KC Sheperd, Farm Director, sits down with LeAnn Jenkins of Cottage Goods, an Oklahoma company that grew from a personal quest for a healthier home environment into a successful business known for its all-natural, farm-friendly products.
Jenkins’ journey began in 2000, shortly after building a new house. “I had a new house built, and found that paraffin candles were putting off soot in my new house, which was concerning,” Jenkins shared. This discovery spurred her research, leading her to soy candles.
“I started on my journey to educate myself, and found soy candles, which are much cleaner. They burn cleaner. They don’t put off the soot. They last longer. And I’m all about value, so lasting longer was a great thing for me.”
🌱 Eliminating Toxins and Expanding the Pantry
The initial focus on soy led to the realization that the 100% food-grade soy wax could be used on the skin. This sparked the development of a lotion line, with Jenkins committed to keeping the ingredients natural and eliminating toxins.
This dedication to natural ingredients quickly branched out. When creating a soap, Jenkins chose to differentiate her product. “We started making soaps out of organic coconut oil,” she explained. “We don’t have, you know, the goat’s milk or anything like that, because there were already so many people doing that, and we wanted to do something different.”
The most personal product development, however, came after a health scare. Following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2014, Jenkins became an avid label reader. “What I read on my deodorant label scared me,” she admitted.
“It was all about doing a deep dive down the rabbit hole of research on trying to make a healthier deodorant.”
Jenkins spent significant time perfecting her deodorant formula, which includes an appealing, high-quality scent. Farm Director Sheperd was a satisfied customer, noting, “It’s almost like deodorant perfume. Like you don’t even have to wear perfume, because you smell so good with the deodorant.”
After 14 recipes and copious notes, Jenkins finally perfected a recipe that “glides on comfortably, “is effective, and smells good.”
Cottage Goods also developed a plant-based sunscreen for health-conscious families and travelers concerned about the environment. “My idea was, well, wait a minute, we’ve got all of these vegetable-based… It’s all plant-based ingredients, which are not harmful to the coral reef,” Jenkins said, explaining that she added non-NANO zinc oxide to her existing plant-based lotion recipe.
In a recent product expansion, Jenkins also embraced a new, all-natural ingredient: tallow.
“Nature has more than one pantry,” Jenkins explained, reconciling the addition of an animal-based product to her plant-focused line. “It’s really not a departure, it’s an addition. This is an all natural product.”
đźšś Connecting with Agritourism and Busy Travel Schedule
Cottage Goods has strong ties to the agricultural community, frequently participating in agritourism events, such as the pumpkin patch at The Twelves in Stillwater. They are also regulars at major events like the Tulsa and Oklahoma City State Fairs and Made in Oklahoma events.
The company is gearing up for a busy holiday season:
- Sample Oklahoma Gifting Gallery: Shops at North Park Mall in Oklahoma City, November 10th through Christmas Eve. Sample Oklahoma 10964 N May Ave, Suite A, Oklahoma City, OK 73120
- Tulsa Affair of the Heart: The weekend before Thanksgiving. Tulsa Expo Square 4145 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK
- Christmas Pop-up Shop: Quail Springs Mall (in the pink door space next to Victoria’s Secret), from Black Friday through Christmas Eve.
- Nutcracker Festival: Expo Square SageNet Center 4145 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK
In addition to candles, deodorants, and lotions, Jenkins’ products include useful everyday items like organic coconut oil soap, which she notes also works as a great stain remover—a handy tip for anyone with kids or athletes. They also offer beard sets with wooden peach tree combs to prevent breakage.
For those who want to shop locally, LeAnn Jenkins is available by appointment at her shop. Customers can also find all products, including the seasonal soy candles, online at cottagegoods.com.
As Jenkins concluded, the business is about more than just selling products. “How can we utilize what’s available to us and how can we help each other?” she said. “If we don’t do that, we all die singular.”
To read more and find all the items from Cottage Goods, click here to visit their website. You can also schedule an appointment to shop at their storefront at 8500 East Memorial Road, Jones, Oklahoma 73049, United States.
