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Michelle Puffer 
M2T Bare Essensuals
British Columbia, Canada

Give us a brief history of you and your business. 
I started this about 5 or more years ago on the quest for a cream or lotion to heal my dh's cracked and bleeding hands.  None of the commercial products were working and I figured there must be a better way.  Then when I had my son he even got rashes from Johnson's, so I made him his own soap (cp) from only olive oil and coconut, which I use to this day on both he and my daughter and neither get rashes.  I use it on their hair too.  After my maternity leave with my daughter was over, I did not want to leave them to go to work outside the home.  So I thought about making this a business rather than just my craft and hobby.  Then, when wanting to purchase more bulk items, I realized there were not a lot of suppliers in Canada who provide good pricing for quality product.  Shea butter can cost upwards of $18 per pound some places up here and I thought there had to be a better way.  I decided to start small and see if there was any interest, and as there was, I built a client base and my products grew.  Initially this was just a way for me to buy in bigger bulk, but as I became the Canadian distributor for Heavenly Country Scents and my customers demanded more, I eventually decided to focus more on specific supplies.  So now in addition to the HCS fo's, I have some of my own, I carry the Multibase EL1 and some specialty butters and natural beeswax straight from an Okanagan (British Columbia) honey bee farm.  I also have some containers and that will be expanded more this year.  I still do my soap and body products as well, but usually more on a wholesale basis except for Christmas when I do some local shows.

How did you come to name your business M2T Bare Essensuals? 
My company name came about because I wanted to include my children somehow and I couldn't figure out how. At the time I was eBaying a lot and many users used a Mom22 or Momto2 type of id to indicate their children. I decided that was a good idea and made it M2T for Mother To Two (and also it could stand for Mother to Three if we have another one! LOL.. see that, I'm thinking ahead!*VBG*).    Not sure if you want to know about the Bare Essensuals but basically I wanted to provide my customer with products they use on their bare skin that have ingredients that are both essential and sensual to the skin.

What do you enjoy most about your business?  Communicating with such fantastic people all over the world.  Some of my best online friends are customers of mine and their support has been tremendous.  When you have a home based business, it can be very isolating and being able to "talk" to others is such a wonderful treat.

Which of your products is your absolute favorite?  
If I can pick two, I'd pick my Chamomile Comfort fragrance oil and my Sea buckthorn seed oil (which I run on a pre-buy). 

What makes you different from others who may carry similar items?
Personalized customer service.  I respond to questions and concerns as quickly as I can and my customers always know there is a "real" person on the other side.

What interests and hobbies do you have outside of  your business?
My children and husband right now, as between them and the business I don't have a lot of other time.  I do love to play softball, I've taken up crocheting again, I play women's ice hockey, and I like to sing.

Where do you want to go, in regards to both yourself and your business?  
My family and I hope to move back to the Okanagan some day as it is where my husband grew up.  I'd like to continue to build the business so that I can hire a couple of people to help, but I don't ever want it so
big that I can't have a personal touch with it at all times.

Please share a recipe using your products with your fellow Soapnuts (and prepare for a Soapnut stampede afterwards)!

Tropical Whipped Cream
1lb Multibase EL1
3oz shea butter
1oz Virgin Creme de Coco
1oz Natural Hempseed Oil
1 Tbsp Tapioca Pure
26oz  Distilled Water
Use any tropical fo you like but I like to use either our Coco Beach Baby Peach or Tropical Escapade fo's
1gm extra preservative (Liquid Germall Plus or Germaben II)

Take the multibase and put it in a mixing bowl and cream it (as in butter for icing) with the shea butter and virgin creme de coco until combined, then add the hempseed oil slowly.  Mix again until combined.  Add warm water (tap hot is the perfect temperature) to the mixture slowly until combined and the consistency is the way you like.  Turn the mixer up higher and beat for a few minutes on high, turn off and allow to rest.  Repeat until fluffy consistency is achieved.  I do this about 3-4 times.  Add fo and preservative, beat until combined and pour in to jars. 

Any more sage advice or witty repertoire??  
I don't think so, I'm usually only witty when I'm not trying to be! LOL :-)

~ Michelle Puffer

NOTE: You can contact Michelle at MT2 Bare Essensuals:
www.bare-essensuals.com  
604-250-4984 
info@bare-essensuals.com 
sales@bare-essensuals.com