Ok, everyone, I am now very interested in handmade soap. I have been researching this and have found several sources for soap very close to home.  I am conducting  field (or bath)  studies on manufacturers’ brands. Keep in mind these are handcrafted soaps, not mass produced, not pumped out strictly for profit, these are truely made with human hands with consideration and forethought. I am also pressuring friends, relatives and strangers to help me in my marketing research. I LOVE the three soaps I am currently purchasing for sale at my store.

The Three Brands I am currently offering are : Finger Lakes Soap Company: I discovered these products a number of years ago at the local farm and family store in VanEtten, New York. I became instantly addicted to Heather’s lip balms. I currently have at least three different scents/flavors in my purse at all time, I carry them in my camera bag and in a pocket of each of my winter coats. I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT. I have been using her soaps for about 1 year and find them to be affordable, luxurios and varied in offerings (an excellent selection). I am now awaiting my new order of shampoo and bath salts. I can’t wait!

Next are, “Romancing the Skin” these hail from Battle Creek, Michigan and are made lovingly by the hands of my cousin’s wife, Kelly. I have only been using her soaps for a two month period, but I also find them to be very lovely.  Kelly’s soaps are very organic, they have a less “flowery” scent than others that I have test sniffed. Her soaps have a very earthy scent and a nice clean finish on the skin. I have a lovely blue colored bar called “Stargazer” in my powder room downstairs, and I use it daily. I will let you know how long it lasts. Kelly’s Romancing the Skin bars are a bit firmer than the FingerLakes Soap bar, I think this is beacuse she used lard in some of the bars she makes. I will check to see if the addition of lard hardens the bar. I will also let you know why she uses it in some, and not in others. 

And last, but certainly not least, is Stone Cottage SoapsWorks: this is a soap maker located in Frenchtown, the same town my shop is in. And let me tell you, David has a vast array of varieties (I think he told me, 225 scents) wow !! that is alot to choose from. I am currently using a bar “heliotrope”, wow, what a lovely scent. It is fragrant but not too “flowery” (contains Olive, Palm and coconut oils, Shea and cocoa butters, fragrance, white china and pink Kaolin clays). Really a nice subtle fragrance that stays with you for a little while after you have showered. David tells me that he will be releasing a mans’ shaving soap soon.  I will let you know what my husband has to say about it as soon as we get some.

I am very happy to be carrying these craftsperson’s soaps, it make shopping alot of fun in my store and has been well received. I plan to expand in the coming months the offerings of these three artists.