Meet your Maker

Hello, My name is Crystal. I'm the owner and creator here at Mule Hell Trading Co. I started making soap over 30 years ago, at home in my kitchen. I've been blessed to have been able to turn my passion into something much bigger than I could have imagined. I took my love for creating natural products and started doing farmers markets and shows in 2011, and opened my store front in 2013. We are a small handcrafted business thriving in the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

In my spare time I love taking my creative side and pouring it into my art, like watercolors. I've learned to grow and forage most of my own food, and was taught from a young age how preserve it through canning as well. My favorite thing to do is go and wander the woods, hunting for different mushrooms with my little 4 legged sidekick Pepper.

Thank you for joining me, and I hope you love our handcrafted products.

Hello! My name is Bailey, and I am the Store Manager here at Mule Hell Trading! I first met Crystal when she opened the Galax storefront in 2018. At the time, I was simply a customer searching for something that could help with my skin, which seemed to react to nearly everything I tried. I immediately fell in love with Crystal’s products and soon made them a regular part of my skincare routine. To this day, I continue to use and love them!

I graduated from Lees-McRae College in 2025. During my college years, I would return home during breaks and on some weekends to help Crystal at the store. I have been incredibly blessed to work alongside her for the past five years, and I look forward to many more years of learning, growing, and working together.

Outside of work, I enjoy crocheting and spending time with my cat, Bean, my husband, and my family. I love learning new things and am always looking for something new to explore. You can often find me working on a renovation project around my house, spending time with Bean, or enjoying time with the people I love most.

I am so excited to be a part of Mule Hell Trading and to have the opportunity to be a part of your journey toward healthy, happy skin!


Hi! My name is Pepper! I love to take naps and inspect everyone who comes into the store. I have to make sure my mom knows if anyone comes in, if she's not here, I have to make sure the other humans know. I am the official snoozing guard dog and take my job very seriously.