With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Gippsland News Weekend visited Nicholson River Soaps to find the perfect gift — and catch up with owner and artisan soap maker Bianca Workman. Her charming store is stocked floor to ceiling with beautifully packaged bars and soothing skincare essentials, but it’s the story behind the soap that truly lingers.
Bianca’s journey into soap-making began in 2010, born not out of business ambition but maternal necessity.
“My son had severe eczema,” she recalls.
“I’d tried everything, and nothing worked. I already had goats at home and a lot of leftover milk, so I started experimenting with goat’s milk soap.”
What followed was a crash course in soap chemistry — a self-taught process filled with trial and error.
“There were definitely a lot of stuff-ups,” Bianca laughs.
“But I was determined.”
Her early creations were a hit with family and friends, who urged her to try selling at local markets. That encouragement marked the start of Nicholson Soaps, a business now renowned for its natural ingredients and small-batch ethos.
Milk remains a cornerstone of her recipes — but not just goat’s milk.
“We use buffalo milk from Sunrise Plains Buffalo Farm in Giffard West and camel milk from a farm in Kyabram,” she explains.
“Each milk has its own qualities. Buffalo milk is bright white and rich, while camel’s milk is thinner and low in fat.”
The rest of the formula reads like a love letter to natural skincare: coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, hemp seed oil, and even castor oil — all chosen for their nourishing properties. “I’ve stuck with the original recipe, with a few refinements over time,” Bianca says.
Today, she hand-milks a small herd of goats twice a day.
“My best girl gives up to five litres when she’s at her peak,” she says proudly. The fresh milk is strained and frozen until it’s needed in production.
From there, the soapmaking begins: “We melt down the butters and mix them with liquid oils. Then we add caustic soda, which kickstarts the saponification process. That’s what turns it into soap. After that, it’s left to cure for six to eight weeks before it’s ready to be packaged.”
Unlike many mass-produced soaps, Nicholson Soaps avoids synthetic surfactants that can strip skin of moisture.
“Goat’s milk has a pH level similar to our skin’s,” Bianca notes.
“It’s incredibly gentle and hydrating.”
While her signature product is the classic milk-based soap bar, Bianca also offers body lotions, washes, moisturisers, and shampoos — though only the bar soaps contain milk.
“The liquid products are oil-based,” she says.
After years on the market circuit, Bianca opened her shopfront — a haven for both locals and tourists. Sales now come from walk-ins, online orders, and wholesale accounts. “We supply several Melbourne hotels and also the Metung Hot Springs, which is fantastic exposure,” she says.
As demand has grown, so has the need for space.
“A purpose-built factory would be amazing one day,” she says, “but for now, we’re happy here. We’ve got great neighbours and a loyal customer base.”
When it comes to busy periods, nothing beats Christmas.
“We start preparing in August,” she says.
“There’s no time to make soap in December — we’re flat out with sales.”
The holiday surge rolls right into January, bolstered by holidaymakers who discover the shop while visiting the region. And with Mother’s Day coming up, Bianca has curated a line of thoughtful gift packs.
“We’ve got beautiful bundles of body lotion, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and bath bombs,” she says.
“Something for every mum.”
As we head out the door, arms full of goodies, it’s clear that Bianca’s passion isn’t just in her products — it’s in every step of her story, every drop of milk, and every bar of soap.
