10 years of SARAH'S SOAPS!

From 2013 all the way to 2023, so much has happened - we are celebrating all the small things (+ big), milestones, accomplishments + more on this walk down memory lane!

    WOW... WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?    

I can hardly believe that we are celebrating one whole decade of SARAH'S SOAPS! From a passion project that we started way back in 2013 in our parents basement, fast forwarding to 2023 where we now ship North America wide, having been featured in worldwide publications, news articles and so much more in between. It's been a decade filled with radiant skin, healing botanicals + countless moments of self-care. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and celebrate this incredible milestone. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support!

For our 2023 birthday celebration campaign, a % of every order placed during our 10th Birthday Sale goes towards native reforestation planting in Ontario forests. Donations are being made to: OneTreePlanted.Org

 

2013: Where it all began...

I started crafting different bars of soap in my parent's kitchen. I fell in love with blending aromatics, colour ways + formulas.  In September of 2013, we officially sold our first bar of soap! I still remember that feeling - it was so incredible to witness someone treasuring something that you have crafted with your own hands. Little did we know where this journey would take us...

 

2014: Getting started

In 2014, we attended our very first craft market - we could hardly believe how supportive our local community was. Our set-up looked a little different back then, and so did our products... We slowly introduced serums, salves, lip butters + bath salts. Clearly, we were hooked on natural skincare. This is when our original formulas for BUTT NAKED and FACIAL PHILTER soaps were crafted. 

 

2015: Crafting the classics

The year we released everyone's favourite CALENDULA + PLANTAIN salve! At the time, it was called repair salve, which we then rebranded to reflect all of the powerful botanicals in this formula. To this day, this formula remains the same! We were nominated for a St. Catharines Arts Award, alongside many other incredibly talented makers + artists and donated over 1000 pieces of personal care products to our community through our SOAP DRIVE! 

 

2016: A year of growth

This year brought quite a few exciting ventures for SS - from pop-ups in Lululemon + The Bay, to rebranding our salves to be in our popular aluminum tins and crafting our first round of custom favours. We accepted many new + exiting stockists from Hamilton to Toronto + Alberta! We participated in the most amount of markets + pop-ups to date all over the Niagara Region and the GTA. 

 

2017: A fresh new look

The year we rebranded to a fresh new look for all of our products + website! We began refining our product line + creating a cohesive brand - this is when our classic black + white labels with our recognizable black bar came to fruition. We took place in our very first HandMade Market, which continues to be one of our favourite markets! We released our WILD SPRUCE + WHITE PINE salve, creating our fourth salve in our collection. 

 

2018: Shipping North America wide

2018 was a big year for us - we opened up our online shop North America wide + began shipping our goods all over Canada and The USA. After many, many months of formulating + developing, we finally released our SAGE + CHARCOAL deodorant in our compostable tubes, which as become a staple for many of our customers! This was the first year that HandMade Market Holiday was hosted at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre, making it our largest market to date.

 

2019: The year of DIY's

We were so excited to host our very first workshop where over 15 of you came to craft your very own custom, herbal bath soaks - since they were such a hit, we hosted so many more after that! Another fan favourite collaboration was brought to life... massage candles! This innovative product that not only warms your space, but nourishes the body was released and we quickly sold out at our markets.  

 

 

2020: This year looked a little different...

The year the pandemic hit looked so different than the past: we were market-less for the first time in 7 years. Thinking on our feet, we decided to run a monthly Virtual Craft Collective market with our fellow small business friends + because of all of you, they were a great success. Our online store was the busiest it has ever been! It made us so happy to see our bar soaps travelling all over North America during this trying time for everyone. 

 

2021: ...and we're back!

After a whole year away from in person markets that we missed so much, we finally took part in our first market since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Although markets looked a little different, we were so happy to be back!  Your support as we returned to market season was nothing short of amazing, and we were so grateful to be back doing what we love the most. 2021 was a year of pivoting + learning many new things for our small business.

 

2022: Our hardest year

The toughest year that we experienced - the year started off with a devastating fire where we lost our display, products + so much more. [ READ HERE ]  We bounced back after months of hard work + with the support of our community. We released our much loved WILD BERRY BALM that quickly became a staple product for many. Even though our display looked a little different this market season, we were present in the craft community + ended the year much better than it started.

 

2023: A whole decade later

10 WHOLE YEARS OF SARAH'S SOAPS! From our worldwide feature in Willow & Sage Magazine, to winning a 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award, to hosting our 10 year business celebration, 2023 has been an absolutely incredible year for us. We can hardly believe that we have been crafting plant based skincare for the past decade, sharing it with all of you. 

  

 

   LOOKING BACK...   

We're incredibly proud of what we've accomplished together. From winning awards, to expanding our product line, every milestone has been a testament to our commitment to natural skincare.

But our proudest achievement of all is the community we've built. Your support and loyalty have been the driving force behind our success, and we can't thank you enough.

 

   AS WE ENTER OUR SECOND DECADE   

We're more excited than ever to continue innovating and bringing you the best in natural skincare + we have so many exciting surprises to come in the years ahead!

But above all, we promise to remain true to our roots. Our commitment to using natural ingredients, sustainable practices, and cruelty-free formulations will always be at the heart of everything we do. Because when you choose our products, you're not just choosing great skincare – you're choosing a happier, healthier planet. Cheers to the next decade!