Meet Rosemarie & Candice Bravo: Sudz Kitchen – Mother Daughter Team of Soap Makers & Creators

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rosemarie & Candice Bravo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rosemarie & Candice, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
When Candice was younger we would always do hands on activities like painting on t-shirts or knitting. She was also enrolled in many dance classes at the time so I taught myself the basics of sewing to make some of her costumes and save money. Later in life, we both pursued business-related careers but the attachment to creativity was always there as we explored cake decorating in our spare time. Two years ago, I started making soap and I would present soaps to my family that resembled food such as a cupcake soap or a hot dog soap! We thought this was hilarious as our collection of faux food soaps grew. When Candice joined in on the fun a year later is when we really began challenging our techniques. We were mixing colors, testing new scents plus even adding bath bombs to our list of skills. Fellow creatives will understand how once you find something you love creating with your hands, the ideas in your mind become endless. At that point making soap became more than just a hobby and nearly by accident, but with a little push by Candice, we started Sudz Kitchen. Sudz Kitchen was born at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Adding our flare of creativity to the repetitive task of hand washing was our way of meshing art with a necessity. The innovation didn’t stop there as we have since learned how to design a website and we even make some of our own soap molds. Now we are all-in with embracing our natural talents. Sudz Kitchen has become our outlet, plus making someone laugh when they realize our products are actually soap is the pick-me-up we all need these days. Both of us had a goal to own our own business so we are so glad that we were able to bring it to life with a blend of our educational backgrounds, our artistry, and as a mother/daughter team!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Sudz Kitchen offers a quirky form of stress relief by being a business based around empowerment. As a mother/daughter team we aim to help mothers enjoy their self-care time, plus encourage the creativity of their children who need something to look forward to for hand washing or bath time. Our unique faux food soap designs and bath bombs are sure to relieve stress through laughter or during relaxation in the bathtub. Creating a business during the height of the pandemic was no easy feat. But at the same time, the reason we started a soap business was because of the pandemic. We saw an opportunity to remove anxiety from that situation by sharing something that brought happiness in our own household. This is what we are most proud of and aspire to make others feel excited about as well. We put our hearts into this business and we hope others feel that inspiration. Prior to the pandemic, we used to host frequent Women’s Luncheons designed to support women by bringing in experts in diverse fields to teach. The purpose of the luncheon was to provide life skills in addition to self care tips. Our business is a branch off of that same goal and we hope to spread the same light using different means.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is the great thing about living in Southern California. We would first aim to show our friend the beach because everyone has to go there when visiting LA. Malibu specifically for the view and the hikes. Our tour of LA would consist of Olvera Street, shopping at the Alley and a bacon wrapped hot dog from any local vendor. Local vendors are our favorite! Another of our favorite food spots is Silverlake Ramen. We would also see a few live shows in LA at night. But because we are avid travelers and everything is within a few hours drive, we wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to take our friend to the mountains of Lake Arrowhead! A favorite location of ours used to be Santa’s Village and we hear that it is open again! And if we’re especially adventurous, we would head to Palm Springs for a few days to do nothing but relax by a pool. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, so many people! First of all, we would not be able to make this possible without the support, reassurance and advice of our mother/grandmother who we are blessed to still have in our lives. Along with a few other remarkable aunts and uncles that have since passed but taught us valuable lessons during their time here. Also, we would not be here without the migration of our ancestors and their labor-intensive work. The most valuable lesson we have learned from all of these people is to continue fighting the good fight while making a difference in other people’s lives.

Website: www.sudzkitchen.com

Instagram: @sudzkitchen

Twitter: @sudzkitchen

Facebook: @sudzkitchen

Other: TikTok: @sudzkitchen etsy.com/sudzkitchen

Image Credits
All images are property of Sudz Kitchen.