Melinda Thiessen and her fiancé, Kyle Baker, are the team behind Boeccure, an all-natural, cruelty-free bath and body line made in Baton Rouge. Graphic designers and web developers by trade, they started Boeccure in 2014 to fill a void they saw in the bath and body market–it was difficult for them to find products without chemicals and ingredients that were irritating to the skin. Now, the company has nearly a dozen products, including foaming soaps and his-and-hers soap bars, as well as the ability to fill custom orders and gift boxes. Thiessen spoke with inRegister about picking the perfect scents, selling out of cube bath bombs, and what to expect from Boeccure this holiday season.

1. What is a typical day like for you and your team? Our day starts with breakfast and a cup of home-roasted coffee. Since some products have longer cure times than others, the team reviews what products need to be made that day, and in what priority. We weigh this between upcoming events, products with low inventory, and any custom orders, which we take for large quantities or custom gift sets. Music is practically mandatory, and is always playing in our studio while we make our products. After production of the day’s goods, we take a break outside and review how everything went. The hand-crafting process is an organic one, and it’s different every time! The day usually ends with us wishing our soaps a good night and giving each other a high five.

2. What is your professional background? How did you get into bath and body? I am a co-owner of Boeccure, along with my fiancé, Kyle Baker. We both graduated in 2011 from the LSU School of Art & Design with a concentration in graphic design. While I have continued as a graphic designer after graduating, Kyle developed a specialty in web development, working for various advertising and design agencies in town, including Rockit Science Agency, Red Six Media, and Gatorworks.

Our interest in soap and cosmetics is a result of our being proponents of the belief that nature can serve as a guide toward our best selves. We had trouble finding products that didn’t contain skin-irritating detergents, or a laundry list of chemicals, so we started to create our own traditional lye soap. Being creative people, we also find great joy in working with our hands and crafting something from scratch.

3. Where can readers find your products around town? What is the first thing they will notice about them? The first thing everyone notices about our products is our clean design aesthetic, followed by the aroma of essential oils. Salon du Sud currently carries a selection of our bar soaps and foaming hand soaps. Everything else we create can be explored on our website at shopboeccure.com, or at any of the various markets we attend in Baton Rouge, including the Mid City Makers Market, Alexander’s Pop-up Market, and Ogden Park Prowl. Customers can stay up to date with our events and new retailers by following us on Facebook or Instagram.

4. What sets your company apart? We strive to be a voice that encourages self-care and balance instead of perfection, and we believe that Boeccure does that by reconnecting people with their sense of self, both mentally and physically. We create products that honor the beauty and grace with which our bodies were designed.

5. What is one thing you think customers should know about your company that they may not be aware of? We are extremely selective about what we allow in our products. Some of the things we ban from our products are parabens, phthalates, palm oil and detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate and its relatives.

6. How do you keep your inventory fresh and up to date?
While we are always trying out new and trending products, we find that having conversations with our customers is the best way to bring the best products to market.

7. Can you share a hint about any new products we might expect to see next season? We are really excited about our upcoming products, particularly linen spray and a line of bath powders.

8. What was your reason for opening the company? When did it open, and how has it grown or changed since then? We opened Boeccure in late 2014 as a “no-pressure” adventure that we ended up really enjoying. We started out in our kitchen, and now we operate out of a studio that’s part of the Bocage Cultural District at N the Art Space. We’ve expanded from offering only bar soap to now almost 10 different products. Thanks to the help of Emprint Moran Printing, we’ve also graduated to the beautiful silver-foil-stamped soap box that we currently use.

We are so excited to be entering the next phase of development, as we work toward retailing with a variety of boutiques across Louisiana. We have big goals, and Boeccure is just the start!

9. What are a few must-haves this season?
People can’t get enough of our cube-shaped bath bombs! Christmas will be here before we know it, so we’re also rolling out a festive set of gift boxes that are perfect for friends and loved ones.

10. What are some of your best-selling products?
Lavender is a big crowd-pleaser, so our line of “Relaxation” products have a high turnover–this includes a bar soap, foaming hand soap, bath bombs and bathing salts. We also have a hard time keeping our Honeysuckle bar soap in stock.