Olivia Sanchez is transforming the local beauty scene using an eco-conscious approach with her company, Sudz Cauldron. Passionate about crafting products that are as kind to the environment as they are to the skin, this maker shares the story behind its sustainable practices, natural ingredients, and the mission to make beauty routines more earth-friendly.
Olivia was born in Illinois and moved to Haines City in the sixth grade. She went to Polk State College for her AA, the University of Southern Florida for her undergraduate studies, and then Saint Leo University for her master’s in human resources. She began her career working for the City of Winter Haven with a passion for helping people and the hope of making a positive impact on the community.
She loved beginning her career with the City, but there was another side of her that was also passionate about creating a sustainable lifestyle. “I made a change in my life to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, and this is what really led to Sudz Cauldron for me. I was becoming more intentional about the products I was using every day, and the companies I was supporting,” Olivia said. She realized she was being very wasteful. “I would pick up shampoo and if it smelled nice, I used it. This journey really led me to becoming more in tune when it comes to my health, and my hair health.”
It started with her own hair. She could never find something effective to work on her hair. “When it came to my hair, I felt like I’ve always hated it. I didn’t like how dark it was, how oily it was. And really, embarking on this journey has what really made me become more fascinated with ingredients and formulating my own solutions eventually.” This led to the creation of her shampoo and conditioner bars. Imagine a little bar of soap, but for your hair. The only packaging is a little paper box made from recycled materials. One of Sudz Cauldron’s shampoo bars is equivalent to about four bottles of store-bought shampoo, depending on how often you’re washing, the length of hair, etc.
Olivia would sit in her car on lunch breaks and research. She learned about different ingredients and how just one ingredient could drastically change how something works. She started experimenting and making her own shampoo. After going to work and having people comment on her hair, she was so happy to tell them that she was making her own products.
“I found that there were so many other people like me, and at the time there wasn’t anything around here that was a sustainable eco shop where I could have that easy access to products that could help me through this journey. At the time I was making a lot of my own products. It was primarily the hair care products but I was also making my own toilet cleaners, my own kitchen cleaners and other things. But the hair care aspect is something that I just fell in love with.”
Sudz Cauldron is a lifestyle. They offer seven products: four shampoo bars and three conditioner bars. All of them are formulated completely differently. “It took me forever to formulate all of these different product lines, but, it’s necessary. There is a need for people to find something for their dryer scalp, or oilier hair or curls, I want them to have access to that.” Her goal is to have her shampoo and conditioner bars be so good that you ditch plastic entirely. But it doesn’t end there. This is not just an eco-conscious company but an impact-driven company.
“My grandparents in Mexico were farmers.” They grew up in a rural area growing livestock, and all of the food that they ate. “I’ve always had this passion of supporting farmers through my business. A lot of the ingredients, like our shea butter, our cocoa butter, and Jamaican black castor oil are all sourced through fair-trade suppliers. The ingredients are literally handmade, and they give back to the farmers by supporting them with fair wages and better working conditions.”
Alongside Sudz Cauldron, Olivia is also working with two other women in Polk County to launch a business called Latinas Profesionales in Action (LPA). “It’s an opportunity not just for Latinas but for women who are like me,” she said. “Starting a business from the ground up is challenging when you don’t have access to the right resources or connections. At LPA, we want to offer that support to women who are ambitious about their own businesses.” Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “Don’t be afraid to try.”
“I had no clue before this, I didn’t know what was in shampoo, how do you make it, how does it lather?” She continued, “I started off doing farmers markets. I’m finally in this space where I’m trying to expand and reach more customers who are wanting these kind of products throughout Florida and expanding into other states, just being able to make our products more accessible.” She smiled and added that she didn’t want to say anything right now, but there is more to come.
“With Sudz Cauldron products, you’re getting something that’s truly made with intention, with better quality ingredients, again the environmental impact as well. There’s so many bonuses to that.”
Shop & find out where you can buy her products locally at sudzcauldron.com.
IG @sudzcauldron
FB @Sudz Cauldron
Find Latina’s Profesionales in Action IG@latinasprofesionalesinaction
