Spruce & Pine Handmade Finds was started in 2019 by married couple Ian & Hilary near the small mountain town of Walhalla, SC. After experencing severe health problems that required surgery, Hilary was forced to quit her job. While recovering from surgery, Hilary learned that a disabled family member's condition had severely worsened, requiring the couple to relocate in order to take over their caregiving responsibilities. Hilary's own chronic health conditions coupled with becoming a caregiver meant that she would have to find a creative solution for income. In 2019 Spruce & Pine Handmade Finds was born as a way to make ends meet. Hilary sold her handmade jewelery which she had been making for years as a hobby.
During the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, soap and finding ways to keep clean suddenly became more important than ever. At the time, Hilary was making soap at home with herbs she grew in her garden to save money, while hearing from friends and family that they were tired of the synthetic, mass produced soap from big box stores that left hands dried and cracked with repeat handwashing. It was then that we began gifting our handmade, natural soap to others as a better solution.
As our handmade soap reached more and more people, demand began to grow quickly. People were delighted with the quality and simple natural ingredients, and we began to sell our soap online and in person at farmers markets. Demand only grew further as the general public became more aware of the ugly truth about mass produced soap. As it turns out, most mass produced "soap" from big box stores isnt' even classified as soap by the FDA. They are packed with synthetic detergents and surfactants that don't fully disolve in water. The same water that runs down the drain eventually reaches our rivers, ponds, lakes, and oceans. What can that mean for our environment and for our skin when we use these products daily?
Our pledge at Spruce & pine handmade finds is to use wholesome, natural ingredients to create better, more sustainable products that you can feel good about using. Our botanicals are hand grown by us, or come from other small family farms whenever possible. We believe in supporting bees and beekeepers by using local honey & beeswax, using fair trade ingredients as much as possible, and environmentally friendly packaging wherever we can. We promise to continue making and providing fresh handmade finds that are healthy for both you and the environment for as long as possible, but we can't do it without you! When you buy from us, you support that mission, and we are truly glad to have your continued support as our customers!
Feel free to contact us anytime by clicking the contact button on our website, and read our FAQ's for more information. Thanks for visiting us and we hope to see you again!