FAMILIAR fragrances of eucalyptus, nutmeg and geranium fill the air at Washpool Farm Soaperie at Ballandean, 19km south of Stanthorpe.
The family cattle property is home to a successful specialty shop, helmed by local Melissa Thomas, which sells natural soaps, balms and other body products.
When Melissa's parents returned from Tasmania 10 years ago with a small souvenir, she never imagined it would send her on the path to a successful specialty shop and online business.
A cake of beer and honey-scented soap was the catalyst for Melissa to create her now-flourishing business.
"I discovered it calmed my sensitive skin," Melissa said, adding she now couldn't think of doing anything else.
"I spent three years researching before I made my first batch of soap in the farm kitchen."
Relocating her batch-making to an industrial kitchen in a farm building, which had previously been a restaurant, Melissa began producing soap on a commercial scale.
With production last year reaching 60,000 bars of soap, Melissa soon outgrew the location and was again forced to move, now working out of a renovated shed housing 10 workstations and all the necessary soap-making ingredients - including natural oils and butters, botanicals and essential oils.
The beautifully subtle scent of botanicals and essential oils greets visitors to Washpool Farm Soaperie.
The aroma of the bars sitting on the shelf invokes memories of the Australian bush, spice market and kitchen garden.
"Our most popular scent is lemongrass and our best seller is the lemongrass, lime and lemon myrtle soap."
Her organic products tend to reflect the family's philosophy of clean, chemical-free living, with Melissa growing most of their food on the farm.
"We avoid food that is processed and packaged, and we take pleasure in growing vegetables and herbs, making our own yoghurt and preserving our seasonal bounty."
This belief transfers to Melissa's products, which contain no chemical additives.
"My soap needs to offer something different.
"If it replicates commercial products, there's no point in making it.
"Ours is a chemical-free alternative with no artificial perfumes or colours.
"My customers like colour but I would be happy to have beige soap.
"I prefer texture to colour!"
Melissa, with her team of five local women, also makes facial and body products, soy candles, laundry soap and fruit and vege wash.
Melissa said her employees were versatile, and she enjoyed working amid their creative energy.
"We all have to do a bit of everything, from serving customers to making or cutting soap, to running off an excellent flat white.
"Farm life often spills over to the shop and customers never know what they might find - recently we hand-reared a piglet here."
Not resigned to simply creating, Melissa also offers classes at the soaperie for groups of 10.
"We laugh a lot, drink wine and coffee, and make soap," she said.
"At the end of the day, students take home a kilogram of soap made with their choice of natural additives.
"And yes, beer and honey are both on the list."
