
'My sister loves it because it's made from her own milk. It's all natural,' Jasmine said. 'I would have loved to have done it with my own breast milk.'
Through word of mouth, her business has expanded and she now makes soap for some friends who are lactating.
'They say it's really moisturising, I've only had positive feedback, even when I post photos on social media.
'It would be great to expand it into a business, I would love to have proper clients to make it for as a job,' she said.
'A lot of people say they didn't know it was possible to make it and would love to try it.'
Chrystal said her sister's products smell delicious and make her feel relaxed.
She said: 'Having used my sister's products for a few years now, I knew that the breast milk soap would be amazing.
'Once I received it, I was so excited because of all the health benefits it contains. I couldn't wait to use it on my skin and my children's.'
