My name is Lucia and I run Wild Raven; a small scale business selling unique products I create by hand in my country home in Woodbridge, Tasmania. 

I live on a 20 acre bush block surrounded by big blue gum trees and overlooking the Hobart waterways. I love to potter around at home, tending the garden, foraging the wilderness and working on creative projects that embrace my local resources and reflect my love for the natural environment.

I make natural bodycare products and small batch soap handmade in the traditional cold process. My recipes focus on herbal remedies using pure and simple ingredients with apothecary blends from my kitchen and garden.  I use organic, fair trade, home grown and local products when possible and all my creations are palm oil free. I also make humble homewares crafted from natural materials and made in a raw and earthy style.

My brand ethics include a strong commitment to waste reduction and sustainable business practices.  I therefore aim to focus the majority of my sales locally.  I also donate a percentage of my annual profits to support local charities; primarily the organisation Devil Ark who are fighting to save the endangered Tasmanian Devil from extinction from a devastating cancer outbreak. 


: : PROCESS : :

I keep my bodycare recipes simple by using ingredients as raw as possible. All of my products are free from synthetic fragrances with only a little essential oil, if any, for a subtle scent and or some kitchen spices for colour and texture.

My soaps are crafted in the traditional cold process method, which means my ingredients are combined at room temperature to minimise any nutrient loss caused by heating. As soap goes through it's natural saponification process it does heat up a little on it's own accord but I counteract this through cold storage either in my basement or fridge. Some soap makers use the hot process method which employs heat, usually in the form of a stove top, to cook the soap mixture until it hardens. This method is much quicker but can affect the quality of the final product as many herbs and nutrient rich oils and butters loose some of their healing properties at high temperatures. Cold process soap needs much longer to cure ( dry out and harden ) , usually between 6 and 10 weeks, but I think it's worth it.

: : INGREDIENTS : :

My products emphasize the use of all natural ingredients. This means that all my soaps and body care creations are free from nasties like artificial fragrances, colours and preservative, palm oil, parabens, mineral oils or sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate. I must note though that I do use sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, for the lye in my soap making process. Lye is an essential element to soap making and there is no way to make soap without it. Lye is what converts the oils into soap. However, during the saponification process the lye is neutralized and by the end of the curing process there is actually no lye left in the soap.

: : PACKAGING : :

The natural and environmentally friendly style of my products extends to the packaging. Many of my product labels are made using recycled paper and gift wrapped in reused brown paper and hemp twine. I also reuse boxes and packages for postage, make postage labels out of scrap paper and use biodegradable packing tape.