Review of Vermont Soap, based in Middlebury, VT (a location chosen due to its proximity to a hydroelectric dam where they get their power). From their website: “We make 100% natural and non-toxic alternatives to the chemical based personal care products now in general use. Our products are so natural, they’re certified to USDA organic food standards by Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF)”
All products have very minimal ingredient lists, something I value greatly. I’ve done reviews for other lines that are indeed using safe, even organic ingredients, but even then I don’t like to see paragraph-long ingredient labels. Less in more; simpler is better, in my opinion. We use so many products daily that it really does make a difference what is in each & every product we use.
You can shop by product type, category or skin type. They offer a wide array of classic handmade bar soap with beautiful options such as Amethyst Swirl. Also castile liquids, shower gels, foaming handsoap, non-toxic cleaners, moisturizer/anti-aging, bath accessories, gift sets, outdoor & animal care (the world’s 1st USDA certified organic Horse Shampoo), baby care, even organic oral care (tooth salt!), 3# boxes of thirds, the list goes on & on. If it’s a product you need that is soap-based, they likely have it (I didn’t see hair care though). They have a ‘Soap of the Month” club, which would make a fabulous Holiday gift for that person you have no idea what to get—who doesn’t love a high quality, pretty, good-smelling bar of soap? They have a Bubble Bucks Rewards Program where you can earn points for every dollar you spend which you can use towards discounts. I know many people like to participate in such programs: http://vermontsoap.com/about-us/bubble-bucks-rewards-faq/.
I really enjoyed clicking around their website- they have a TON of info, and I highly encourage you to go visit it yourself & click around (link to their website at end of review). Tidbits I learned by browsing their website: none of their products contain soy, and they offer gallon (& even 5 gallon) refills of many products which is something I always love to see. I really enjoyed reading the link regarding Corporate Responsibility, which had the following info: “Vermont Soap is a different kind of company. Our job is to make yummy stuff to replace all the yucky stuff that’s been clogging up our world. Every employee has a vested interest in bringing you the highest quality, most reasonably priced, natural and organic products possible. We bring an ecological mindset to our day to day operations. Products do not appear out of a vacuum! Every raw material and ingredient is put under a microscope, literally and figuratively. And we take the same approach to the sourcing of our packaging. Vermont Soap uses materials, equipment and services produced in the US and local to us wherever feasible. Green is a process not a result. Vermont Soap is there with you on your journey toward a non-toxic work and home environment.” They also discuss their sourcing of shea butter, palm oil, tea tree oil, coconut oil & butter, all of which present individual concerns & considerations: (http://vermontsoap.com/corporate-responsibility/responsible-sourcing/), and their energy use: (http://vermontsoap.com/corporate-responsibility/hydropower-soap/)
Here’s a list of the products I was sent, their prices & ingredients, and my thoughts on them:
Foaming hand soap- Lemongrass Zen, 7 oz. $7.90. I’m a recent convert to foaming soaps, and will never, ever go back to soap any other way. This soap smells so wonderful, the Lemongrass gives it a clean and fresh but still earthy smell. It’s a wonderful soap and one pump is plenty to wash your hands. This is a product I definitely think I will be ordering once I run out!
Liquid Sunshine Zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) Cleaner: World’s FIRST certified organic ZERO-VOC surface cleaner. $7.87 16oz., gal $49., 5 gal $199. Ingredients: Super-purified water, saponified coconut, olive and jojoba oils, natural rosemary extract (preservative). This is a very concentrated product, 1 or 2 sprays provides ample soap. It has done a nice job on my stove top, counters, fridge, anything I could need a soapy spray for. I have really, really enjoyed having it around! It is so nice being able to spray a few squirts here & there and do some cleaning while I am wearing my 2 month old in her carrier & have no concerns for the fumes she & I are inhaling!
Baby shampoo/wash- 9.98 8oz pump bottle- Saponified Organic Oils of Coconut, Olive & Jojoba, Vegetable Gum / Glycerin Extract, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Rosemary Extract. This is not a foaming soap, but you could certainly put it in a foaming pump bottle if you had an extra one. This is a very mild, basic soap with no unnecessary extras which is exactly what I want in a baby soap when I use one. I honestly don’t use soap all that often on my toddler, and have never used it on my 2 month old, but it’s nice to have this bottle around for the occasion that I do want to lather up my toddler after a long day outdoors!
Shea butter- pocket/purse size $3.00 They also offer a 4# bulk bucket for $49 which I think is a great deal if you need a lot of it! Shea butter, along with coconut oil, are my go-to moisturizers. I use coconut oil on a daily basis, but if I have any ‘problem’ skin (extra dry) I use shea butter. I also used it often on my growing baby belly. Shea butter is very thick & nourishing. I keep the small container they sent me next to my bed & use it as lip balm before going to sleep. As I mentioned above they provide information about how they source their shea butter from sustainable sources, which is of course very important!
They sent me 2 bar soap which retail for $5 ea. The Oatmeal Lavender is their best-seller, and I can see why. It has a delightful lavender smell, with small flecks of oatmeal throughout it. We rarely use ba soap in favor of liquid soaps, but it’s been nice to have a bar soap around again that we thoroughly enjoy using. Since we don’t use them often, it’s something my toddler really loves to soap up with in the tub. They also sent me their Aloe baby soap which has nothing but a soapy smell to it.
I thank them for sending me these products to try out & for making great, safe, effective products here in the USA! T Here are links to their website & Facebook pages for you to check out. A great way to get a feel for a company & what people think of their products is to visit the wall of their Facebook page & see what others are saying!
Website: http://vermontsoap.com/
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/VermontSoap
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 