Pipestone Soaps

Goats Milk - Lavender

I stumbled across Pipestone Soaps on Facebook, of all places, while I was browsing around for Canadian-made products I could feature on this blog.  Made in Alberta, these soaps are clearly made by someone who enjoys their work.  If you follow them on Facebook you will see new "flavours" every couple of days, such as Vanilla Mint, Dragon Tree, Sweet Orange Chili Pepper, Citrus Lavender, Maple Walnut Fudge, Toffee Apple Crunch (are you drooling yet?).  I ordered 5 or 6 bars (was able to justify this by allocating most as gifts...) and when my package arrived I sure was surprised and thrilled to find the bars I ordered, all individually wrapped with care in tissue paper, along with a bunch of samples, some solid perfume sticks, and even some candy treats (which were a big hit with the husband).  Apparently there are different samples and/or treats in all her packages, which is great because you get to try out new soap scents/types in small doses, to help you decide what you might want in your next order.  You can also see the eco-friendly packaging, as my soaps were shipped in a sturdy, repurposed Raysbestos Brake Pads box. 

After I opened the package...here are all the little treats!

Don't let the packaging fool you though, the master chef at Pipestone Soaps certainly knows her stuff.  The soaps are a generous 4.5oz (or more) and will last a long time (particularly if they are kept dry between uses, such as in a soap dish that allows the water from the bar to drain off).  They are made from scratch with "Sustainable Premium Raw Ingredients such as Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Castor Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter..." and soaps are available in all-natural, or as I mentioned above, many wonderful scents and combinations.  The bars are about an inch thick, and slightly larger than my palm, and the soap is marvelously dense and lathers up smoothly and quickly.  It rinses clean and leaves just the lightest scent on your hands.  In this season of colds, colds, and more colds, I am wiping three noses on a regular basis, and as you can imagine, washing my hands ALL THE TIME.  I find the Pipestone Soaps do not dry out my hands like some of the more common antibacterial pump soaps do, and it's nice to know that they are not full of all kinds of unpronounceable ingredients.

Goats Milk - Toasted Marshmallow

I have been using a sample of Berry Breeze in the shower for a few weeks now, and although it sits alongside the manly bar of Zest, I am noticing that even my husband seems to prefer using the Pipestone Soaps bar (as the Zest is just not getting any smaller...).  I also have a sample of the Nutcracker in my kitchen, and a full size "Monkey Farts" in the kids bathroom.  This is a really cute "kids" soap, it's got a flower shape in the middle and a creamy light colored soap around it.  The smell is fresh, clean, and kid-friendly, and I feel great about even washing my 7 month old baby with it.  If I had to make one suggestion it would be that this soap be cut smaller to better suit little kid hands...my 4 year old has a hard time picking up the big 4.5oz bar and it often gets dropped into the bottom of the sink (where I quickly snatch it out and put it back on the soap dish, no one wants a drowned soap!)

Toddler-size your soap!

*UPDATE* It turns out that Pipestone Soaps has a suggestion/fix for this - since these soaps are homemade they can be cut at home (unlike storebought soaps which tend to flake & crack...).  So if you would like to make guest size soaps, toddler size soaps, or just cut your bars smaller (so you can switch them up more often) all you need is a cutting board and a sharp knife!  Like so: 

One thing I should mention is that she also makes Goats Milk soaps, they are a bit pricier ($1 extra per bar) but they are supposed to be incredible and moisturizing for your skin.  I haven't had a chance to try my Goats Milk bar yet but I hope to break it out soon!

If you would like to find out more about Pipestone Soaps, check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PipestoneSoaps (but beware, seeing pictures in your feed of their gorgeous soaps may make you want to buy all kinds of them...)  Their prices are $5.50 for a regular bar, $6.50 for a Goats Milk bar, plus shipping of course, unless you are local.  If you stay tuned to their Facebook page you might even get lucky and catch a sale or 1/2 price shipping event...