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Gwinda Kelly, owner of Kelly’s Hilltop Goats, fills a mould for making bars of soap in her home near Zanesville. Kelly makes the soap using natural ingredients, including goat’s milk. (Photo: Chris Crook/Times Recorder)

ZANESVILLE – A local entrepreneur offering a unique trade turned an eccentric hobby into a career.

Gwinda Kelly, founder of Kelly’s Hilltop Goats, liked to give her loved ones homemade gifts. She has a unique trade: She makes self-care products with milk from her Zanesville farm’s goats.

“I gave it a go, and it just turned out wonderful,” she said.

That hobby turned into a business in 2018 when word of her products spread by word of mouth throughout the community. But the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the doors of her storefront downtown earlier this year.

The Zanesville native has since moved her business to the basement of her farmhouse and accepts orders and appointments. But soon, she’ll have another shop of her own, right on the farmland where her products come from.

But she’s made the best of her time without a storefront, still promoting her products online and building upon her solid clientele of those interested in her handmade bar soaps, lotions, liquid soaps and shower steamers, all complete with natural essential oils that can be customized to the customer’s preferences.

How the product started

The soap-making trade came as a practical solution for Kelly’s family. Her husband has eczema and was in need of a supply of natural soap.

The couple had always used natural soap, but she usually could only find it outside of the area.

The natural moisturizer found in goat’s milk seemed like a good idea. From there, her friends and family began hearing about it, so they requested them to give as gifts.

“We thought, why don’t we try to use (products) that are basic, without any chemicals in it,” she said. “It just started working.”

In 2018 she decided to turn it into a certified business and obtained a vendor’s license. Then she hunkered down with some books and learned the science of making soap. It’s a labor-intensive, long and often dangerous process, so she said that was an important step.

Kelly is very detail-oriented when she makes her soap. She measures out all the ingredients to a tee and keeps her book “The Science of Soapmaking.”

“That one happens to be the ultimate in soapmaking,” she said. “I know a little bit (of the science), but I don’t know how to explain it.”

Her soaps are natural, meaning they don’t have any of the harsh chemicals that irritate skin. Add natural scents from essential oils and of course the signature goat’s milk ingredient, and then Kelly has her goat’s milk soap masterpiece.

Business is about more than money

News of her one-of-a-kind products traveled quickly. It started as word of mouth, then moved online. At one point there was a radio ad.

The business was never just about the money for Kelly. It was a hobby turned into something much bigger.

“I used it as a fun adventure,” she said. “People just started liking it.”

After obtaining her vendor’s license in 2018, Kelly started her downtown storefront. That had to close this year, but she had to make some modifications to her business model.

She takes orders, but customers can still have the option to be a part of the process. Clients can make appointments and browse some of the selection at her home.

Products can also be made to order and customized with scents all made from essential oils.

Classics like lavender, spearmint, lemon verbena and coconut are among the dozens available. There are even more niche scents like Abercrombie-type, pumpkin pie and Gain detergent-like scents.

This summer she’ll have a new set-up. She’s building a new structure on their farm that will serve as the official store. Customers will also be able to watch Kelly at work making the soaps behind a plexiglass screen.

She attributes all of it to her friends and family who took an interest in her unique trade from day one.

“World of mouth travels fast,” she said. “There’s wonderful people in the world.”

You can make an appointment to look at the selection of Kelly’s goat milk products on Kelly Hilltop Goats’ website. More information can also be found on the Facebook page.

[email protected]

740-450-6752

Twitter: @erinccouch

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