We are all hand washing maniacs these days. As a nurse, and a former microbiology student, I’ve always been a big hand washer, but now that is amplified.
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Chapped Hands, happy birthday to you!
My hands get cracked and raw every year during the colder months. That changed last year when we were introduced to goat’s milk soap by Bramblewood Acres from Indianola, Iowa. It cleans the skin while nourishing it with natural oils. We loved this soap so much that we decided to sell it with our Soap Savers—felted wool pouches (they aren’t itchy and won’t shed) that exfoliate and help your soap last for 6 months or more!
It’s important right now, not only to wash our hands, but to buy local, from small companies that are part of the artistic heart of each of our communities. With this in mind, I thought I’d share other companies with you making small batch skin care products to inspire you to find one from your area.
Alabama: Infinite Soaps—does use palm oil for their soaps, but it comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms rather than from the destruction of rainforests.
Alaska: Glacier Silt Soap makes soap with silt from the glaciers to make skin soft.
Arizona: Lennas Luxurious Soaps offers a variety of soaps including those made from gylcerin or goat’s milk.
Arkansas: Soap for Goodness Sakes strives to produce soaps with as small of an environmental impact as possible.
California: Moxxie bath and body soaps made from 100% plant based ingredients
Colorado: Two Ravens Soap makes a great variety of skin care products for both men and women; Mountain Essentials goat milk soaps are awesome—my favorite is the Honey & Oat; Bee-och organics make a great sugar scrub
Connecticut: Brosily Bath & Body make soaps with plant oils and sustainable ingredients
Delaware: Cat on the Moon Soap Company—natural vegan soaps without artificial colors or perfumes.
Florida: Blue Haven Holistics—skin care products made by an herbalist and wellness advocate.
Georgia: Linden Row Botanicals uses local farm ingredients to create their natural soaps without chemicals.
Hawaii: Hawaii Soap Company creates soap from honey and other island ingredients
Idaho: Mathair Earth—soaps and hair care products made with sustainable ingredients.
Illinois: Jade Lilly Skin Botanicals—makes skin care products using eco-friendly and ethical methods.
Indiana: Get Lathered makes packaging free soaps, shampoo, and conditioner focusing on ingredients that are natural, biodegradable and sustainable.
Kansas: Artisan Soaps handcrafts a wide variety of skin care items with sustainable ingredients.
Kentucky: Rock Bottom Soap makes handmade soaps from all natural goat’s milk
Louisiana: Sweet Olive Soap Works—cold process soaps made from scratch
Maine: Maine Island Soap has been creating all natural vegan soaps since 1984 and they package each bar in recyclable boxes.
Maryland: Single Barrel Soaps makes soaps that are not only vegan but beautiful works of art
Massachusetts: Naturally Clean Soaps soaps made without palm oil or animal products
Michigan: Hoppy Soaps uses coconut oil, essential oils and handcrafted beer (yes!) to make their soaps.
Minnesota: MN Soap Company—you’ve got to try the Ylang Ylang Orange!
Mississippi: Buff City Soap even makes a birthday song soap to moisturize your hands when washing for 20 seconds!
Missouri: Sammy Soap creates jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities while making earth friendly soaps for people, pets and the home.
Montana: Naturally Montana all natural soap made by a mother and daughter team.
Nebraska: Benson Soap Mill—soaps created with sunflower oil.
Nevada: Our Origins—not only do they have a great selection of soaps, they use 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, all of their products are cruelty free and vegan
New Hampshire: Portsmouth Soaps made from simple, locally sourced natural ingredients
New Jersey: Savoy Bath & Home conscientiously makes a variety of products including soaps, sugar scrubs and mineral salts
New Mexico: La Rioja Natural Soaps have a great balance between cleansing and moisturizing using a process that doesn’t include palm oils—the harvesting of which is harmful to our Rainforests.
New York: On Hand Lotions makes aluminum-free deodorant in compostable packaging, soap and shampoo bars available bare or in compostable wraps, zinc oxide sunscreens (lab tested, FDA compliant), botanical facial care made with their own herbs and flowers.
North Carolina: Whispering Willow—handcrafted natural bath & body products. Their products are palm-free, made with organic oils & essential oils.
North Dakota: Honey B Soap Company—cold process soaps made from natural and organic ingredients
Ohio: Hope Soap Ohio offers natural skin care products for women, men and their best friend
Oklahoma: Yellow Sun Soaps is mindful to avoid plastics, they makes soaps, lotion bars and shampoo bars with limited packaging.
Oregon: Oregon Rain Soap—great soaps, and they make hand sanitizer! Need I say more?
Pennsylvania: A Natural Alternative creates bath bombs, lip balm, and soaps that are preservatve free, without parabens, detergents or dyes.
Rhode Island: Sea Foam Trading Company natural skin care products made through earth friendly processes
South Carolina: Herb Garden Soaps creates a range of products to nourish the skin.
South Dakota: Irish Twins Soap Company makes soaps from local ingredients and uses minimalist packaging
Tennessee: Mountain Crafted uses time honored methods to create handcrafted bath products including soaps from goats milk and natural botanicals.
Texas: Simply Organic Soap creates soaps and lotion bars using organic ingredients and essentil oils
Utah: Soaplicity soaps made from all natural ingredients without any of the bad stuff
Vermont: Vermont Soap makes organic handmade soaps and gives back 1% of sales to environmental causes
Virginia: Cricket Cove Soap Co handcrafted soaps from essential oils and other natural ingredients
Washington: Whidbey Island Natural offers small batch shampoos, shaving soap, salves and lotions.
West Virginia: Wild Mountain Soaps makes body butter, deodorants, and soaps from local ingredients without chemicals or detergents.
Wisconsin: Craft Brewed Suds started with a beeswax based soap and has now expanded to other ingredients found in nature to make their luscious soaps
Wyoming: Sheridan Soap Company —soaps created from non-gmo, organic and fair-trade ingredients.
If you want to find other small batch makers close to you, check out Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild or Etsy.
.This blog was written by Kathy Rohret, Green City Living founder.