USA: VERMONT SOAPWORKS LAUNCHES NEW SOAPORGANICS SERVICE
March 26, 2003
Vermont Soapworks is once again leading the way in the
personal care industry. The company has announced that
it has been certified as a U.S. Department of Agriculture
organic processing facility. The Northeast Organic Farmers
Association (NOFA) is the certifying agency. Vermont Soapworks
is a boutique Private Label manufacturer of cold process
bar soaps, castile liquid soaps, shower gels and non-toxic
specialty cleaners. "We have been using organic ingredients
in our natural soap products since we started in 1992,"
notes Founder and President Larry Plesent.
The National Organic Program regulations issued in October
2002 established some important ground rules for organic
claims. "We are active in lobbying for meaningful
organic standards for the personal care industry,"
says Plesent. "It is important to distinguish the
companies that are truly natural from those making natural
claims that may be hard to substantiate," he adds.
Due to the recent explosion of consumer interest in organic
products, being among the first soap companies to obtain
certification may well be a tremendous business opportunity
for the Middlebury, Vermont-based company. "We will
be making organic soap products under our brand name as
well as for private labels," says Plesent.
Vermont Soapworks and the Green Products Alliance, a non-profit
organization co-founded by Plesent, are playing a key role
in the establishment of firm guidelines for what "organic"
means in the personal care industry. In the meantime, Vermont
Soapworks is one of the few companies that have achieved
certification under the existing NOP and will be able to
legally market its soap products as being "made with
organic ingredients." Regardless of the organic certification,
Vermont Soapworks bar soaps are a remarkable high-quality
product. "Our bar soaps are mild and moisturizing
due to the use of botanical ingredients, and to the handmade
process itself," notes Plesent. "It takes a month
to make and cure a bar of handmade soap," he adds.
Natural plant-based ingredients and an alkaline solution
are blended in small batches and poured into wooden block
molds.
The molds are warmed for several days, which forces the
soap to set up very slowly. Excess alkali, a major cause
of the dryness and irritation often found in conventional
bar soaps, rises to the top like cream and is skimmed away.
The soap is then aged in a special curing room for nearly
a month. "This is the mildest way to make a bar of
soap," says Plesent. Vermont Soapworks has grown from
a kitchen-size operation in 1992 to the largest manufacturer
of handmade natural soap in North America. Sales at Vermont
Soapworks have increased steadily every year.
The company now has 22 employees and has sold product in
43 countries under more than 40 in-house and private labels.
The factory and outlet store have been upgraded and product
lines have been expanded to include natural liquid soaps,
bath gels, a groundbreaking Yoga Mat Wash and aromatherapy
products. Later this year, the company is unveiling a unique
interactive soap museum along with expanded factory tours.
The origin of Vermont Soapworks is just as uncanny as the
company's meteoric growth over the past decade.
Plesent started the company after experiencing severe skin
problems from detergents used by his window washing company.
"I enjoyed the excitement of window washing,"
notes Plesent. "But the rashes and irritation on my
skin were unbearable, that was when I began researching
healthy alternatives for myself, and the many people like
me that are sensitive to detergents and synthetic ingredients
in so many products." The company follows a strict
definition of "natural." Vermont Soapworks products
are made from natural and organic vegetable and botanical
sources such as: palm, coconut, and olive oils; liquid aloe;
oats; exotic oils; and essential oils in aromatherapy blends.
The products are free of artificial colors, fragrances,
preservatives, and animal by-products and they are not tested
on animals. To learn more visit http://www.vermontsoap.com
Vermont Soapworks has played a key role in the formation
of The Green Products Alliance, a non-profit marketing and
distribution organization for natural personal care businesses.
The Green Products Alliance is advocating for healthy national
organic guidelines for personal care products, helps educate
consumers about natural products, and works to reduce costs
through group buying power. For more information about
the Green Products Alliance, visit http://www.greenproductsalliance.com
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