Soap Opera:

The Genesis of Bryn Mawr Soap Company

Bryn Mawr Soap Company originated about seven years ago when Karen Soderberg and Stephen Harvey started hand-making their all-natural soaps in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood in Minneapolis. Like many other Midwesterners, Karen suffered from dry hands and desperately wanted to find a solution. "I found that handmade soaps were the most effective at resolving the problem," she explains. "But I was dissatisfied with what was available on the market because of the fragrances and dyes they use, and they were really expensive."

Luckily for her and co-op shoppers around the Twin Cities, her partner Steven is a biochemist. He told Karen that soap making involves a simple chemical composition of oils and lye and if she didn't like what was available on the market, she should make her own. After a brief chemistry lesson and some internet searching, Karen was on her way to making her affordable and all-natural soaps.

"Making a good bar of soap is kind of like making bread," says Soderberg. "It takes perseverance and you have to keep doing it once you find what works." Once friends and family started getting their hands on the handmade bars, the rewarding pastime quickly became an actual business venture.

But moving handmade products from the friends-and-family circle into the retail world isn't an easy step. Just like many beginning organic farmers in the area, she started with the Wedge Co-op. "I started selling at the Wedge about five years ago," Karen says. "I approached the manager at the time and she immediately saw the same void in the market I had, and she brought it in right away. I was really surprised."

Co-op shoppers around the Twin Cities were quick to pick up on the multiple benefits of this artisan soap. All the soaps are made without animal fats or artificial ingredients, and Karen uses nothing but essential oils for the scented varieties. Each bar stands up to the integrity that customers have come to expect of the Wedge Health and Body Care department, making Bryn Mawr soaps a staple of the department. "I've noticed that my soaps appeal to more of an urban market," she says. "[Urban consumers] focus on quality more than packaging. My soap has a nice lather and the bars last a long time."

While there are a number of different soaps available, everyone has their favorites. "I think lavender or Cedar/Sage are the most popular soaps in the co-ops," says Karen. Her personal favorite is Peppermint. "It really wakes you up in the shower, its very refreshing," says Karen. "After seven years of making these soaps, I still like waking up to them every morning."

When she's not busy with her "hobby business," Karen works full time as a public health researcher at the University of Minnesota. "My partner and I are committed to our careers, but people really like this soap so we'll keep making it."

A bar of Lavender on the bathroom sink also makes for an inviting experience for the most demanding of relatives if it's your turn to host a gathering. These soaps make very affordable presents, so you can keep the bank account in the black while giving the gift of clean and local with Bryn Mawr Soaps.