Made in Saint Louis Herbaria Soap
On a sunny day, I decided to explore a local business—made in Saint Louis Herbaria Soap. I headed to “The Hill,” the St. Louis neighborhood known for its Italian-American roots. In a neighborhood of Italian groceries and restaurants, it’s hard to miss Herbaria’s soap-filled storefront. But, if you happen to miss it, just follow your nose to the sweet soapy smells!
Herbaria Storefront
A Tour of Made in Saint Louis Herbaria Soap
On any day, you may be lucky enough, as I was, to meet one of Herbaria’s business partners. Founded by LaRee DeFreece and Ken Gilberg, LaRee made the soap for herself, and Ken asked if he could sell it. Two additional partners, Melissa, my tour guide, and her husband Blake have been at Herbaria for seven of its 17 years of life.
If you get a chance to take a Free Factory Tour, you can see the various stages of soapmaking.
Soap Drying on the Racks (& a “Giant” Soap Display)
It takes about a month to craft the soap—from stirring to drying to packaging.
Packaging the Soap
Beautiful, Beautiful Soap
Herbaria packages their natural soaps minimally and sustainably. In person, you can smell the bars to find your favorites before you buy. In addition to bars, Herbaria crafts shampoo, shaving solutions, moisturizers, insect repellent soaps, bath bombs, and even soap for dogs.
Buying online or assembling a gift basket? Stock up and get free shipping on orders of $49 or more (and free bars based on how many you buy!). If you’re not sure what soap to choose, try the smaller Cuties bars to find your favorites.
Made in St. Louis Herbaria Soap: So Many Fragrant Choices!
How It’s Made (and Who Makes It)
All Herbaria soaps are free of added fragrances. As noted on the FAQ:
All of our scents come from essential oils obtained from plants.
Read more about Herbaria’s promises:
Herbaria employs about three full-time staff. In addition, the store’s “Customer Service Specialist” is a shop dog named, aptly, Soapy. Soapy has her own line of soap made for pets. She’s featured prominently on the company website. Be sure to look for Soapy’s photo blog of the city including glamour shots with two St. Louis mayors.
Soapy, “Customer Service Specialist”
After all that, I guess it’s not surprising that Soapy has her own business card. She deserves it!
Soapy’s Business Card
My Favorite Herbaria Soaps & More Made in USA Gifts
I’ve purchased Herbaria soaps online, at Whole Foods in St. Louis, and now in the store. My favorites are typically citrus based as they smell like waking up in the morning!
- May Chang Soap
- Avocado Lemon Soap (seriously exfoliating)
- Citrus Oatmeal Soap (again, seriously exfoliating)
Please share your favorite Herbaria soap in the comments! Then, when you’re done ordering your Herbaria soaps for yourself, family, and friends, shop more American-made items from the Buying American Blog’s Made in USA List. Or, read about Why I Buy American.
