Meet Toni Schulze Owner of BLUEBIRD Bath Boutique
At Bulk Apothecary, we take pride in supporting and educating our customers to encourage their growth. One way we do this is through our Maker of the Month program where we showcase the educators, candle makers, Handcrafted Body care makers, and boutique owners we supply products for. Each month, we shine a spotlight on one of these creative souls, sharing their inspiring journey with the world.
In the world of handcrafted body care, few names resonate like Toni Schulze’s. Her dedication to creating unique, high-quality products sets a benchmark for artisans everywhere. This month, we’re excited to showcase her journey in the handcrafted body care industry.
A Journey into Handcrafted Body Care with BLUEBIRD Bath Boutique
Toni, we are so excited to showcase you this month. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Toni Schulze and I live in Houston, TX where I handcraft small-batch bath, body, and aromatherapy products that are vegan, cruelty-free, and made with high-quality earth-conscious organic ingredients. My goal has been to take natural bath and body care and bring life to it. I do this with vibrant, colorful, and edgy branding. I am not like other bath and body companies, I have a very unique grouping of products and fragrance blends.
As the owner of a Handcrafted Body Care Business, where did your journey begin and grow to what it is today?
My small business journey began in 2019 when I needed to find something for my dog suffering from skin issues. Everything prescribed by the veterinarian wasn’t working. I started researching natural options and began creating remedies at home. This inspired me to make a natural dog shampoo that worked beautifully. I decided to go back to my Esthetician roots and make handcrafted bath, body, and aromatherapy products. It took plenty of time and patience to research ingredients and various styles. First, I researched soap-making using the cold process method. This method gave me more control over the temperature, thus giving me more creative freedom with the designs. I tested and tested until I could test no more and finally had the confidence to begin selling at markets. Now I offer a nice range of products after much research, trial and error. Most people know me for my soaps. This is because I get pretty creative with them, turning them almost into little pieces of art. I am so very proud of ALL the products that I make. It takes time to introduce new products. A lot of research and testing goes into new products before I feel comfortable launching a product. Whenever I coach someone or get asked questions, I always end with the importance of testing their products so they can be confident about them. I am looking forward to the next step for Bluebird, I feel like it is just around the corner.
What do you love most about creating handcrafted body care products and educating others who want to create?
I love that I have so much creative freedom in what I do, with my imagination being the limit. My diverse employment background means I can apply things I have learned in my everyday business and creative practices. Encouraging others to create is something I do daily. The creative process is so important to me. It is an outlet I could not live without. Most makers are natural educators, we love to apply knowledge gained but also love to share it with others as well.
What is your favorite product you have created?
My nature is to always want to help others, so my favorite handcrafted body care product that I make is my Magnesium Cream. It has helped me personally in so many ways from sleep to comfort for aches and pains I had to share with everyone else and start carrying it regularly. I have received so much wonderful feedback from customers who have tried it that I make sure its one thing I’m never out of stock of.
What is your favorite part of teaching others?
My absolute favorite part of teaching is when someone has their eureka moment. Teaching someone something new that they can then apply in their making practices makes me so happy. What I really love about the maker’s community is we love to help each other and will always root for each other.
What is one piece of advice that has helped you in your business?
Patience. Every business owner needs this in abundance because things don’t happen overnight. Patience with your progress, patience with your growth, patience with your learning curve, and patience with those around you. Having patience with everything you do as you start and grow your business is the absolute best piece of advice I could give. Without patience, you could really set yourself up for failure and disappointment.
What is the most frequently asked question you get and your solution?
“What is the purpose of steaming the tops of the soaps?” The steam makes the tops of the soaps glossy and helps to remove any soda ash that might have formed while the soap was saponifying. It is not a necessary step in the process, but more of an attention to detail of the final product. ITS ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS.
What are some of the biggest challenges you and your business face?
The number one challenge I currently have is being a one-woman show. I wear every hat there is when it comes to Bluebird, so I am stretched very thin. Sometimes production or social media suffers. My focus is on time management to help combat this hurdle. Once I get past the growing pains I know everything will flow much more smoothly. The second challenge would be the constant demand to stay relevant and unique. In a supersaturated market, the best thing I have done to stand out in the crowd is to be myself. I put my unique touch on everything I create while still staying on top of market trends and continually releasing new products.
What is your favorite Bulk Apothecary product and how do you use it in your business?
I absolutely love the fragrance oils and use them to make soap!!! Quality is so very important and they are 100% vegan and not tested on animals which is a must for me, but also they are phthalate, paraben, SLS and SLES free!
What was your inspiration behind the name of your company?
What is your favorite part of the creative process? Least favorite?
When the ideas flow like wine and all the pieces come together seamlessly it is definitely magical! I take full advantage when this happens because sometimes that creative vibe just isn’t there. It doesn’t occur often however, when the creative inspiration temporarily runs dry, it hurts the production side of things.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
I get inspiration from anything and everything in everyday life! Most of the fragrances and essential oils I use, inspire me just from the aromas alone. Other times inspiration comes from day-to-day activities like going for a coffee or the grocery store. Recently I was at a market with a UFO-themed flyer, I decided to make a bright green soap with a spaceship on top that was fun and whimsical. My favorite time of year is already here because I love to create spooky-themed products! August and September are my most creative months because I have October in mind and my creativity is in overdrive.
What values does your business embody?
Do you have any words of wisdom to offer any aspiring makers?
BE YOURSELF!! The thing that will set you apart from all others is the personal touch you put on everything. Let your products be as unique as you are and always pay attention to the details.
Where is the best place to start when opening a business selling homemade products?
Research, research, research!! Take your time and get to know the ingredients/supplies needed to create whatever you are creating. Don’t rush the process! Slow and steady will guarantee a better chance of success and above all be unique!!! Your uniqueness will be what sets you apart from all others in the industry you choose.
What are your must-have tools and products to have on hand?
Having a wide selection of micas and both essential and fragrance oils is a must for me. My number one selling product is my soaps, so I always need a variety of ingredients so I can always create. Having raw butters and oils on hand, as well as a reliable immersion blender is also a must!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey and advice with the maker community. Before we go is there anything upcoming you want to share and how can people find you?
I am working on tutorials for new soap makers virtually, and in-person cold process soap-making class here in the Houston area. More information will be out soon. I have a love for what I do and want to share it with anyone who wants to learn!
TikTok: @bluebirdbathboutique
Instagram: @bluebird_bath_boutique
Facebook: @2020bluebird
If you want to learn more about making cold process soaps, check out this blog, Lavender Cold Process Soap Recipe
