Inspiring Conversations with Lara Lancaster of Leif Lane Lather

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Lancaster

Hi Lara , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We decided to leave the city life behind in 2015 and moved to a quaint rural area, driven by a desire for a simpler life for our newly growing family. We knew that animal husbandry teaches valuable lessons in responsibility, patience, and the importance of empathy to our children. As we settled into our new home, we built a milking shed and stalls next to the chicken coop and decided to raise Nigerian Dwarf goats for milking. We were drawn to their gentle nature and delightfully creamy milk. With extra milk and its reputation to be an amazing skin care ingredient, formulations started emerging. Our family bonded over early mornings tending to goats and late nights crafting products. We meticulously handcraft each formulation, ensuring that every product is uniquely designed to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. With each batch we create, we pour our hearts into our work, focusing on the purity and quality of our ingredients. It’s been a rewarding journey, combining our love for these gentle creatures with our passion for family safe skin care. We can’t wait to share our handcrafted products with others at local farmer’s markets and a select few wholesalers.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We went against experienced advice and bought baby goats to raise, breed and milk instead of buying a trained, older milker. So we reared our girls until 2 years old, bred and had an incredible experience as they kidded for the first time. It happened to coincide with the lockdown so we were all home and able to enjoy new life. We shared videos online and families were able to drive out and watch the babies to lift their spirits. That was incredible, but then came training our girls to milk and it was awful. The process of keeping areas clean with animal behavior is not an easy thing. Learning to hand milk was hard. Many tears were shed in the goat shed. But as we know, sometimes you are doing it all right and it still goes wrong but you keep going. With patience and perseverance a city couple finally learned to milk and care properly!

It’s also been a challenge to formulate new products. Most products take several iterations, playing with the amount of ingredients, temperatures, mixing methods, etc. The next challenge is documenting everything properly to be able to repeat what works and not duplicate what fails. But the harder a product is to create, it’s usually a truly unique and special product that I’m proud to share.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Leif Lane Lather ?
Goats milk skin care is a very old craft, though it has gained popularity for several reasons. One interesting fact is that goats milk is rich in vitamins A, B, and E, which are essential for maintaining healthy skin. Its pH level is similar to that of human skin, making it gentle and less likely to cause irritation. Goats milk also contains essential fatty acids, which help to moisturize and nourish the skin, improving its overall texture and appearance. Additionally, the presence of alpha-hydroxy acids in goats milk can aid in exfoliating dead skin cells, leading to a smoother complexion.

The popularity of modern soap makers has surged in recent years, driven by a growing consumer demand for natural products. As people become more health-conscious and environmentally aware, they increasingly favor handmade soaps made from organic ingredients without synthetic additives. People like to talk to the actual person making products that they are going to use every day. My family uses this product and I’m proud to stand next to its safety and quality.

Branding is a BIG deal to me. My background being in marketing (UNC Greeley) and graphic design (Art Institute of Denver) I was excited to package and brand my own line. I wanted it to be simple but more importantly consistent. When someone finds a handcrafted product they like, they are quick to talk about it. Your branding needs to be instantly recognizable.

We named our soap Leif Lane Lather because our farm is on Leif Lane. With my name being Lara Lancaster and the abundance of L’s, I decided to name my products to all start with L: Liquid, Lavish, Lave, Lotion, Liniment, etc.

My packaging and customer service may be professional but I’m a mom, answering phones and emails in between teaching my children in farm boots while designing new packaging and dreaming up my next goats milk product.

What’s next?
In our 5th year growing locally we are looking to reach out and teach on social media. We may do some troubleshooting in formulating or showing how easy and rewarding it is to care for an animal that can provide such sustenance. The new year brings new product, January through March this year we will be formulating a men’s shave bar, a degreasing mechanics bar, and a charcoal detoxifying facial soap.

I’d like to explore more ingredients and compounds to continue to enhance product. Modern soapers have access to compounds and additives to combine with locally available ingredients to make special unique products.

Pricing:

• Lotion $12 8oz
• Lather $6 5oz
• Liniment $12
• Liquid $10 8oz

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leiflanelather.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leiflanelather/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leiflanelather/

Image Credits
Kris Chadwick Photography for family portraits