Maker Spotlight: Amanda Bosiak
Pithy and Practical
Pithy and Practical is a handmade, hot process soap brand created by talented local, Amanda Bosiak. Amanda has always been crafty, learning skills such as cross stitching, drawing, painting, knitting, and sewing! She has spent her life delving into creative projects and taking part in creative organizations. To Amanda, being a Maker is kind of a lifestyle, stating that she is happiest when she is making things. She believes that being a Maker gives freedom to be creative and self-sufficient.
Inspiration
Amanda’s inspiration for Pithy and Practical came from creating a solution for her own skin concerns, trying to step away from harsh and drying ingredients. Most products found in stores are known to have many harsh and drying ingredients, such as alcohols, parabens, and other chemical additives. Using products with toxic fillers too frequently and over a long period of time can cause skin irritation, acne, and other skin problems. With this in mind, Amanda decided to create her own product, knowing exactly what ingredients are going into the soaps.
“I wanted a soap that I could really lather up and would leave me feeling squeaky clean but not dry. If it also had some extra ingredients with known benefits for skin, even better!”
Philosophy
Amanda’s philosophy is rooted to creating a multi-beneficial product that is not harmful for the skin. She went through trials, testing many different ingredients until she came up with the perfect combination. Her products are gently cleansing with a rich and creamy lather. With the oils and butters used, the soaps have deep moisturizing properties.
Process
Amanda makes her hot process soap in a slow cooker at home, using a mixture of lye, water, oils, and butters. Using this technique allows for a quicker saponification process, which is a reaction that causes the conversion of the fats and oils to create soap! Amanda believes that handmade soaps are the way to go for cleansing rather than purchasing mass produced cleansers. It is a whole different experience when you purchase something local, made by someone passionate about what they are creating.
Other than the cleansing and moisturizing components, Amanda likes to play around with a variety of scents! Some of the unique scents include green tea and peppermint, tomato citrus, lilac, and apple mango. The collection in Pithy and Practical are not only soaps, but there are also lotions, balms, and face masks available!
If you would like to read more or shop online, head over to the Pithy and Practical website here!