Prairie Bell History

Prairie Belle was founded on three key principles: use pure natural ingredients, protect the environment and be helpful to people. Now, more than five years later Prairie Belle maintains these same homegrown Midwest principles to produce natural personal care products that are gentle and soothing to your skin. Our passion for natural personal care products was born from a dedication to healthy living achieved by reducing the use of synthetically derived products. After years of carefully studying botanical oils, herbs, essential oils and natural health, we feel our products can do just that. Prairie Belle maintains a loyal     Prairie Belle 2006>>>> following attested to by the many appreciative letters we receive from our customers. A few testimonials can be found on the web site. Prairie Belle is a family-run business with deep roots in the prairies of the Midwest. Relying on those Midwest homegrown principles, the Prairie Belle team works hard to produce quality products that are affordably priced for everyday use.

How it all got started.....

Why would anyone make soap? That's the what I thought when I first saw a basket of hand-made soaps in a gift shop.

Later that same year, I was attending a gardening seminar about herbs. Since I am an organic gardener and raise my own herbs, I thought this seminar would be fun, interesting and educational. The presenter didn't actually grow many herbs, but what she did grow, she used in her handmade soap. She proceeded to tell us about the difference between commercial soap and handmade soap. And also that it takes lye to make soap; otherwise it's not really soap at all, but a detergent. She gave us a few simple soap recipes and said if we were interested in actually making soap, there were many good books written on the subject. I bought a few bars (they were pretty and fragrant), and took them home. The whole idea of making soap was now becoming intriguing, but I really got hooked after I used a bar in the shower. I loved the way my skin felt, soft and smooth, not dry and tight.

I began researching the Internet, read every book about soap making I could get my hands on, and started to experiment with a few recipes. The first batch I made didn't look too great, but it was soap! So I kept making more and more, experimenting with different ingredients and giving the soap away for gifts and letting my co-workers try it. Everyone who tried it loved it. I now lovingly refer to them as my "guinea pigs". All our products are tried out on friends and relatives first before they are offered for sale. After learning how to make soap, I naturally wanted to branch out in other personal care items. Now, our offerings include bath tea bags, salts, oil, bath bombs, hand lotion and cream, a really awesome body parfait, massage bars and oils, sugar scrub and foot balm.