Kate Crosby was a goat milk farmer who lived on a farm in the highlands of Virginia, where her love of goats and goat milk inspired her to begin making goat milk bar soap. She shared the soap she made with friends and family, who raved about her unique formula and how good it was for their skin. This gave Crosby the idea to start making it for her community since she had more goats’ milk than she knew what to do with, which led to the creation of Dionis Goat Milk Soap.

Crosby’s goat milk bar soap was a big hit in the community and her big break came when she decided to walk into Cracker Barrel with a baby goat in hand to sell her bar soap. Since then, Dionis has expanded into all Cracker Barrel stores and local gift shops across the United States. Eventually, Crosby’s inspiration of making goat milk soap expanded to other products including hand creams and lotions, and as she approached retirement, Crosby approached the Ott family to help make the Dionis Goat Milk Skincare products.

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These days, Dionis Goat Milk Skin Care is the leading brand in goat milk skin care and their cruelty-free products are packed with vitamins and minerals that nourish, condition, and leave skin feeling hydrated and revitalized. Goat milk is naturally enriched with lactic acid, whey proteins, high amounts of protein, fat, and iron, in addition to vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E. The pH of goat milk is similar to human skin, which helps to maintain a slightly acid mantle, and goat milk lipids are easily absorbed to moisturize and nourish.

”Kate’s love of the farm and living with her family in Virginia is where she was happiest,” says Karen Minsky, Director of Sales & Operations for Dionis Goat Milk Skin Care. “Our family fell in love with Kate and Dionis, and continues to make Dionis products today. Today, I continue Kate’s strong leadership and strict guidelines of quality, value and goat milk in every product. We pride ourselves on being able to offer quality product that people can actually afford. That’s really important to us and so are our customers, who have dedicated themselves to our brand.”

We chatted with Minsky, who shared the inspiration behind the line, what’s next for the brand, and more.

When was Dionis founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?

Dionis was founded in 1982 on a goat farm in Virginia. Dionis takes its name from Mrs. Dionis Coffin who emigrated from Devonshire, England to Massachusetts in 1642; she settled in Nantucket Island in 1660. In the year 1653, Mrs. Coffin was brought into court at Newbury, Massachusetts and charged with overpricing her beer ($3 per quart). She stoutly defended herself, maintaining it was a higher-quality beer and was acquitted! Dionis and her husband had nine children and many descendants. The first steam engine in Nantucket was named Dionis and there’s a beach called Dionis Beach on Nantucket Island, which is still very popular today.

Tell us more about Dionis’ products and what makes them special.

All of our products are made with goat milk—our product is all made by us in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We make everything in small batches to ensure the highest quality of product. Our assortment of goat milk products are more than just lotions and creams—we are focused on making products that will offer a treatment with every application so you can actually feel the difference.

Does Dionis have a hero product? What’s your favorite?

It’s hard to pick one! All of our products are exceptional and really offer a unique experience. It’s hard to believe from bath and body product—until you experience our brand. Our Sole Keeper Foot Cream is the absolute hero of our line. This item will transform the look and feel of your feet, and in many cases, people with really cracked and dry hands use it as a hand cream as well. It’s absolutely amazing!

Where are your products sold?

Our products are sold at Ulta Beauty, Macy’s, Kroger, Cracker Barrel, and gift and specialty stores nationwide.

What's next for the brand?

Our brand is growing rapidly! We are excited for what the future holds! We will be launching a new skincare line and this will be absolutely amazing! We can’t wait to bring it to our customers who have been asking for so long.

For more information, visit dionisgmskincare.com and follow on Instagram: @dionisskincare

[Photos by Dionis Goat Milk Skincare]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk