Hockerton soap business Soapology receives national Beauty Shortlist Award
A soap business is lathering in success after receiving national recognition.
Soapology received a commendation in this year’s Beauty Shortlist Awards for its Sweet Dreams and Pink Lemonade shampoo bars.
Founder Emma Grosse said: “It’s wonderful that our shampoo bars are getting recognised for their fantastic properties. It has been an amazing few months for us.”
The business moved to its new premises on Hockerton Moor Enterprise Park, Hockerton, in December last year and continues to grow.
“The new workshop is three times bigger than our last space and has given us the space we need to grow the business further in 2022,” Emma said.
Soapology also took on a new staff member at the end of 2021, which has allowed it to fulfil larger orders and upscale its production system by introducing more equipment, such as bigger moulds and soap cutters.
The business offers monthly group soap-making courses, where each student makes a year’s supply of soap to take home with them on the day.
“The courses are very popular, I’ve taught over 400 people and it never gets boring,” said Emma.
“I love meeting the students and sharing my knowledge with them at the start of their soap-making journey.
“The students always leave fantastic feedback and thoroughly enjoy themselves whilst at the studio.
“Soap-making is a bit like baking and the practical part of the workshop is always exciting.”
Each bar of handmade soap is hand poured using the traditional cold process soap-making technique using natural oils and butters and a chemical reaction called saponification.
Emma has been running Soapology for over a decade, with the business currently experiencing a significant period of growth.
“We trade at small markets throughout the year but this year, we are taking a leap into the larger shows beginning with the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in May and Burghley Horse Trials later in the year in September,” she said.
“These larger shows are very exciting for us and allow us to reach much larger numbers of potential customers and let them know about our brand.
“Soapology is all about introducing people to the world of soap, switching to bar soap and solid shampoo/conditioner bars is a good thing for the environment.
“We love to offer people a way to reduce their plastic consumption by showing them that solid products, such as bar soaps, are wonderful for the skin and you just don’t need the excess packaging that come with shower gels and shampoos in plastic bottles.”
The company also made their television debut on BBC’s Bargain Hunt recently when Emma gave presenter Charlie Ross a lesson in the history of soap making.
