About

The Potters' Skin Butter Story

In 2004, hobby potter Cara Steinbuchel made the first batch of Potters’ Skin Butter in the ceramics studio of Mud Hunter, a shop that sold pottery made by Asheville and Western North Carolina artists. The owner, Mary Helen, asked Cara, who co-managed the store, to come up with a lotion that would help potters with dry skin. 

Mary Helen loaned Cara money to make the first few batches of lotion and said, "When you pay me back, you'll have your own business!" After much research and several test batches, Cara developed the formula for what is now Potters' Skin Butter. Cara paid Mary Helen back within the year, and that was the beginning of this beautiful journey. 

Cara's quest for the perfect lotion was also informed by witnessing her Mom, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and her Grandpa, a Wichita lineman and hobby mechanic, suffer from chronically dry skin from their professions. In essence, this lotion grew out of a desire to help potters and others with dry hands be able to continue the work they love. And it all started with a little nudge from Mary Helen and the Asheville pottery community.

About the Makers

Each batch of Potters Skin Butter is made by Cara and Michelle. We still use our original recipe and work in small batches. We are committed to making a consistently fabulous lotion for our customers, while having fun in the process!

Cara Nicole Steinbuchel- (Pictured on the right) Founder + CEO of Cara Mae Skin Care

In addition to making lotion and meeting customers, Cara enjoys teaching art to kids at Mission Hospital through the nonprofit Arts for Life. On weekends you can probably find her on an outdoor adventure with Michelle, in the pottery studio, snuggled up with her cats Zeke and Simon, or at a friend's house. 

Michelle Rogers- (Pictured on the left) Chief Operations Officer of Cara Mae Skin Care

Michelle rocks at making lotion and keeping orders flowing and on-time. Classically trained in culinary school and having worked many years in kitchens, Michelle is super efficient and helps everything run smoothly during production. She is also Cara's spouse and a great joy to be around every day. She enjoys hiking, walking, spending time in the woods, listening to music, and reading good books.