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29-Year-Old Entrepreneur Builds an Experience for the Senses with Luxurious Lathers Body Boutique

Owned by 29-year- old (yes, just 29!) Genesis Smith, Luxurious Lathers celebrated its first anniversary in July of 2016. Business is booming for the quaint body product boutique, which has quickly become a destination for many.

The idea for Luxurious Lathers stemmed from an experience Genesis’ parents, had when coming upon a store that sold handmade soaps. Genesis’ mom Tijuana, purchased several products as gifts for family and friends. Weeks later, loved ones were clamoring for more, noting how the natural products were moisturizing and non-irritating to those with various skin conditions. An entrepreneur herself, Tijuana saw the opportunity.  And while Genesis said her plans never involved running her own business, an offer to help her mother evolved into becoming a shareholder and CEO of Luxurious Lathers at the age of only 22.

The equivalent of a dessert shop for the body, Luxurious Lathers draws in customers in droves. Initially from the sweet, decadent scents of its array of bath bombs, handmade soaps and lotions, and then from its beautiful, inviting interior. Once inside the store, Luxurious Lathers offers a truly inspired experience. “Our customers love the environment here,” said Genesis, who spends most days at the store working alongside family members who make up the large portion of her team. “Customers love the energy, and we get so many compliments on our customer service. They enjoy seeing our family working together to build this organically, and they love the products,” said Genesis.

Luxurious Lathers offers a wide selection of handmade body products including handmade soaps, body scrubs, sugar and salt scrubs, organic facial and body products and bath bombs. We offer cruelty-free, all-natural, handmade products. But unlike other body product companies, we offer a more luxurious, beautiful product people want to buy to pamper themselves or for others.”

A favorite stop for gift-seekers, Luxurious Lathers offers a clever assortment of products such as tuxedo, cake and cupcake soaps. In addition, the company has been rapidly growing its custom soap line, providing soap favors for baby and bridal showers and other events. Nearly 80 percent of the products sold in the store are conceptualized by Genesis herself, who has demonstrated a gift for creating dreamy concoctions that appeal to the romantic and feminine sides of her customers.

“I like pretty things,” she said. “I’ve always loved perfume. This comes natural to me.” While many her age are still sweating it out in their first post-college jobs, Genesis is thriving as she designs her product line up, selects ingredients and works directly with her two manufacturers to make her creations a reality.

The popularity of the store has piqued the interest of 14 other malls in the Chicagoland area, and beyond, reaching out to Genesis all but begging for expansion to their locations. But the young entrepreneur isn’t rushing things. She has big visions of making customer requests for hosting events at Luxurious Lathers come true, providing a beautiful setting for parties or social group gatherings. Opportunities for soap-making, make-your- own-bath- bomb and similar in-store events are also being considered. And of course, always on her mind is improving and expanding the Luxurious Lathers product line with new gift packaging elements, new scents and new product offerings, among other possibilities.

“Every day, when I go to the store, I learn something new,” Genesis said. “I learn about myself, about others, about business. I wouldn’t get this experience doing anything else. The sky really is the limit.”

Luxurious Lathers has one store location: Located on the Upper Level – next to Macy’s in Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, IL).