About three years ago, Mitchel Winkelman, then 10, decided to pursue a project through 4-H making soap and it didn’t take long for it to turn into a small business called Winkelman Brothers Soap Company.
“People really liked it,” said Mitchel, who gets a lot of help from his mother, Jennifer, and brother, Emmett, 8. “We couldn’t give it away fast enough.”
A month after the project began, the Winkelmans decided to make it a business. “Materials are too expensive to let it sit on a shelf,” Jennifer said.
Mitchel and Jennifer make old-fashioned lye soap using the cold process method. He designs and formulates the bars mostly on his own, using recipes he developed.
“I watched some how-to videos in the beginning to understand how everything works,” Mitchel said.
Jennifer added that some of the process makes her nervous but her son has proven he’s capable of handling the mixing aspect since he began using it two years ago.
“You have to be careful when you’re mixing it because it can get really hot,” Jennifer said.
Mitchel explained that sodium hydroxide (lye) is mixed with distilled water until it is dissolved, and then added to a collection of oils, depending on the recipe.
In a recent batch, he made Charcoal Face Bar soap, which includes coconut, olive, palm, and castor oils, kaolin clay, activated charcoal, and other ingredients, including powdered goat milk.
Once everything is mixed, the oils are saponified to form the soap.
That, in turn, is poured into molds, which require 24 hours to set and another four to six weeks to cure to neutralize the lye so it doesn’t burn the skin when used.
“You have to be careful with that,” Mitchel said.
Mitchel said he has always loved chemistry and creating soap is right up his alley. “It sounded fun,” he said.
Jennifer, who often assists with the process, cleans each dish as it’s used, keeping those in contact with lye separate. “Otherwise, your dishes will taste like soap,” she added.
Larger molds are used to create rolls that are cut into 1.5-inch cakes, with 11 portions per roll.
Mitchel said the first soap he ever made was goat milk/oat, which includes honey purchased from Holloway's Honey in Linn, though he since added several varieties, including lye/heavy lard (used for laundry and tough stains), orange/coffee (used to eliminate strong smells), fishing soap, which includes anise oil, vanilla castile (pure olive oil), menthol, simple/gentle (for babies), workman (which includes sand), and specialty soaps.
One of the best-selling items has been Freedom soap, which is red, white, and blue.
Emmett helps when he can, though right now he is in summer school. “He usually makes bath bombs and really likes it,” Jennifer said.
This blend includes baking soda and citrus acid, which are not as dangerous or demanding as lye.
Typically, the Winkelmans make three batches of soap one weekend two or three times a month but right now, their home is being remodeled. “We have to use my mom’s place for now so we only do it once a month,” Jennifer said. “Once the house is done, Mitchel will have his own soap-making area in the garage.”
Jennifer added she is pleased the boys are involved in such a worthwhile project. “It’s better than video games,” she said.
COVID hampered the business a bit as craft shows were canceled but the Winkelmans have been able to order supplies without much trouble. Mitchel sets up every Saturday at the farmer’s market through the summer at Lincoln University and plans to continue participating in craft shows when available.
Currently, Winkelman Brothers Soap is available on Facebook and at wbsoaps.org. Orders can be shipped or picked up at Big Fish Haircuts at Loose Creek.
All profits from the business are saved for the purchase of a car and college education.