Telling Her Jersey Story One Lotion Sale at a Time

For Michelle Popp, selling lotion made with milk produced by her Registered Jersey cows is a means to a not-so-obvious end. Though the extra income from Jersey Girls lotions is nice, the side hustle helps her achieve a much larger goal—helping people and educating them about the dairy industry.

Popp and her husband, Gary, manage a 26-cow herd on a farm she bought from her grandparents in 1998. The herd is enrolled in REAP and milked in a tie-stall barn that is now being used as a freestall barn with free access to an outside lot and pasture. The Popps also grow crops on 98 acres of owned and 76 acres of rented ground in Unity, Wis.

While she milks and cares for cows and home-schools their daughter, Popp also squeezes the job of cosmetics entrepreneur into her day. She began experimenting with lotions in late 2021 and sold her first product in February 2022. Today she makes “artisan lotions” out of her home kitchen and sells them at local outlets and across the country through an Etsy shop.

Through the business, she connects one-on-one with consumers. Many are interested not just in a wonderful skin care product but are also eager to learn about the dairy industry.

“I have always loved sharing the story of agriculture,” Popp noted. “And now, more than ever, people have unanswered questions or know very little about agriculture.”

The lotion business is the perfect in-road to share her passion and bridge the gap. “I can answer questions, share our farm story, and sell a great product all at the same time,” remarked Popp. “I don’t think you can get any more of a win than that.”

When God Speaks

Popp didn’t launch Jersey Girls with research and a formal business plan. Rather, it was sparked by an act of faith. “I just woke up one day and knew I needed to make lotion,” she remarked. “I have learned that God works in mysterious ways. I’m not sure from where it stems. I just knew I needed to be doing it.”

And because she is used to dealing with farmer costs of business, the lotion gig didn’t seem like a huge venture. “I can buy supplies for far less than it costs to farm, so I thought it was worth a try.”

Popp registered Jersey Girls Lotion as an LLC in Wisconsin, got a seller’s permit, and added an endorsement to the farm insurance policy to protect the farm against losses associated with the lotion business. Her homework was Google searches for do-it-yourself lotions. Her goal was to develop a recipe that featured milk as the main ingredient.

“I wanted to use as much milk as I could and still make a nice lotion,” Popp explained. In her final version, just under 4 ounces of milk is included in every 8-ounce bottle of lotion.

The business name just fell into place too. Popp worked on recipes over the holidays, brought samples to family gatherings, and told the masses, “We need a name.” The business still had no official name post-holidays but became Jersey Girls with a visit from her son and daughter-in-law in January 2022. “My daughter-in-law said, “I thought you were doing Jersey Girls,’” Popp recalled. “‘I kind of like that,’ I told them. I guess I just had to sit on it.”

The name has a dual meaning for Popp. “The Jersey girls are my cows for sure,” she said. “But the name also stands for all the girls in the family that tow the rope to make this happen. Yes, the guys certainly help, but this stands for us girls.”

The tagline that often accompanies the company name is: From a farm where cows are family.

Popp gets a hand running the business from her mother, Lilli, who lives a half mile away. “Dad passed away seven years ago,” remarked Popp. “So this gives Mom something to do, and she enjoys helping me out. We laugh a lot, and it is usually a zoo when we make lotion.” Popp is laying the groundwork and hopes the lotion business will grow and provide an opportunity for the third Jersey girl to become more involved if she so desires.

Creating the Milk-Focused Luxury

To create lotion, the team warms oils with an emulsifying wax in one container and distilled water and pasteurized milk in another. They are then combined and blended with Optiphen, a natural preservative. If the lotion is to be scented, essential oils are added. The lotion is then poured into tubs or pump bottles and labeled.

Popp is a stickler for cleanliness and there are special considerations for making oil-based lotion out of the home. All containers are wiped with rags and towels before they go through the dishwasher to ensure oils don’t clog the plumbing system. Counters and storage areas are sanitized to ensure lotions are not contaminated with bacteria or organic material that could cause spoilage.

All packaging and labels are purchased from Amazon. Popp uses oil and water-resistant labels manufactured by Avery in two sizes and prints them in-house. “The printer is not fancy, but it works,” Popp noted. “And my son is our label designer, so I call on him if I want changes.”

Scents in the Jersey Girls lineup now include unscented, orange peppermint, peppermint, peppermint lavender, orange patchouli, geranium, and spearmint eucalyptus. Though peppermint lavender, a natural bug repellent, is the best seller, Popp’s personal favorite is spearmint eucalyptus.

What is in development? “I often get requests for custom scents, and this may be something for me to consider,” Popp noted. “But my next thing will probably be muscle rubs. I make them with menthol, and they feel amazing. I have made them just for family thus far and keep getting requests for refills. But I’m not satisfied with the product. By the time I include enough menthol, the lotion is too runny. So, I need to fine-tune the recipe to bring the product up to my standards.”

