The excellent variety and quality of fresh produce and food items are well known and celebrated by C-U locals, but the quality of locally-sourced goods doesn’t end with edible products at the Urbana’s Market at the Square. The market is also home every Saturday morning to 3 personal care vendors, blissfully gracing us with hints of lavender, lemon, and rose, amongst others. Though the 3 booths differ in the products offered, there’s one thing the three women all have in common: a desire to encourage a healthy, wholesome lifestyle by providing high-quality, natural care products to Urbana.
Queen Anne’s Lace
Raised on a rural farm in England, from a young age Linda Oberg understood the meaning of holistic health. She fondly tells of her mother utilizing their gardens and countryside for various natural remedies. Some years ago her daughter, now living in Australia, bought goats and honeybees to raise on 1.5 acre land, and a goat’s milk soap and beeswax candle business called Queen Anne’s Lace was created. After many years of study and refinement of professional natural skin care, a natural skincare product line was developed. Fast forward to today and Queen Anne’s Lace is a proud Urbana Market vendor, celebrating its 18th summer. Now based out of a 10 acre farm in Camargo IL, Linda wishes to provide natural, locally-sourced skincare to Urbana from “farm to face.”
Wild Botanicals
Felicia Cottman, owner and founder of Wild Botanicals, has been utilizing nature’s beauty for salves and creams for over ten years. Four years ago after her daughter was born, she decided to turn her passion of formulating products to relieve, revive, and repair skin’s natural beauty into a business. Since it’s opening, Wild Botanicals has expanded to sell anything from essential oils to an all natural “Bug-Off” bug spray, a particularly popular selling item during hot summer days in Illinois. Felicia says that in addition to clients’ requests for special blends, she can find inspiration for new products in many unpredictable places, even from food. Her blueberry lemon lip balm and many other products attest to such creativity.
The Wright Soapery
“Sticky hands at a barbecue competition need soap!” Jackie Wright cheerfully remembers selling her first soap bars at the 2013 barbecue competition in Arthur, Illinois. Shortly after her success at the BBQ competition and a lot of initial research, Jackie has been selling finely crafted small batch soaps at the Urbana Market at the Square since 2014. What allows The Wright Soapery soaps to be so beautifully unique is a process called saponification, in which she’s able to manipulate the tops of the soap molds to beautiful and original shapes. The soaps are all made from scratch and hand cut into individual, delectably scented bars. While not every new essential or fragrant oil blend she tries out becomes a success, her 5-bar test batches that won’t hit the market are saved for personal use, contributing to The Wright Soapery’s goal of sustainability. Her favorite part of the Urbana Market? Talking to people and talking about soap. Her expertise and passion certainly shine through while doing so.
Whether you’re looking for personal care items for you or a gift for a friend, these affordable and high-quality products are sure to please. Stay tuned throughout the season for more unique items found at the market!