A Brown family business in Tipp City, Living Simply Soap handmakes cold-process soaps and skin-care products rooted in Tanya Brown’s 2004 homemade-soap experiment. After developing its formulas with family and friends, the company introduced its soaps at the local farmers market in 2007 and opened a shop in a historic downtown building in 2011. Its olive-oil-based soaps retain conditioning glycerin and are made without chemical additives, reflecting the family’s old-fashioned, make-it-yourself approach.
SoapyFluffsSoapyFluffs makes grass-fed tallow soaps and other small-batch body-care goods by hand in Hamilton, Ohio. Each bar is hand-poured, cut and cured for at least two weeks, using a traditional process the company chose after finding commercial soaps too drying and irritating. The mission extends beyond the studio: 3% of every order supports Wolf Creek Habitat & Rescue, a USDA-licensed wolf sanctuary in Brookville, Indiana.HAMILTON, OH
Becky’s Buckeye NaturalsFrom Troy, Ohio, Becky’s Buckeye Naturals makes handmade skincare and body-care products in small batches using natural ingredients, including locally sourced materials whenever possible. The shop is especially distinctive for its solid shampoo bars and simple Bastille soap, made with saponified oils, shea butter, and essential oils. Its products are sold across the United States and at area farmers markets.
Harvest Hills Skin Care, LLCHarvest Hills Skin Care makes handcrafted goat-milk soaps and natural skin-care products from fresh milk produced by its dairy goats in Wooster, Ohio. The business began making goat-milk skin care in 2000 and still prepares its products from scratch in small batches, using simple ingredients and essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances. Its packaging choices also reflect an effort to reduce waste, with plastic-free soap wrapping and recyclable containers for creams and lotions.WOOSTER, OH
KB White FarmAfter trading city life for a 16½-acre farm in 2014, a family of five turned homegrown ingredients into KB White Farm, a Conesus maker of handmade, small-batch soaps and natural body-care goods. The business began with teas and a few soaps in 2017, inspired by a wish to avoid waste and offer the family healthier products, and has since grown to include a farm store and market booths. Its bar soaps include vegan, cruelty-free options made without phthalates, parabens, SLS or SLES.CONESUS, NY