We live in Midland, with dry air, constant wind, dust, and hard water. After showers our skin felt tight and itchy, hair went flat, and scalps were dry.

My wife Kati grew up in Europe with clean water and simple food, so she knew what “good” felt like. The more labels we read here, the more we saw how “healthy” had turned into overprocessed, in food and in body care. We stripped the kitchen first, stopped buying processed food, started buying local, and cooked with natural fats. Then we looked at what was in our shower.

Most bars on the shelf fell into two groups. Either they were seed oil blends with extras we did not want, or they were “natural” bars priced like perfume with no clear answer on where the fat came from. So I stopped shopping and started rendering West Texas beef tallow in our own kitchen here in Midland. I tested small batches until the bar felt right on our skin and actually behaved in our water.

That work became Root Made Goods. We are a small family soap company, making simple West Texas tallow soap, rendered in Midland and poured in small batches for our family, our friends, and anyone who wants a straight answer about what is in their bar.

Chris and Kati Root