Organic growth

“Our soap smells like something you could eat or drink and makes your mouth water,” she explained. “People put it up to their nose and like it so much they take a bite out of it.”

The organic soaps may not be edible but they seem to be going down a treat with customers.

Through her company The Artisan Spa, Ms Nelson creates organic soaps for the spas, hotels and health farms market.

Her product was launched in October last year, after she had spent two years perfecting the formula.

Things got off to a flying start when she exhibited at a major London trade fair and her soap was voted best new product in show.

Ten weeks later, she was approached by a luxury spa resort in Majorca which is part of the Orient Express Hotels group, asking her to produce a signature version of her soap for its spa and gift shop.

From their base in the Harwell Innovation Centre, Ms Nelson, 52, and husband and business partner Matthew Tidbury are amazed at how rapidly sales have taken off.

They and their small team make the soap by hand, slice it into bars before labelling it.

Glycerine-based, it has no artificial fragrances, colouring, preservatives or parabans, making it popular with health therapists.

Aromatherapy oils and natural salts are blended to create what are five varieties so far, although more are planned.

The mother-of-three spotted a gap in the market when she realised people go to spas to detox and purify their bodies but often use soaps containing chemicals on their skin afterwards.

She explained: “A number of years ago I had an illness relating to my skin, so had to be very careful what I put on it. To add to my misery, the products I was told to use on my skin smelt like olive oil.

“I did not want to smell like something you would cook in so that is when I started to think about how I could create a product that had health and detox benefits but that would also look, smell and feel luxurious and beautiful when you used it.

“What we have come up with is delicious and just a little bit decadent because it has a rich lather that actually sparkles.”

Coming into the market as a virtual novice worked in her favour, she believes.

“I am not a traditional soap maker and I think that has been an advantage.

“People told me my soaps would not sell because I refuse to add artificial colouring, which means they all look the same colour.

“I was also told I would not be able to be suspend spa salts in my soaps the way I wanted to and that as I am not a qualified aromatherapist, I would not be able to put together the blend of oils and aromas properly. I think that would have put off a lot of people off.”

A major advantage she did have was hands-on experience of marketing health-related products through her two other companies, Manifest Health, which sells detox and diet products, and The Natural Salt Seller, which supplies organic sea salts.

She said: “I taught myself about the products on the market and what makes a soap.

“But although it was my idea and initiative, I couldn’t have done it without the huge support I’ve had from other people.

“Nicola Musgrove at the Harwell Centre let me loose in her kitchen to make my soap and allowed me to test them at coffee mornings there.

“And an aromatherapist and perfumer were patient enough to give me a lot of their time and explain how aroma works.”

She has no plans to go the traditional retail route, preferring to concentrate on the spa and hotel market.

“We can make exclusive signature editions that are unique to that hotel or resort by localising the ingredients and personalising the labels.

“Let’s say they have their own lavender garden or orangery, we can incorporate that into the soap. For example, with La Residencia in Majorca, we use citrus from the local citrus groves in their soap.”

Later this year, the company plans to launch liquid versions of its products, in the form of shampoo, conditioner and bodywash.

Ms Nelson added: “The business is moving very quickly in a way I never dreamed would happen.

“You do not wake up one day and decide to spend two years of your life developing a soap.

“I set out to make something for myself but it seems a lot of other people really like it too.”