Who do you think you are?

Twenty years ago if you had asked me where my career was headed, “soap maker” definitely wouldn’t have made the list.  At that time I was immersed in the veterinary industry, working closely with horses, their owners and the everyday realities of animal health.  But looking back now, the thread that connects that chapter of my life to what I’m doing today is surprisingly clear.

During that time I really interested in wound care and bandaging.  It might sound a bit niche, but anyone who works with animals, especially horses knows how important proper skin care is to healing. I became fascinated by the way skin responded to treatment, how the right product, environment and protection could make all the difference. That interest grew into a curiosity on formulation, ingredients and then on how to create something that could genuinely help.

That curiosity eventually led me to develop Equibase, a non-medicinal equine skin care salve. It started as a practical solution, something I felt wasn’t available and something that was designed specifically with the challenges of veterinary care and equine dermatology in mind, particularly in a normal working environment. Horses deal with everything from minor scratches, to major wounds, to chronic skin irritations and I wanted a product that was simple, effective, versatile and most importantly, reliable.

That experiment turned into something bigger. After plenty of testing, refining and lots of learning along the way, the salve made its way in front of the HPRA and the Dept of Agriculture before going to market. Seeing something you’ve created move from idea to a real product is an incredible feeling. It’s equal parts relief, pride and disbelief.  It’s a feeling I’ve been chasing ever since.

Life has a habit of taking you in unexpected directions.  Over the following years my focus shifted dramatically.  I left the vets behind and moved into hospitality and business with my partner Pam.  We opened up three coffee shops and a barbershop.  If you have worked in hospitality you will know it’s a world of its own. Very early mornings, long days, endless problem solving, all of which I was used to.  But there is also that constant drive to try and create great experiences for your customers.

Having these businesses has been one of the most challenging and rewarding chapters of my life. It has pushed me to learn new skills, help build teams and think in completely different ways.

Somewhere in the background though, that original interest I had in wound management and formulation never really disappeared.  I found myself feeling the pull back toward it but the focus wasn’t on horses.  This time I started experimenting with soap making, initially just for myself.  I wanted to solve the shower shelf real estate problem we had in our house.  Why does one person need 4 or 5 bottles of gloop to take a shower.  Surely I can simplify this. That rabbit hole brought my fun little project to become an obsession.

Soap making is deceptively simple. Oil, water, lye, mix them together and you have soap, technically!  Creating a bar that feels right, lathers properly, nourishes the skin and holds up over time is another story entirely.  It took a full year of testing, tweaking formulas, adjusting ingredients and modifying methods.  Some batches were great. Others were… well, let’s call them learning experiences. Slowly, batch by batch, the formula came together and it was pure filth (slang for the best thing ever)!

Now, with everything finalised and certified I can start ramping up production and hopefully bring my soap to a wider market.  Looking back, reflecting on where my journey started, from the vets and an interest in bandaging and wound care, to product development, then on to coffee shops and a barbershop and now back to mixing and formulating it kind of feels like I’ve come full circle. Maybe soap making isn’t actually that left of field as I thought.

Hopefully this is just the beginning.  As I keep learning while the years pass I know the most interesting paths are rarely straight lines.  I think it is important to never forget the skills and experiences you pick up along the way. They may quietly shape what you create later.  And sometimes, after years in a completely different world, you end up right back where you started.