Fairfax woman launches Lyvabel Body Works, a skin care line with a personal touch

Caytlyn Langelier, owner of Lyvabel Body Works, has been making soaps for five years.

FAIRFAX — Greeted by clucking chickens and the aroma of lavender and sage, it's impossible not to feel welcome in Caytlyn Langelier's home.

Her Fairfax homestead is also the site of Lyvabel Body Works, the line of homemade and customized skin care products she self-started.

Before Lyvabel, Langelier worked as a medical assistant in dermatology – a job that gave her the experience and background to support her future endeavors in the skin care world.

In 2018, Langelier took a break from dermatology after the birth of her second child and began concocting soaps on her own time.

It was this son's name, along with Langelier's daughter's, that were melded together to create Lyvabel (pronounced "livable"). Langelier jokes with her third child, "Sorry, you weren't born yet!"

By 2020, Lyvabel Body Works was a registered business.

"Starting out was slow, I did the Fairfax Farmers Market…and got my name out there a little bit…but I built my own website and that changed a lot for me," Langelier said.

She sources local ingredients whenever she can for her soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lip balm, salves and more.

Lyvabel Body Works creates locally sourced skin care products.

"I have aloe plants…and make a soap out of that. (A friend) has bees and gave me beeswax and honey," Langelier said. "I make tallow balm – tallow is rendered fat from our beef cows…I get the fat from the butcher and I render it down through kind of a long process…it's a super moisturizer."

Her cabinet shelves are an organized array of dried herbs and crushed flowers, each used in different combinations to create a wide variety of products, including scrubs and beard oil. For ingredients that can't be found locally, Langelier researches which ones are healthful for people's skin.

"I make sure everything I use is free from formaldehydes, paraben sulfates, and SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate)" she said.

The varieties offered and the ability to customize products have made shower favors the most popular order. Grabbing a small sample off the shelf, Langelier explains how personalized these favors can get.

"(For this bridal shower) it's all different shades of green; (the bride) wanted something woodsy and they’re doing undertones of gold…it's got cedarwood, black pepper, orange…in a little sunflower mold," she said.

Dried herbs and powders fill the cabinets at Lyvabel Body Works.

Customization goes even further with another popular order – breast milk soaps.

"It's super soothing and moisturizing…When somebody orders breast milk soap, I email them and we go through what kinds of oils and butters (they would) like, any allergies, does your baby have eczema…do you want it scented or unscented, do you want lavender or herbs in it…It's probably my favorite thing to make because it's so personal…you’re trusting me with your baby's skin," Langelier said.

In addition to these sales, Langelier often donates products to schools, animal shelters and organizations that support veterans – a cause particularly close to her, as her husband and several family members have served in some capacity of the armed forces.

"I made a soap that looked like one of the (14th Star) newly-designed cans," she said. "I sliced it up into sample sizes and brought it for the employees and owner…they’re very vet-friendly…I even used their beer (in the soap)."

Lyvabel Body Works lip balms.

For Langelier, Lyvabel is more than just a business she started – it's a passion she has. In addition to being the actual soap maker, she's the accountant, inventory manager, supplies orderer, social media person and label printer.

"It's a lot of work, but I do find so much joy in it," she said. "Nothing makes me happier than hearing, ‘you’re the soap lady, aren't you?’ Why yes, I am!"

For more information about Lyvabel Body Works, including behind-the-scenes of soap-making, follow Langelier on Facebook, Instagram and visit her website, www.lyvabelbodyworks.com.

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