The Team

Meet the Team

KATHY TARBOX / FOUNDER

Whenever Kathy is asked how she was first introduced to soapmaking, her reply is "totally by accident!". While she was reading an article that mentioned essential oils, she thought to herself, "Essential oils, I wonder what those are?” … and so her internet search began in 1996. She remembers thinking: “You can make your own soap? That’s strange! I didn’t know anyone could make soap, except P&G!” Her inquisitiveness with a drive to research led her to the first internet soap list, headed up by Melody Upham (Rainbow Meadow). Within two years of making her first batch of soap, Kathy began to contemplate publishing a magazine for the industry, and in July of 1998, The Saponifier launched its first issue… and the rest is history!
Working behind the scenes, Kathy has a particular fondness for the simpler things in life. She is a lover of God’s Word and desperately thankful for His grace. An avid reader, ponderer, and question asker. Kathy was born and raised in Seattle but recently moved to the great State of Idaho with her blessing of a husband, John.

BETH BYRNE / MANAGING EDITOR

Beth has always liked reading, writing, the arts, and crafting, and was a school teacher until she had her first child. She home-schooled her six children for 17 years, and has kept busy with various volunteer activities in writing, editing, and teaching, as well. However, now that some of her children have graduated and left the nest, and others are attending elsewhere, she finds that she can pursue her other interests even further. Although Beth figures she’s dabbled in enough subjects to appear on Jeopardy, she has no plans to actually do so.
Her hobbies of gardening and floral design led to an interest in herbs and in making her own cosmetic preparations. Melt and pour soap came soon after, which she enjoyed immensely, even winning a contest for artistic ability. She said, however, that she would never make cold process soap. Three years later, she saw a soap-making demonstration at the New York State Fair, and life would never be the same. Now, with untold batches of soap under her belt, and experiences with various processes and methods, she is crazy about soapmaking and in sharing her skills with others. She has begun a small business called, Soap and Garden, and is working on her website (www.soapandgarden.com). Most of the credit for putting together this site is due to her son, Ethan, and her husband, Ken.
An avid researcher and learner in soapmaking, Beth looks forward to learning more, teaching more, and doing what she loves, imparting information to others. She is eager to do it in written form here at Making Soap, Cosmetics & Candles. It is an honor to be on staff, helping to make this magazine again the best soaper’s magazine available.

RUTH ROMANO / COLUMN WRITER

Ruth owns an award-winning soap business based in the UK, ruthromano.com and runs regular soap making classes, teaches a cosmetics business course and provides a business consultancy service.
Ruth is also an experienced marketing professional and a Huffington Post blogger.

SARA GOLDING / COLUMN WRITER

Sara is the owner of Sunflower State Soaps, located in the Midwest. She has spent many years learning how to perfect the business of retail, and is sharing that information with new business owners.
When she is not busy making soap, or tweaking a spreadsheet, she is swimming or crafting with her daughter. Together, they have taken up completing 1 Mile Fun Runs, and Sara recently completed her first 5K obstacle course.

BILL MCCONNELL / COLUMN WRITER

Bill is the owner of the successful brick-and-mortar storefront, Whole Life Soaps in Wrightwood, California. He specializes in cold-processed soaps, bath bombs, handcrafted lotions, and other natural beauty-care products.

CINDY NOVACK / COLUMN WRITER

Cindy Rumpf Novack is the owner of www.CandlesandSupplies.com in Quakertown, PA and found her passion making candles in third grade. She loves to help others create their own candles and soaps, be successful, and have fun doing it. Cindy has been making candles for over two decades, has an Advanced Soap Making Certification through HSCG and teaches classes in her own store, art schools, trade shows and seminars. In her spare time Cindy likes to read, horseback ride, garden, distill hydrosols and essential oils, travel, hike and basically just enjoy the outdoors and everything nature has to offer.

NIKI SENIOR / COLUMN WRITER

Niki is Master Herbalist & founder and formulator at
Norfolk Organics.

ALICIA GROSSO / COLUMN WRITER

Alicia is an interdisciplinary artist, teacher and author. Her soapmaking books are The Everything Soapmaking Book, and Soapmaking: A Magickal Guide. She has written a soapmaking column for The Essential Herbal, presented at soapmaking conferences, and been a guest teacher at soap studios on the west coast. She lives in the beautiful Puget Sound area with a kitty and a bunny.

DIANA GALE / COLUMN WRITER

Diana served as a team coordinator in digital publishing from 2002-18, and works occasionally as a manuscript editor. Upon discovering soap making in 2014 she opened Star 9 Divine Beauty & Bath, LLC. At her home studio in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, she enjoys creating new skin care formulations, and designing logo and label artwork with a Flapper air for Star 9 Designs. She met her husband John on stage, and they love to write and perform music together.

LA SHONDA TYREE / COLUMN WRITER

La Shonda Tyree is a certified soap maker for over 18 years who owns Nyah Beauty in Kearny, NJ.
She teaches entrepreneurship and offers business coaching to small businesses to help them strategize. She loves teaching soap making classes.