About us...
The Kingston Soap Company is based in Kingston, Ontario and has been producing soap and bath products since 2008.
The desire to create our own soap came from a trip in 2003 to Provence in France. On a warm October morning we ventured into the town of Vaison La Romaine to see their market. We were amazed at the variety of stalls selling everything from fabric to food. We stopped at one stall that sold soap. Not just one or two varieties but dozens of different types were spread out in front of us. Types that we had never seen before such as Herbes de Provence. Lavender flowers, Herbs and Spices could be seen dotted throughout the bar. This was the inspiration for our soaps and how we now have over 50 types (and growing...).
A lot of the inspiration for our products comes from the Mediterranean joie de vivre and traditional Provencal techniques to create natural products. Journeys of discovery have nurtured our range of products to grow while they continue to focus on traditional practices and are made possible by working with committed suppliers who set rigorous standards for authenticity. Many of our products are created from ancient recipes from Provence with their age old techniques and use of olive oil, lavender and herbs forming the basis of their incredible creations.
Our company and brand are based on strong values that respect the environment. Where possible essential oils are used over fragrance oils. However, the extraction of some essential oils (E.G. Sandalwood) are harming the environment, so in these cases we turn to fragrance oils to make the correct choice. When we do have to use a fragrance oil we ensure that it is phalate and paraben free. We strive to use natural ingredients in all our product formulas. The journey our company is taking is a fascinating, never ending learning experience.
We specialize in Castile Soap (true Castile soap is made with olive oil as the only oil) and other olive oil based products. The majority of our soaps are low fragrance (or have none at all). This is due to the fact that we realize that there are many places that are scent free and many people prefer to have a lower scented product. Olive Oil soap is a low lathering soap, but very gentle on the skin and leaves the skin soft and glowing. Olive oil also has some benefits for the skin. Goat's Milk soap is incredibly moisturizing and has a richer lather. We have added some soaps that use fragrance oils. Some essential oils such as lemon or orange often fail to hold their scent in cold process soap whereas a fragrance oil has been formulated to withstand the saponification process. We only use fragrance oils that are paraben and phalate free and are 100% skin safe. Our glycerin soaps are the highest lathering soaps that we create and allow for brightly coloured creations that can be manipulated to look like cupcakes or can hold slices of loofah in a vividly coloured transparent soap.
One common question we often receive is how we make our soap. We take good quality olive oil (grade A) and combine it with a lye water solution. All measurements are very carefully weighed to a tenth of a ounce. After mixing by hand this turns into a pudding like consistency which we then add essential or fragrance oils to as well as colour and sometimes herbs and spices. We then pour this into our custom handmade molds (maybe adding swirls of colour or other special effects) and then let science take its course. Over the next 24 hours the soap goes through saponification where the oil, water and lye change into two products - Soap and Glycerin. A lot of commercial soap makers take the glycerin out of their soap which can lead to a soap that makes the skin dry. Handcrafted soap makers leave the glycerin in their soap to make a bar that is very good for the skin. During the saponification process the soap mixture can heat up to very high temperatures. Once the soap has gone through the saponification process, we take the soap out of the molds and hand cut it into bars that weigh roughly 4oz/115g. The soap must now sit and cure for at least 4 weeks, but we like to give it a couple of extra weeks to ensure a good quality, hard, long lasting bar has been created for you. After curing the soap is wrapped and then brought to market to be sold. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) must be used in soap making. It is the alkaline base that is required to turn oils into soap. It neutralizes completely out of the soap during curing and is not present in the final bar of soap. The final bar of soap is actually a type of salt.
The desire to create our own soap came from a trip in 2003 to Provence in France. On a warm October morning we ventured into the town of Vaison La Romaine to see their market. We were amazed at the variety of stalls selling everything from fabric to food. We stopped at one stall that sold soap. Not just one or two varieties but dozens of different types were spread out in front of us. Types that we had never seen before such as Herbes de Provence. Lavender flowers, Herbs and Spices could be seen dotted throughout the bar. This was the inspiration for our soaps and how we now have over 50 types (and growing...).
A lot of the inspiration for our products comes from the Mediterranean joie de vivre and traditional Provencal techniques to create natural products. Journeys of discovery have nurtured our range of products to grow while they continue to focus on traditional practices and are made possible by working with committed suppliers who set rigorous standards for authenticity. Many of our products are created from ancient recipes from Provence with their age old techniques and use of olive oil, lavender and herbs forming the basis of their incredible creations.
Our company and brand are based on strong values that respect the environment. Where possible essential oils are used over fragrance oils. However, the extraction of some essential oils (E.G. Sandalwood) are harming the environment, so in these cases we turn to fragrance oils to make the correct choice. When we do have to use a fragrance oil we ensure that it is phalate and paraben free. We strive to use natural ingredients in all our product formulas. The journey our company is taking is a fascinating, never ending learning experience.
We specialize in Castile Soap (true Castile soap is made with olive oil as the only oil) and other olive oil based products. The majority of our soaps are low fragrance (or have none at all). This is due to the fact that we realize that there are many places that are scent free and many people prefer to have a lower scented product. Olive Oil soap is a low lathering soap, but very gentle on the skin and leaves the skin soft and glowing. Olive oil also has some benefits for the skin. Goat's Milk soap is incredibly moisturizing and has a richer lather. We have added some soaps that use fragrance oils. Some essential oils such as lemon or orange often fail to hold their scent in cold process soap whereas a fragrance oil has been formulated to withstand the saponification process. We only use fragrance oils that are paraben and phalate free and are 100% skin safe. Our glycerin soaps are the highest lathering soaps that we create and allow for brightly coloured creations that can be manipulated to look like cupcakes or can hold slices of loofah in a vividly coloured transparent soap.
One common question we often receive is how we make our soap. We take good quality olive oil (grade A) and combine it with a lye water solution. All measurements are very carefully weighed to a tenth of a ounce. After mixing by hand this turns into a pudding like consistency which we then add essential or fragrance oils to as well as colour and sometimes herbs and spices. We then pour this into our custom handmade molds (maybe adding swirls of colour or other special effects) and then let science take its course. Over the next 24 hours the soap goes through saponification where the oil, water and lye change into two products - Soap and Glycerin. A lot of commercial soap makers take the glycerin out of their soap which can lead to a soap that makes the skin dry. Handcrafted soap makers leave the glycerin in their soap to make a bar that is very good for the skin. During the saponification process the soap mixture can heat up to very high temperatures. Once the soap has gone through the saponification process, we take the soap out of the molds and hand cut it into bars that weigh roughly 4oz/115g. The soap must now sit and cure for at least 4 weeks, but we like to give it a couple of extra weeks to ensure a good quality, hard, long lasting bar has been created for you. After curing the soap is wrapped and then brought to market to be sold. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) must be used in soap making. It is the alkaline base that is required to turn oils into soap. It neutralizes completely out of the soap during curing and is not present in the final bar of soap. The final bar of soap is actually a type of salt.
