OCEANSIDE -- Just like a new house before furnishing, the new headquarters of Destiny Boutique is almost bare.

A small room in the 2,000-square-foot building on Ord Way contains racks of the company's natural specialty soaps in various stages of manufacture, some in long blocks, some cut into bars.

The empty space is a good thing, says Tuula Hukkanen, owner of the 2-year-old company. It means Destiny Boutique has room to grow, she says: It can produce 10 times the amount of soap produced in Hukkanen's home, where the company was based.

Destiny Boutique is a blend of Hukkanen's search for natural remedies for her eczema and the expertise of chemist Martin Hoppe, her fiance. Besides various soaps, the product line includes oils, hair conditioners and skin lotions. They can be found at stores such as Boney's.

Hukkanen, who immigrated to the United States from Finland 20 years ago, said she's not nervous about the risk of transitioning from a home-based business to a traditional headquarters during an economic slump.

"The fact of the matter is that our business is growing," Hukkanen said. "We were only in one store, now we are in four; we need to be in 20 stores in the next few months."

Hukkanen said the bad economy helped her get a deal on the lease in Oceanside Gateway Business Park; its owners offered discounted rates under its "economic stimulus package." Among the terms is a deal for tenants who buy to apply toward their down payment up to 12 months of rent.

There was another reason for getting a commercial location, she said: Some stores won't buy from home-based businesses.

Hukkanen admits hers are expensive products.

Here are some prices from the company's Web site at www.destinyboutique.com: One bar of "caffeine soap with anti cellulite essential oils" costs $9, or two for $17. Handmade charcoal soap, made with activated charcoal, goes for $9 per bar, or $16 for two. A 2-ounce bottle of "rose serum" runs $49.

The company's product literature does just about everything to proclaim their natural status. They're hand-prepared in small batches, containing ingredients such as "wild cruelty-free tussah silk fibers," green tea powder, raw shea butter, and "therapeutic grade lime and tangerine essential oils."

Argan oil is one of the most pervasive and important ingredients in the products. It's a superstar in the beauty world that has a reputation for retarding skin aging and treating skin diseases.

Commonly referred to as "liquid gold," Argan was included in a November New York Times profile of Westerners who visit Morocco to get the oil, made by Berber women in cooperatives.

The oil is blended into Destiny Boutique soaps, where the company sells it for $29 per 2-ounce bottle. Hukkanen said she imports it from one of the women's cooperatives, making sure they are properly compensated.

Call staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at 760-739-6641. Read his blogs at bizblogs.nctimes.com.