We are so thrilled that our cold process soapmaking workshops are so popular! Thank you to everyone who has attended and sent us amazing feedback. Here are the next batch of dates for your calendar! CREATE98: We are teaching soapmaking at Create98 in Leigh-on-Sea on the following dates: April 30th 10am – 1pm £38  (LINK HERE) May 21st 2-5pm £38 (LINK HERE) July 1st 10am-1pm £38 (LINK HERE) These are shorter classes where you will learn to make one type of soap in a friendly class environment in the lovely Create98 studios. You can book directl ..read more

“Can I use soap on my face?” The short answer is, yes. Soap can be used all over the body although shouldn’t be applied to mucous membranes. And yes, natural soap does still sting when you get it in your eyes but it should sting less than a product with added chemicals. Surfactants, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), cause the worst of the stinging so choosing a soap without added surfactants will help reduce the stinging should you get some suds in your eyes but we don’t recommend trying it out either way. Consideration should be given to whether you have sensitive skin or not when choosing ..read more

“So how does soap work?” To answer this lets first clarify what soap technically is. Not all products that appear to be soap, or are commonly referred to as a bar of soap are in fact, soap. To be called soap, the product must be comprised mainly of alkali salts of fatty acids which are formed when fats or oils are combined with an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide/lye. The alkali breaks down the fats or oils and turns it into a solid bar of soap. When properly made no sodium hydroxide is left after the chemical reaction. This is why it’s important to use certified soap as it’s formulation is re ..read more

Happy new year folks! It has been a bit of a whirlwind, although I think that 2022 was a whirlwind in itself so it didn’t surprise me at all. We had a lovely break from our shop over the festive period (although we popped in every day to dispatch orders), and now we’re back to embrace the creative energy and challenges that January brings. Our shop is open again 6 days a week, Monday to Saturday 9 – 5. I love January. It’s such a good time to get rid of the old and embrace new ideas and new beginnings. It is always a good time to start something new – a new creative challenge or mayb ..read more

Sending you a sunshiney hello as we wave goodbye to the summer holidays! Only three days left until school starts again, which I can hardly believe. I’ve taken a much-needed social media break over the summer because, as much as I am a soapmaker and a business owner, I’m also a mum and a daughter and a wife. I think having small children gives us the perfect excuse to reign things in a little and focus on sending out your lovely orders, making soaps, and getting things all ship-shape for the craziness of the festive season that is heading our way shortly! As a by-the-by, I was also on BBC Radi ..read more

We are pretty excited to be working with Green Love Southend which is a project happening over the course of the next month here in the City of Southend-on-Sea, Essex. As part of the REMeDY project – aiming to deliver low-cost low-carbon energy solutions through an innovative consortium of businesses and Southend Borough Council – Green Love Southend is encouraging residents, businesses and organisations to share and learn what they can do together to put Southend on the path to net zero. We have joined up because of our commitment to doing more to use less and the workshops, fo ..read more

My goodness me, where has the time gone? January has been a complete whirlwind of activity here as we swirl, mix, and prepare soaps for lots of new shops (we’ll be updating our wholesale page with more information on where you can find our soaps soon) and giving our shop a little makeover. I’ve also encountered many, many technical gremlins grrr so I’ve lost some of my data, most of my mailing list, and the blog posts from the last six months – can you believe it?! My emails have gone completely wonky donkey (mother of small children here, obviously) but we’re finally overcoming it all an ..read more

We’re so excited that it has been confirmed that we’re able to reopen our shop on April 12th. Here’s a map to our shop Margaret Raymond Florist in case you haven’t been by to visit yet: It’s on Hamlet Court Road, which is currently in the process of being considered as a Conservation Area – it’s quite amazing to hear more about the history of the area, and what incredible buildings once stood on this remarkable road leading up to the Hamlet Court Manor. It doesn’t look like it now, as many of the original features have been replaced by modernisation and of course some of the most importa ..read more

Margaret Raymond Florist – an Aladdin’s Cave of beautiful treasures In case you haven’t heard, we’ve got a little shop. And we are so excited that we will be able to reopen our doors with the rest of the “non essential shops” in the UK on April 12th! We took over Margaret Raymond Florist, a little shop in Westcliff-on-Sea, just before lockdown started. It is a small traditional florist, offering bespoke floristry and arrangements for events large and small –  from a token bouquet that says “I’m thinking of you” to a funeral arrangement or wedding. We are honoured to be working with t ..read more

Sending you a sunshiney hello as we wave goodbye to the summer holidays! Only three days left until school starts again, which I can hardly believe. I’ve taken a much-needed social media break over the summer because, as much as I am a soapmaker and a business owner, I’m also a mum and a daughter and a wife. I think having small children gives us the perfect excuse to reign things in a little and focus on sending out your lovely orders, making soaps, and getting things all ship-shape for the craziness of the festive season that is heading our way shortly! As a by-the-by, I was also on BBC Radi ..read more