Tenise and Mioshee, the owners, operators, and imaginative genius behind Dragonfly Lake Scents are artists in every sense of the word. Using the perfect blend of science and art, history and contemporary, every soap is a piece of art. Blending wisps of complementary, eye-catching, mouthwatering colors, along with precise heating and cooling of temperatures, ancestral-rooted knowledge and the use of local ingredients, Dragonfly Lake Scents create tangible poetry, incorporating nearly all of the senses. Fun-loving, spirited, caring, and knowledgeable, these beautiful ladies, these composers of scents, sculptors of beauty, and painters of suds, put science, art, love and light into each piece. Every time I drive by the PACA building, with its history deep-seated into its architecture, I imagine Tenise and Mioshee up there with all the other artisans, musicians, actors, and poets, creating masterpieces to delight, inspire and beautify the world.
Tenise, you’ve said that you learned to make soap from your great-grandmother on her farm in Mississippi! Learning these passed down skills from our ancestors, I think, is becoming a rarity. How has learning soap-making from her influenced how you make your products?
My great-grandmother came from a completely self-reliant background. She ran a farm with my great-grandfather, helped build and was active in her church, worked as a truck stop cook, raised their children and also was a foster mom. She was also the local medicine woman/midwife. She was no-nonsense and direct, and her only alone time was when she worked in her herb garden. She allowed me to work with her there, which is where my herb knowledge comes from. Her soaps were basic and functional because she didn’t have time for anything else. I know that success requires hard work, but I also make soaps that are indulgent and luxurious. I want our customers to have that moment of peace and relaxation that she was never able to have.
Mioshee, you have a background in nursing, and are such a nurturing, caring individual! How does this come into play when making your soaps, or coming up with a new recipe or idea?
I’ve always been interested in dermatology and helping people, especially those with skin issues. I don’t think enough emphasis is put on keeping our largest organ (your skin!) healthy and beautiful!
Dragonfly Lake Scents is a beautiful name for a business! Is there a meaning or story behind why you chose that name for your business?
Well, I knew I wanted to offer tribute to our own beautiful lake and dragonflies hang out around lakes and swamps…..and New Orleans is FULL of swamps (just ask Tenise!!)
You’re both true believers in supporting the community and shopping local! Are a lot of the ingredients you put into your recipes sourced locally?
Our policy is to get all the products we use locally, if possible. Quite a bit of our raw materials come from our community; our beer soap is made with Voodoo Brewery beer! We get the goats milk for our goats milk soap from a small hobby farm in Waterford! Some of the teas and herbs in our soap are bought at the Whole Foods Co-op or at Chicory Hill!
All your soaps, like the Black Raspberry Vanilla soap for example, look good enough to eat. Where do you get the inspiration for the different soaps and products you make?
In the old days, soap was just to clean. It was very utilitarian! I wanted to create a product that not only keeps your skin and your family clean, but also looks like a mini work of art. One of our most important senses is our eyesight and if you are drawn to our soap by seeing how beautiful it is; then you are more likely to take a whiff and see the ingredients! I am often inspired by nature and the beauty that surrounds us everyday.
You make Beer Soap, which is a unique product all on its own, but it turns out beer soap is actually really good for your skin and hair! What are some of the benefits?
Well, the natural sugars in beer create fluffy, Hollywood-style bubbles. The yeast can help with acne and work as a mild exfoliant. Lastly, hops (the main ingredient in beer) is said to have skin soothing properties!
With so many lovely products; Sereni(tea) Bath Bombs, Bergamot and Lime Deodorant, Bamboo Hemp Soap, Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm, do both of you have your own favorites?
My favorite is the Lavender + Goats Milk!
10 little questions (because it’s the little things that mean so much)
(answered by Mioshee)
What’s your favorite sound?
The coffee pot brewing!
What smell do you love?
That fresh clean smell after a rainstorm!
Pineapple on pizza?
Ewwww!
Do you have any nicknames?
Soap Lady #1 aka Sudsy
If soap wasn’t called soap, what would it be called?
People cleaner!!
Would you rather be a tree or live in a tree for the rest of your life?
Live in a tree!
What’s your favorite herb?
Basil! I love homemade pesto!
What’s your favorite essential oil?
Ylang ylang; it’s such a clean, earthy scent!
What gemstone do you love?
Rose quartz and blue topaz
What is the universe trying to tell us?
It tells us this everyday: Be good to yourself and be good to each other!
You can follow Dragonfly Lake Scents on Facebook at: Dragonfly Lake Scents, LLC
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/DragonflyLakeScents
Or find them at youtube at Dragonfly Lake Scents, LLC
(answered by Mioshee)
What’s your favorite sound?
The coffee pot brewing!
What smell do you love?
That fresh clean smell after a rainstorm!
Pineapple on pizza?
Ewwww!
Do you have any nicknames?
Soap Lady #1 aka Sudsy
If soap wasn’t called soap, what would it be called?
People cleaner!!
Would you rather be a tree or live in a tree for the rest of your life?
Live in a tree!
What’s your favorite herb?
Basil! I love homemade pesto!
What’s your favorite essential oil?
Ylang ylang; it’s such a clean, earthy scent!
What gemstone do you love?
Rose quartz and blue topaz
What is the universe trying to tell us?
It tells us this everyday: Be good to yourself and be good to each other!
You can follow Dragonfly Lake Scents on Facebook at: Dragonfly Lake Scents, LLC
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/DragonflyLakeScents
Or find them at youtube at Dragonfly Lake Scents, LLC
