Dorenda Coger
of
Naokeidoe Creations
Super Soapers: Tell us a little about yourself.
Dorenda Coger: I was born and raised in the beautiful New England state of Connecticut by
my loving parents. I have an older brother and I am the youngest. I have been a
resident of Chesterfield, VA a suburb of Richmond, Virginia for about the last
three decades. I’ve been blessed to have the most wonderful, fabulous family on
the planet and I love them so much. I’m married to Clifton, and he is the sweetest,
most supportive husband and a super father. He is a CPA and owns a CPA firm
here in Richmond. We have 3 amazing, beautiful, smart children, one son and two
daughters; Keith – 25, Dorian – 23, Naomi – 6. Keith and Dorian are in graduate
school and Naomi, the life of the party, is in the 1st grade.
SS: How did you get started in soapmaking?
DC: I am a Cold Process soap maker. The first soap I ever made was a Goat Milk
Melt & Pour. I was so excited to be making soap! I bought my first and last
2 lb block from a popular online supplier and went at it. I liked it, but
wanted more of a challenge and more control over the ingredients. I wanted to
add my own oils, butters, botanicals, milks, additives, etc. I wanted to create
my own recipe based on the properties of the ingredients. Hot Process was next.
It satisfied me for a few months and I didn’t mind the cooking process, but the
look I was trying to achieve wasn’t there. I still wasn’t totally satisfied. I
thoroughly enjoyed the close to immediate gratification of having your soaps
saponified after the cook, but wanted to achieve the sleek, smooth and often
artistic look of cold process soap. The only reason I didn’t first start soap
making with the cold process method was because of the cure time. I was
impatient and wanted my soap ready as soon as possible. After I made my first
batch using the cold process method, I was hooked...totally hooked. That was
many years ago and I am thankful that I have tried various methods of soap
making because I can appreciate the pros and cons of each.
SS: Do you consider yourself an artist?
DC: I do consider myself an artist and I am glad to see others recognize soap
making as an art form, as well. I can only speak for myself, but a tremendous
amount of thought, vision, time, creativity and preparation is involved in
making artisan soap. It is a creation made by hand. Soap makers use the medium
of soap to create masterpieces like none other. I have been part of quite a few
Art Shows and that is because my finished hand-crafted product is viewed as art
by the curator. Unique, one-of-a-kind, creative, elegant, beautiful,
hand-crafted pieces of soap art. We are definitely artists in every sense of
the word.
SS: How has soap making changed your life?
DC: Gosh. How hasn’t it! As any soaper will tell you, it definitely has a way
of taking over your mind and thought process, if you let it. Even when we try
to suppress it, it still pops up right in front! Most times, everything is
thought of as a soap/bath & body opportunity. This is my third
entrepreneurial venture and I still get excited about all of it and the
wonderful opportunities that Naokeidoe Creations has been afforded. I still
operate the other two businesses, in addition to creating at Naokeidoe
Creations. I am crafting products by my own hand and my own formulations and that
can be very time consuming, but rewarding. The use of hand crafted soap and
bath & body items is definitely on the rise. Consumers are more educated
about and aware of what goes on their bodies and into their system. For that, I
am thankful because it makes my job that much easier. I have been going
semi-full time at this for about the last 2 years. We have online, wholesale,
retail and private label customers. Our lives have changed and it’s such a
wonderful ride. The entire family is involved in one way or another. Ours is a
family business and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
SS: How would you describe your creative process?
DC: My creative process certainly begins in my mind when I first see an
ingredient I want to incorporate into a creation or smell an essential or
fragrance oil that I just can’t wait to use. I begin formulation in my mind long
before it’s ever put into action. I know how I want the end result to function
and how I want it to look. I always begin at my desired end result and add
components that bring me to the beginning where I can start the creative
process. When creating new products it is always completed by trial and
error...research and development...formulating and testing. I still have R
& D soaps from years ago that are still hanging around. The feeling that
you get when you know you’ve finally created “My Soap Recipe”? Priceless!
SS: What do you benefit the most from other artists in your craft?
DC: I am truly inspired by all of the wonderful soap makers and formulators I
encounter on a daily basis in forums, groups and online, in general. The
artistry and level of mastery is totally amazing. It’s very nice to be able
share your passion with others that feel the same way you do. Not everyone
knows what I’m talking about when I say I want to just bask in soapy, lather
goodness and feel the silkiness of the suds on my skin and feel the properties
of each ingredient as they’re combined to create this wonder we call soap.
I know that soaping is addictive and once you start making soap it’s very
difficult to stop. You want to learn more and be amongst those with the same
mindset and soapy thoughts. The opportunity to grow and learn is unlimited. We
are only limited by our own minds and thoughts. I just really love to read and
learn and put what I learn into action. No matter how much you think you know,
you can never know it all.
SS: Now for a little bit of fun.
Most soap artists seem to be all about their FO's & EO's, which of
course are an important part of soapmaking, & everyone knows that scent is
the major trigger sensory known for people. If you could explain which, FO or
EO, has triggered the biggest memory from childhood, or the most important time
in your life, which would it be & why? (this is optional of course).DC: I can answer this question when they create a FO that smells like my mother’s Thanksgiving Dinner. J
You can find more information about Dorenda Coger & her
soaps at www.naokeidoecreations.com
This interview was conducted &
edited by Misty Raines Clapp, Super Soapers Creator & Admin. You can contact
Misty @ thesupersoapersgroup@gmail.com
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