A Simply Marvelous Soap

When the day is over and a project completed, cleaning can be daunting – especially finding products that are gentle on the body, yet tough on messes. Marianne Bennett Budin, unsatisfied with the cleaning products on the market in 1990, developed a solution through her company, MM Mfg., commonly known as Marvelous Marianne’s. Today, Budin proudly serves the art supply industry with her multi-purpose and earth-friendly art cleaner and barrier cream.

Budin received her education on industrial cleaners during her time as a salesperson for Zellerbach Paper Company in the 1980s. The first product she sold was hand cleaner. “I used to be known as the toilet paper princess,” she recalled. “You could talk dirty to me because I was an authority on cleaning and maintenance.”

Budin took a break from selling and started looking at the ingredients in industrial hand cleaners. She found that mineral oil was often the base, but she wondered if there were better, healthier and more environmentally-friendly alternatives. After researching the properties of components including corn, palm and soybean oils, she decided to make her own product. “They had the right fatty acids. So, I came up with SkinSafer Barrier Skin Cream,” Budin said. Soon after, she developed the SavvySoap Hand and Brush Cleaner.

The company’s strong start wouldn’t have been possible without the support of friends, family and industry professionals, according to Budin. She received input from chemists, accountants, marketing and salespeople and artists. Her mom even paid Budin’s rent for the first few months as Budin got operations going.

The key to success was Budin’s focus on repeat sales as she built trust with customers and encouraged patron loyalty. In turn, retailers and end users now rely on her products to get the job done.

Clean and green

It took Budin about two years to develop her products. While she has a handful of other products for the utility market, SkinSafer and SavvySoap are directed to the art materials industry.

SkinSafer is comprised of ingredients derived from palm trees, lanolinized alcohol, peppermint essential oil and water. SavvySoap’s ingredients include water, corn oil, citrus oil, cinnamon and vegetable-based surfactants. Budin sources materials and manufacturers her products in California, thus supporting the regional economy and cutting down on pollution from transportation.

“Artists may say, ‘Well, I can just use commercial dish detergents.’ However, commercial district detergents are degreasers, and they actually take the fat out of your skin and your brushes,” Budin said.

When it comes to quality control, Budin makes sure that her products meet high standards set by the State of California, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Alternative Research Commercialization Corp and ASTM. Plus, she makes sure that the products pass muster with users.

SavvySoap is available in travel size, 16 ounce and gallon bottles while SkinSafer comes in 4- and 6-ounce jars. The containers are made with polypropylene, a recyclable plastic.

“I’m proud that I created something that end users really like, and it’s safe and effective,” Budin stated.

Small, yet strong

Marvelous Marianne’s has found its niche with art supply retailers and intends to remain loyal to them. The company only sells to retailers, never directly to end users. Its reach extends across the U.S. and into Canada.

The products belong at independent art material stores for several reasons, stated Budin. Retailers are not pressured by high purchase amounts – a minimum order is one case. Plus, the products are multi-purpose; SkinSafer protects hands from paints, dyes, dryness and irritations while SavvySoap removes acrylic and oils, printer’s ink and spots off clothes. The soap doesn’t damage the ferrule (the metal part of a brush) and it conditions the bristles on the brushes. Aware of artists’ pocketbooks, the products are concentrated and last a long time.

Budin is proud to stay small. She will take calls and personally talk with customers. She also provides informational handouts to retailers which list all the ingredients and lay out how to use the product step by step. Word of her products and their efficiency have spread by word of mouth among store owners. “I stay with the artist market segment because they’re product loyal,” Budin commented.

Marvelous Marianne’s will participate at Creativation by Namta in St. Louis. Budin will not only give out samples of SavvySoap and SkinSafer at workshops but will also provide products to help clean brushes at the community mural. To learn more about the company, visit savvysoap.com.