Our Story

Meet Michelle, the Maker Behind Southern E-Scentuals

Southern E-Scentuals began with a shared creative moment between founder Michelle Golden and her mother. In 1998, Michelle’s mother took a cold-process soapmaking class and came home excited to share what she had learned. After they made that first batch together, Michelle was hooked. More than 25 years later, that love of creativity and the science behind handmade products still guides everything we make.

The Early Soapmaking Years

Michelle began experimenting with oils, fragrances, colors, and techniques using the limited books and dial-up internet resources available at the time. Those early batches—and plenty of kitchen trial and error—taught her patience, persistence, and the confidence to keep creating.

Michelle chose the name Southern E-Scentuals because her inspiration comes from the South and her goal has always been to create memorable scents that feel like home. Around 2010, she discovered wooden wicks and began making candles, opening another creative chapter. What began with artisan soap eventually grew to include candles, bath and body products, perfume, wax melts, home fragrance, and original scent blends inspired by Southern living.

Growing Through Festivals and Local Markets

After years of balancing family, work, and a growing creative passion, Michelle opened the Southern E-Scentuals Etsy shop in May 2015. Festivals and local markets helped customers experience the products in person and became an important part of the brand’s growth. In March 2018, Michelle took the leap and made the business her full-time work.

Based in Georgia, Southern E-Scentuals has continued to grow through online customers, local events, word of mouth, and a community that values thoughtfully made products. Michelle is especially proud of her artisan soaps, crackling wooden-wick candles, and unique fragrance blends.

Handmade, Personal, and Inspired by the South

Today, Southern E-Scentuals offers a full fragrance experience—from signature candles and handmade soap to Scent Mixology, where customers can create a candle that feels uniquely their own. Although the collection has expanded, the heart of the business remains the same: creativity, quality, and the joy of making something special by hand.

Featured by VoyageATL

Read more about Michelle’s journey in these VoyageATL interviews:

• Meet Michelle Golden of Southern E-Scentuals in North Georgia
• Conversations with Michelle Golden

Thank you for supporting Michelle’s dream and choosing a handmade small business. We’re honored to help fill your home—and your memories—with fragrance.