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Suds it up with a local bar of soap made with nourishing ingredients that can moisturize and soothe your skin in any season.
By Alicia McGowan, Sabrina Sucato, and Matt Moment
Why buy soap from the grocery store when you can get an affordable, all-natural, homemade bar made right here in the Hudson Valley? From Albany to Westchester, talented artisans mold the sweetest smelling suds from eco-friendly, locally sourced ingredients like goat milk and honey. As a bonus, these natural bars are often ideal alternatives for individuals with allergies and sensitive skin.
Natural soaps are often made from oil, water, and lye, simple ingredients that are made unique with the addition of essential oils and herbs. No matter which scent you gravitate toward, you’ll find everything from serene shea butter and luscious jasmine to comforting milk and honey from the Hudson Valley’s soap makers.
The Bath Bar
Thanks to The Bath Bar’s uniquely scented soaps, your kids will finally look forward to bath time. Trick them into the tub with cotton candy and rainbow soaps that brighten any bath. For little ones who won’t get clean without a toy in the water, bring the fun with blocks shaped like mermaid tails and sheep. If you want a grown-up version for yourself, meanwhile, lather up with blue agave-, cucumber-, and matcha-scented soaps.
Hudson Valley Bee
All the raw honey in Hudson Valley Bee’s soaps comes from multiflora foraged in the area. The ingredients in the soaps are organic and melded together in a traditional cold process method, during which liquid soap is poured into boxes to mold and then cure for a month in fresh air. As for which scents to pick up, you’ll buzz over milk and honey, calendula and honey, and lavender and honey, all of which are blended with pure beeswax.
Hudson Valley Skin Care
Find Hudson Valley Skin Care’s face and lip treats, soaps, lotions, soy candles, and hair products stocked all over farms and shops across the Valley. The brand’s mission is to create natural and luxurious products at affordable prices. Test goat milk soaps like honey ale, which contains shea butter, coconut butter, and olive oil, or oatmeal stout with oatmeal, orange peel, butterscotch, and vanilla.
Opal & Amber Soap
Opal & Amber makes its bars with the intention of leaving everyone’s skin oh so soft. The free spirit soap blends water, olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, sodium hydroxide, avocado oil, castor oil, patchouli and orange essential oils, and red Moroccan clay. It’s perfect for unwinding after a long day.
Periwinkles at Rhinebeck
With everything from Cabernet Sauvignon loofa soap to lilac soap, Periwinkles brings the fun to bath and shower time in Rhinebeck. The mother-and-daughter duo behind the brand makes all-natural products like bath fizzies, lip balm, body wash, and soft lotion. If you’re looking for a floral bar that makes your skin feel like velvet, try the lavender soap with organic ingredients like olive oil and shea butter.
Rad Soap Co.
When Sue Kerber tried to find a natural solution for her son’s eczema in 2009, she had no idea that her kitchen experiment would expand to an Albany storefront. As far as aesthetics go, each bar of Rad soap comes inside beautifully designed wrapping covered in art and illustrations. Soaps at the shop range from the kryptonite bar, infused with reishi mushroom extractions and matcha tea, to the moon rock bar, which features a mix of activated charcoal and black currant oil.
SallyeAnder
After Gary Austin’s son broke out from an allergic reaction to a grocery store soap, Austin made it his mission to create an all-natural alternative that would soothe skin without compromising on quality. To do so, he relied upon essential oils and edible ingredients instead of the chemicals found in mass-produced beauty bars. Nowadays, the business continues to thrive online and in its Beacon storefront, where it also stocks face masks, lip balms, and grooming products. For sensitive skin, try SallyeAnder’s bestselling blueberry orange soap, which features organic blueberries, orange and tangerine essential oils, and olive oil.
Smellz Good
Goat milk soap can help nourish skin, kill acne bacteria, and help skin irritation, which is why Smellz Good features it front and center in its sudsy recipe. The Hudson Valley brand’s varieties include honey almond, lavender, lemongrass, oatmeal and honey, patchouli, sandalwood, and charcoal. Soap isn’t the only thing the company does, however. Its online shop also stocks room and body sprays, bug spray, bath fizz bombs, and lotions. All products are paraben- and sulfate–free and can also be found in locations across the Hudson Valley.
Related: Get Glowing With These Skincare Tips From Hudson Valley Experts
