Meet the Maker: Isle Soap Co

Hi Eloise, how would you describe your work to someone discovering it for the first time? 

Our soaps are lovingly produced in small batches to ensure skin kindness. We use nature’s best ingredients to provide quality, alongside environmental awareness.

What inspired the idea of setting up your business – how did Isle Soap Co come to be? 

As parents we were getting more conscious of the products we were using on the skin of our three young children. As a result we moved to some recognised brands but realised through our skills that we could produce these ourselves to the benefit of all. 

Where did the name come from? 

The name is linked to the village of production and where we live called Sutton In The Isle. It also refers to the Isle Of Ely, our local cathedral city.  

What did you both do before setting up your business? 

I’m a creative with a background in photography whilst David is a trained health and safety professional. 

Where do you find creative inspiration?  

Our creative inspiration comes mainly from the nature surrounding us, our customers requirements and the usual trial and error! 

What is the ethos behind your business, or the values that are a focus for you?

Using plant based, natural ingredients and remaining customer focused.

Could you describe a typical working day? 

After the walk to school with our twins we will discuss any key tasks of the day and then disappear into our soap kitchen to commence production in line with our schedule. Market  days involve an early start for the family with one of us setting up the stall and selling face to face to the public.  

Can you tell us a little about your making process? 

We use the traditional cold process soap production method, using solid butters and liquid oils blended with essential oils and botanicals to create individual soaps which are cut and  hand stamped before curing.  

Is there an element of your work that you love the most? 

It has to be the cutting of the soap as I find it incredibly relaxing!

How valuable is the online community to your work? 

The online soap makers community is invaluable in its knowledge and willingness to support each other technically, benefiting both us and other small businesses. Our website  is also a valuable income stream for us with social media channels enabling us to promote our products and to communicate with customers where to find us on market days. 

Do you enjoy working as an independent – what are the joys, and what  are the challenges? 

Absolutely, one of the main advantages for us is the flexibility it gives us to work around our children and to be in charge of our own time. We feel it’s a real privilege to be able to walk them to and from school and also to be there for important events in their life. The challenges centre around juggling family life and running a small but demanding business and also meeting the needs of our customers from a product perspective.  

How do you approach your own marketing and PR? 

We rely mainly on social media but most importantly aim for positive word of mouth  recommendations. Having a regular pitch at our local market in Ely is also really helpful in ensuring we remain a part of the community.  

What have been your business highlights so far? 

Scaling our product range has been a great highlight and with the support of all our customers being able to remain a consistent presence at the markets and as a business into our 4th year.  

What’s one thing people would be surprised you do in your job? 

People are always surprised about the legislation we need to work to – that we have an  independent chemist assess and report on each and every one of our products and scent variations before production to ensure customer safety and also that we have to notify the  government of each product, its formulation and packaging variations. 

Do you have any creative pastimes or hobbies? 

Photography is still a passion of mine. We also love camping, van life and going on adventures with our children as a family.  

What does the next year hold for you? 

We are currently working on soaps for Christmas 2024 with new scents being launched on the 1st October.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS

Describe your work in three words: Aromatic, natural, kind

What are your creating rituals? The morning school walk offers time to think and reflect. We meet monthly for breakfast to brainstorm new ideas (an excuse for breakfast really!) Disturbing each other routinely throughout the day with ideas/thoughts is also commonplace! 

Tea or coffee? Coffee 

Mountains or sea? Sea 

Night owl or early bird? Night owl

Islesoapco.com

@islesoapco