'She's my best friend now': Utah mom and daughter run handmade business for sensitive skin

CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Lynette Bullock already owned other businesses, but when her daughter came to her with an idea, she was immediately interested.

Her daughter Alex Miner, a master esthetician, wanted to make bath bombs with ingredients that would be soft on people with sensitive skin. In 2016, Miner and Bullock began testing dozens of recipes together until they found one they liked.

They started selling the bath bombs during the Christmas season but got busy during the year and did not continue with the products. The following Christmas, about a hundred people reached out to them asking for more.

That’s when Bullock said she knew they had a business and The Skin Candy was formed.

“Making these products are actually really fun. Choosing the colors we’re using, choosing the design we want to put on it,” Miner said. “And then we also can look into the science behind each individual ingredient. “

Miner said the business has also brought her closer to Bullock, and while at times there are some differences of opinion, she has loved the process of creating and selling with her mom.

“She’s my best friend now, from that week on,” she said.

The Skin Candy’s products are in about a dozen locations throughout Utah and over 50 retailers across the U.S., Bullock said. The company sells several products from soaps and moisturizers to candles and wax melts — and of course, bath bombs.

While they used to also sell their products on Etsy, they said they didn’t feel like their products would get enough visibility on the online market and the fees were high.

When Michaels opened its own handmade goods online platform last November, Bullock — who worked at Michaels years before — joined the market. The online marketplace is called MakerPlace and has both handmade goods and classes for creative pursuits.

Michaels is now piloting a nationwide program where they invite MakerPlace vendors to bring their products to their local Michaels store for one day.

On Saturday, July 20, The Skin Candy will be featured at the Orem Michaels store with Bullock there to promote her products from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. On the same day, another local business called Jande Summer — which sells personalized art — will be at the Riverton location.

When asked what she expects for Saturday, Bullock said she expects it will be a day of teaching.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of education,” Bullock said. “Letting people know that we’re here, that we’re local.”