A local entrepreneur made a quick leap from making her product for the first time to selling it in stores.

Heidi Holland-Price, owner of nature’s embrace, started making homemade soap in August 2008 after being interested in the oil leftover from candle making.

“I just made some candles from my own home and had some leftover oils,” Holland-Price said. “I was curious with what to do with them and was reading online.”

From making soap, a chance to sell in a retail store came shortly thereafter. She met Beth Pridday, owner of the now-closed Bliss, at the Lakes Area Farmers Market and made a deal to sell the soaps there.

Holland-Price mixes together the oil, a lye mixture and water (or another liquid). The oil can be coconut oil, mango butters and lard.

“I’m trying to take it out and use other moisturizing-supplementing materials,” Holland-Price said of using lard.

The process creates heat, with lye being caustic. The oil is heated to around 115 degrees, and the lye-liquid mixture reaches that temperature as well.

After mixing, the soap is placed into molds and then set aside for about a day to allow the lye to undergo saponification — the process of turning lye into a non-caustic material.

“People always ask,” Holland-Price said about using lye.

After saponification, the soap is dried for four to six weeks.

Other outlets that nature’s embrace products are found in include the St. Mary’s Innovis gift shop and the Becker County History Museum gift shop.

Holland- Price’s nature embrace’s soap will soon be available in guest rooms at Maplelag resort.

“I get busy for Christmas time,” she said. “Now it will be slow until about summer until the street fairs and the art shows pick up.”

The Web site, www.naturesembrace.biz, offers a catalog. Online ordering is coming.

“I hope to eventually go all wholesale,” Holland-Price said.

Besides soaps, nature’s embrace sells natural lip balm and lotion. There are 21 varieties of soap, seven varieties of lip balm and six varieties of lotion bars available.