Michelle Gilbert, Soapmaker and Owner of Sarva Soaps
My life is about wellness… creating my own, helping others achieve theirs. Sarva Soaps are an extension of my core beliefs and passions.
My greatest challenge, a neurological disorder, led me to discover the gifts that lie within our biggest struggles. Aromatherapy has been a saving grace for me, bringing me peace, joy, and harmony. I share this through the soaps I create for you.
Throughout my healing path, nature has been my ally. While natural doesn’t equal safe, an intelligent approach to natural, simple living can create real change. Sarva, a Sanskrit word meaning “whole”, reflects this philosophy.
I am a Reiki practitioner, aromatherapist, and meditation coach. I bring these tools to soapmaking because I want you to have beautiful soap that makes you feel good inside and out!
Where it all began
In the late 1990s, I picked up a book on soapmaking at my local bookstore. I was taken by pages of fanciful creations, elegant yet somehow still rustic soaps like I’d never seen in any store; they were simply beautiful. I was hooked. And yet, I wanted to take it one step further.
So, I spent hours in my workshop. Hours turned into weeks, into months, into an addiction. I saw a way to combine my passion for gardening, my love for cooking, my reverence for nature and holistic living. Soapmaking became a meditative practice, creative outlet, and, many times, a metaphor for life’s larger lessons.
Soon, my friends and family found out what I was up to, and the demand grew from there! Over the ensuing years, Sarva evolved into the company you see today, selling online and locally, both retail and wholesale.
I see a fascinating art form in soapmaking… one that is practical yet also indulgent, each work of art gradually disappearing with use. I love creating soaps which are works of art for you to enjoy at all levels–body, mind, and spirit.