Scrub a Dub With These Homemade Hudson Valley Soaps

Suds it up with a local bar that lasts far longer than your grocery store go-to.

Adobe Stock / makistock

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 herbsNo 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. 

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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 honeyall of which are blended with pure beeswax. 

Happy Friday!!! Do something nice for yourself this weekend!

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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 pricesTest 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.

So, I’m a little late to the #marchmeetthemaker challenge, but makers are BUSY… so I’m doing days 1-3 all in one . So first things first… my favorite to make which is hard to choose but since Mom’s Garden was my first success, the first to make it into the O&A lineup before there was even a lineup, and because it’s scented with two of my favorite things, lemon and lavender – Mom’s Garden takes the crown 👑 . How did I start? I get this question a lot and I never know how to answer. I was looking for a creative outlet (another one – I tried MANY before soapmaking and none of them stuck). When I stumbled upon soapmaking, I loved the idea that i could make something creatively and then actually use it every single day. And the fact that I could make something I could use that would be better for me and my skin was icing on the cake . And lastly, this is my best attempt at a #flatlay . There you have it! Caught up on the first three days. Happy Sunday, friends! . #meetthemaker #opalandambersoap #momsgarden

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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. 

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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 teato 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 qualityTo 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 recipeThe 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 sulfatefree and can also be found in locations across the Hudson Valley. 

Related: Get Glowing With These Skincare Tips From Hudson Valley Experts

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