For lovers of luxurious baths, simplistic skincare and those who enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure, a store nestled away near historic downtown Hope Mills may soon become your favorite new discovery. 

Bath, body and candles boutique Bath Snob is a family run business that has been in Hope Mills since 2019. Offering skincare products like lotions, bubble bars and their homemade facial elixir, and other products such as wax tarts, fun themed candles and “scoopables,” there is a signature scent and product for all of your fragrance needs.

Created, owned and operated by a mother, Mary Thompson, and her two daughters, Connie Melvin- Rushing and Tammie Melvin-Carlile, the family came together from across the country and combined their separate businesses to become the Bath Snob of today.

“I actually started a Bath Snob in California, so I used to go to the LA county fairs and stuff like that,” explained Rushing. “And my sister had a company, Candle Freaks out in Virginia. So, when her husband was retiring, she kept bothering me for a whole year. She said ‘Come on, bring your business out here. We can combine our business together.’” 

Rushing, who is self-taught when it comes to the soaps, lotions and skin care products she creates for sale, said that for her, it started as a side gig that eventually became something more real. 

“I never thought about soap. How it started was that we had a women's event in California, and I had to figure out gifts. And my sister saw this recipe for these bath bomb cupcakes. They looked like blue bath bombs. It was those hard tops that you put in the water. So, I made those, you know, just to give out for the women, and they liked it so much they were ordering.”

But running a business is more than pretty soaps and nice fragrances. According to Rushing, each team member plays an important role in the success of Bath Snob.

“So, I am the soaper, and the media person, and my sister, she's more on the business side of it, the financial side. She does that and she does a candle section,” said Rushing. “And then my mom does all the retail. So, the thing to start with about my mom, she worked for AAFES (The Army & Air Force Exchange Service) for over 30 years, so she brings that retail experience. I bring the analytical side and my sister brings more like the business savvy side.”

Even the name, Bath Snob, has family ties, originating as a term of endearment towards Rushing from her late husband Anthony.

“That’s how I got the name. My husband called me a bath snob because, when I'm sitting on the tub, I thought ‘what else do I like? Oh, what if I got a nice soap on the side. Oh, and a couple of candles,’ right? Like I'm a true snob, I will be in the tub for hours,” said Rushing.

All of the more than a dozen scents and products are made in house with all natural ingredients. According to Rushing, the products and what's in them started based on what she wanted in soaps and scents and what would work for her skin.

“That’s why I started experimenting,” said Rushing. “Let me make my own soap the way that I want it. I made it the way everybody else does, like you chop up the cubes, put it in the microwave and pour it. But it has to be better. So, I learned how to do it with oils and butters the way that I want that's good for my skin, and then my kids’ skin and then I realized, ‘oh I can help them with their eczema. I can do this and that.’ and that's how it started.”

Even with their expansive product line, Rushing said she’s not done yet with a new product expected to launch within the next month. 

“We're working on a face mask and we're testing it with turmeric, activated charcoal and apple cider vinegar. We're close, we're just testing. Another thing on product testing, we have to see how long it can be out in the open without any preservatives,” said Rushing. 

Anyone looking to enhance their bath time routine is welcome to stop by the store located at 3505 N Main St, Hope Mills for a product demonstration, or sneak a peek at their inventory on their website at www. bathsnob.com.