Build a Better Mouse Trap

Simple ingredients and the Jersey story are what set Jersey Girls lotions apart from the competition. “Customers can’t find anything like my lotions in stores,” remarked Popp. “I love being able to encourage my customers to read my labels.”

The ingredients list includes milk, distilled water, coconut oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil, emulsifying wax, Optiphen, and essential oils in scented lotions. The single ingredient of which they might not be familiar is Optiphen. Popp chose this natural preservative because it is a paraben- and formaldehyde-free product that protects against the growth of mold and bacteria.

Popp is especially proud that the Jersey Girls’ unscented lotion is truly unscented. “I think I can detect the coconut oil, but everyone else assures me the product has no scent. This is rare because most commercial unscented products still carry some scent.”

Though she cannot ethically or legally promote the healing properties of milk, that does not mean they do not exist. The topical use of milk may improve skin elasticity, surface quality, and smoothness. Lactic acid, which occurs naturally in milk, is an alpha hydroxy acid found in many commercial skin care products. It encourages skin turnover and the shedding of dead, dry skin cells. The benefits of milk baths have long been touted as a means of relieving inflammatory skin conditions and dry skin.

The health benefits of milk as a beverage are also well documented. Milk contains retinol and Vitamin D, and, when consumed, can protect skin from damaging sun rays. In a recent study, trans-vaccenic acid, a long-chain fatty acid in meat and dairy products from grazing animals, appears to stimulate immune cells that protect against cancer and increase the effectiveness of cancer therapy.

Jersey Girls lotions are sold in small local shops and coffee shops in Wisconsin and Minnesota and at Feltz’s Dairy Store in Stevens Point, a farm that makes cheese curds and operates an agri-tourism business. “The Feltz family liked my story, and, because they are fellow dairy producers, wanted to offer a product like Jersey Girls,” remarked Popp.

Popp also opened an Etsy shop about six months ago. She has found success in coupling the store with a Facebook page. “I use the Jersey Girls page to let people know what craft fairs I will be attending and to share my Etsy link,” Popp noted. “I give social media a lot of credit for helping me to grow the business. Customers can like the store and my posts and comment on products. And when they shop using the link, my Etsy commissions are reduced.”

While some stores buy wholesale, most charge a commission, so Popp is responsible for stocking shelves. “I prefer to handle inventory so I can keep shelves fully stocked,” she noted. This gets around a buyer’s hesitation to place an order if inventory is low for just one or two products. This also enables Popp to price her products the same across the board, in stores, through Etsy, and at craft fairs.

Like many retailers, Popp is especially busy during the holidays. “In the six weekends heading into Christmas, it gets a little crazy,” Popp said. She strives for some semblance of life balance by avoiding events that run on Sundays. “I have to take care of cows seven days a week, so I want at least one day I don’t have to operate another business too.”

Popp has recently added another product to the Jersey Girls lineup—canvas prints and photo cards with farm and cow scenes. “I am blessed with so many beautiful scenes on the farm and enjoy taking pictures and sharing them,” she explained. “I don’t sell a ton of them, but they draw people in. They love seeing images of a newborn calf with its mother, cows on pasture, and baby calves. They are like magnets, bringing people to my table. Then I say, ‘And their milk makes a great lotion too.’”

People Motivate Popp

Her customers are Popp’s driving force. “I enjoy meeting people and having them sample my lotions. And honestly, I don’t care if they don’t make a purchase. I just want them to try my lotions and know about me.”

“It touches my heart when I hear how I have helped my customers,” remarked Popp, whose products have earned glowing reviews from customers who suffer from skin disorders like rosacea. “These people have usually tried everything, so I appreciate that they gave my lotions a chance. One of my most loyal customers even buys lotions for her chemo patients to soothe skin after treatments. This kind of positive feedback makes you carry on.”

It is Popp’s mission to help others mentally as well. Harnessing the power of aromatherapy, she gave a lot of thought to her essential oil blends, creating combinations that uplift, relax, or help with depression.

Popp doesn’t view the lotion business as a get-rich-quick venture. She is taking a slow but sure approach to growth, one step at a time. “Every time I get my products into another outlet, I thank God for blessing me with another opportunity to help others and tell my story.”

Jersey Girls also provides an opportunity for the Popp family to diversify and better weather the ups and downs, good years, and bad years that come with dairy farming territory. “I can’t control what the milk coop is going to pay me when the truck backs in my drive,” remarked Popp. “With the lotion business, I can at least set my price and control my product line.”

Plus, she gets a chance to share the dairy story with customers every single day and promote dairy’s benefits beyond a nutritious, delicious beverage.

Jersey Girls lotions may be purchased through the Etsy shop. Or you may contact Michelle directly at jerseygirls.wi@gmail.com to place an order.