We caught up with AJ Fountain from Dr. Squach Soap Co., “a homegrown company that believes in trust and transparency, and like the great wild Sasquatch we believe in living a free, simple, and natural life. We have a deep admiration for being in nature, and we sought to bring this experience to other guys, even if its just in the shower.” I loved their positive attitudes and adventurous spirits, and even though I may not be “manly” and I just might prefer “glamping” I absolutely love these scents. Check out their complete collection right here at Homespun.

How do you describe your work to people who don’t know anything about handmade soaps?

Old Fashioned Style Soap Making, Locking in the Natural Ingredients our Body Loves and Deserves

Why soap?

We started making because we believed in a better solution then what you can find at grocery stores, we kept making because it’s a blast.

What do you love about your job?

Collaborating with other small business to help each other.

Was being a working artist always your plan or was there an “aha” moment?

I always admired working artists, but the aha moment came when I tried that first batch of cold pressed soap we made.

How do you work, and where? 

We work out of our homes in Carmel, Fort Collins and San Francisco.

If you could swap lives with another artist and live as them without anyone knowing that you were really you and not the other person, who would that person be?

I would be Alexis Murdoch, a folk artist who I admire.

What makes a handmade object valuable? 

The care, thought, and love put behind making it.

Using that definition, what’s the most valuable object you own? 

My Bible.

Tell us one true thing about yourself that people don’t believe when you tell them.

I lived in Thailand for a while, I can balance a chair on my chin, and I can bend my finger back to touch the back of my hand.

Give us three more non-crafting-related details about you or your life.

1. I’m an outdoor enthusiast and was an outdoor educator/guide for 5 years.

2. I play in a folk/reggae band called A Brother’s Fountain.

3. I live with my brothers who help in the business.

You have a lot of good customer reviews. How do you hope your customers benefit from your product?

My greatest hope is our product makes the shower and grooming experience a time you look forward to every day.

How do you go about creating a new scent? What are your “scentspirations?”

Scents are dreamed up a lot of ways, but our biggest inspiration is getting out to where they originate, the wilderness.  We believe strongly in the healing properties of ingredients from nature and we also believe strongly in the healing properties of spending time in nature, so we always try to get out there whenever we can and chalk it up as “R&D”.

Right now you carry soap and cologne. Any new products on the horizon?

We have loads of fantastic, natural, grooming products on the horizon.  Our all-natural Clay Mint shave puck is coming out soon, complete with a copper mug and an uber soft brush.  We’ve been working tirelessly for almost 2 years on our natural shampoo and conditioner and plan to have that out for our customers in September.  Also, keep an eye out for a new, collaborative, seasonal soap scent over the holidays this winter.

And last but not least…

Have you ever seen a Sasquatch?

Only in my dreams.

Check out Dr. Squatch at www.drsquatch.com, on Facebook at Dr. Squatch, and on Instagram, DrSquatchSoapCo. Thanks guys!