”

“I make 12 to 13 different kinds of soap,” Kitchen said. “Peppermint, lavender, ‘Low Tide’ (which has kelp in it), dandelion, licorice, nettle, charcoal, lemon grass, and castile liquid hand soap. I made an IPA (India Pale Ale) beer soap yesterday.”

Jeanne Kitchen never really set out to become a soap maker.

But in 2014, her life took a new turn, and she soon found herself mixing wild botanicals and natural oils into healing salves for her family and friends.

“I was pregnant with my first child, and I wanted to make a baby cream so pure, it could be edible, that wasn’t full of parabens, that was all-natural,” Kitchen said.

“My family and friends loved it, and I found that it really helped with eczema.”

About the time Kitchen created her first baby cream, her brother-in-law started raising pigs for meat, and Kitchen saw an opportunity to pursue a passion.

“Making soap has always interested me, and I was interested in using the by-products from the pig processing — the things that got thrown away or wasted — so I researched making soap from pig fat,” Kitchen said. “The old, old-timers made soap with pig fat.”

The process is slow and requires patience, Kitchen explained, but with a little love, and a gentle hand, the results can be extraordinary.

“Once I get going, it takes about a week to render the fat,” Kitchen said. “If you go too fast, you’ll burn it.”

Kitchen has had her share of mishaps, including plenty of burnt batches, but over the years, she’s refined her method. Now, she’s able to render pure, preservative-free lard that creates the foundation of her soaps.

“It’s super, super nourishing for our bodies,” Kitchen said. “And I don’t just use pig fat. I also use coconut oil, olive oil, and only natural essential oils and colorants.”

In addition to fat from family-raised pigs, Kitchen sources lavender, chickweed, yarrow, dandelion, and plantain from her Chimacum Valley homestead. She said her Pacific Northwest healing salve is particularly popular.

“It’s made only from plants that are from around here,” Kitchen said.

Another seasonal favorite is her dandelion bar soap.

“Every spring, I make a custom, limited dandelion soap. It’s packaged in pretty paper and made from dandelions infused in olive oil. It’s very delicate,” Kitchen said. “The dandelions give it a super soft lather.”

Once Kitchen mastered the process, she presented her soap to local retailers, and the Chimacum Corner Farmstand jumped at the opportunity to feature a hyper-local, Chimacum-made soap.

“They were my first wholesale account,” Kitchen said. “They are great about community and giving these kinds of small businesses a shot.”

Beyond Chimacum, Kitchen’s products have found homes on the shelves of the Fleurish Lavender Farm in Sequim, in the gift shop at Finnriver Farm & Cidery, at Sunny Farms in Sequim, the Quilcene Village Store, and on Etsy.

Since that first baby cream, Kitchen’s product line has slowly grown, as has her customer base.

“I make 12 to 13 different kinds of soap,” Kitchen said. “Peppermint, lavender, ‘Low Tide’ (which has kelp in it), dandelion, licorice, nettle, charcoal, lemon grass, and castile liquid hand soap. I made an IPA (India Pale Ale) beer soap yesterday.”

She’s also found herself custom blending ingredients for mini-soaps used as wedding favors.

“I love to work with people and create something they’re genuinely excited about,” Kitchen said.

And that’s part of the draw.

In addition to selling locally, Kitchen ships her products to destinations across the country – New York, Alaska, Hawaii – and around the globe.

“I ship an antifungal salve to a customer in Manhattan, and I have a customer in Edmonds – I’ve never met him – and I make him a special body oil for his edema,” Kitchen said.

“I don’t do it for the money,” Kitchen said. “I do it to enrich people’s lives.”

You can reach Jeanne Kitchen and Hidden Hollow Farm on Instagram and on Etsy (instagram, hiddenhollowfarms; etsy, hiddenhollowfarmusa.etsy.com).