The Soap Kitchen

I have to thank my Boss/​Friend for introducing me to this fabulous place. I ran an errand for my Boss during the holidays and it was to the Soap Kitchen. I was so amazed at all the variety of scented soaps they offer and loved that they actually have the kitchen in the location. The service was amazing and so super friendly. Well, not only did I get the errand I was suppose to get but I ended up picking up several soaps for myself. They have my favorite… Sandalwood & Pachouli. The soaps are gentle on the skin, they last for weeks and the scent stays on your body all day.
Truly love this place.
Thank you Boss for introducing me to the Soap Kitchen :)!!!

For those of you who don’t know, natural soap is my jam! (hint: gifts)
My husband and I were walking through Old Town Pasadena and so happened to walk into The Soap Kitchen. My husband, who moaned and groaned as I dragged him inside, didn’t know the power of a good soap. His Ivory using self was oblivious to all the gunk put in mass produced soaps and how your body may react to the ingredients.
I, on the other hand, have to know this stuff because I have sensitive skin. And in recent years, I’ve realized that I can no longer use products with parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, protroleum, and a whole list of crap used to wash and condition the skin
. Here’s where I want you to pay close attention: when I use products with those ingredients, I have major dandruff/​oily hair and acne. I’m only saying this because a lot of people go vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, etc., but never pay attention to how those same processed ingredients are being absorbed into your body through other products, namely shampoos, conditioners, soaps, lotions and makeup. And how products like soy, parabens and sulfates take your hormones on a rollercoaster ride.
Meanwhile, walked in and was in L.O.V.E. TSK is a quaint little shop that houses soaps, oils, sponges, loofahs, and salts, all prepared by the owners on site! I was immediately intrigued with their olive oil soaps (they carry two kinds of soaps: Olive Oil based and Shea Butter based). I wondered about and finally happened to cross paths with their Black Gold
. Wrapped in active bamboo charcoal, it helps balance over active glands and control acne. I picked up two. I also picked up their Conusoapia
made with cornmeal and turmeric. Feels amazing on your body!!!
Out the corner of my eye, I could see my husband approaching, bubbling with enthusiasm about the products in his hands. I smiled, looked over and agreed that the products looked awesome (no I told you so on my lips). Got to the register and guess what?!? Free mini soap and loofah with a check-​in! Tha’ts what I call winning. The owner (Dali) also told me they were famous for lip balm. Yes, I bought that too. Feels amazing during blistery cold seasons.
Tips:
1. Go now!!!
2. Read up on natural beauty products (you too men!!!)
3. Make sure you check-​in! There may still be a free offer
4. Buy both Olive Oil and Shea Butter products to see which one you like most
5. Find them online: www​.the​soap​kitchen​.com/​s​t​o​r​e​/​p​c​/​h​o​m​e.asp

I found the business after watching an episode of local public television KCET program California’s Gold hosted by the now late Huell Howser.
My personal skin type is naturally dry and heavy detergent commercial soaps irritate that condition. I am extremely happy with the products obtained from the Soap Kitchen. They are invigorating, effective and the natural products used in the making smell amazing, not the usual mass market artificial. Do note that everything in the store is hand made which is obvious when you unwrap the product. Rustic handcraft in appearance but like a high end spa product in effectiveness. Highly recommended is the shampoo bar: just three or four swipes on your wet scalp yield a rich lather that will remove any residue buildup you may have. Soap options include shea butter and different exfoliates make for interesting combinations.
Here’s a couple of tips to make your first visit easier: The store is small, about the size of a large walk-​in closet. Visit their informative website and shop the product line and write down some notes. The store is easily accessed from the 210 Freeway and is located just north of Colorado. Parking can be tight in the area. If you don’t want to pay for a flat rate lot, drive a couple of short blocks south where you’ll see curbside meters ($ 1.25 per hour, quarters only) and take the easy stroll back to the store. Also, if you happen to catch the KCET repeat of the TV show, it is worth your time to see the owners’ soap making process and the care that goes into it. Once you get familiar with the product line mail order service is nice.
For the record, I am not the usual metro cosmetics type of guy. I work blue collar railroad, outside in all weather in a dusty grease and oil environment.. I am not the type of person that walks into Ulta, Sephora or the handbag department at Nordstrom. That being said, I really like this business and know that you will also. Highly recommended.

LOVE this place! The soaps are amazing, the owners are super friendly, and the shop itself is just lovely. Even our little boy loves stopping in — partly to smell the soaps, but mostly to pet the shop dog, Shea. :-)

I love the Soap Kitchen and how much it has helped me.
The owner is also and angle who really cares about her customer.
This place is a lifesaver, The soap here is so soothing and moisturizing, I now look forward to washing my hands. I work it a hospital and wash my hands non-​stop. I rec’d some of this soap as a gift and use it at work every time I was my hands.
It has literally saved my skin and it feels sooooooooooooo good. This place is a must, a must visit often 5 stars to the owner and thank you! Visit, purchase, then tell a friend. You won’t regret it.

I have been going to The Soap Kitchen for years after finding them on Huell Howser’s California’s Gold show. I use their tea tree oil soaps on my face as my daily cleaning ritual. They also have a lemon verbena lip balm that I love. The family that runs this store are very welcoming and I am always happy to give them my business!

The Soaps here are lovely. This is a local shop and I’d love to get the word out about them. We bought soaps here for an event and everything turned out great. Visit or stop by online.

Love these soap bars, great gift for anyone. The fact that the soap is homemade there back in their kitchen is a huge plus, so many selections always very hard to choose, I want everything!

Really love the soap collection here! I love how everything is made naturally with no harsh chemicals. They’re dog friendly too so you can easily bring your pup with you while you’re shopping around. We were here for a good 20 minutes and the strong smell of soap really gets to you after awhile so you do need a breather. They’re excellent and explaining to you the different soaps they have and what they’re good for. They’ll give you a sample as well!

Cute store. Friendly owners. Amazon soaps. It’s all I use and it’s great. Try the bar shampoo too with olive oil.

I first met the owners awhile back at the Grand Opening of the Huell Howser exhibit in Orange County. I have really sensitive skin and was assured that I would not get any allergic reactions since they use all-​natural ingredients. I bought 3 bars including the California’s Gold soap bar. I’m SO PLEASED with their soaps that I promised myself to visit their store the next time I visited Old Pasadena.
So today is my day off and I decided to drive up to Pasadena from San Diego. I remembered to stop by their store and was greeted by their adorable (and very well-​behaved) pooch Shea Butter. The owners — super nice people! The store itself also greets you with a blissful, refreshing scent with all those natural soaps on display. Don’t come here in a rush if this is your first visit.
After taking my sweet time smelling all the soaps, I bought 5 bars this time and was given a sample, plus I redeemed the Unilocal offer for a free travel-​sized bar. I generally like the soaps with lavender, lemongrass, and peppermint, though I also purchased the Kahlua Coffee Bar. I may get Black Gold next time.
So I guess I’ve become quite the serious soap shopper. I know I could always order online (and there will be times I may have to), but there’s more adventure in travel. ;)
Buy their soaps!

I LOVE coming here! I also love the Lime soap it’s the best. My dog likes smelling all the soaps as well. What a great variety of soaps that are cleansing, moisturizing and just delightful :)

Came to the shop to browse, and though I ended up not purchasing anything (pricier than I expected), I was given two samples of soap. I’ve tried both samples (lavender eucalyptus w/​Shea butter & green tea verbena) and will come again next time I’m in town.
Loved how they make the soaps on the premises, and are all-​natural! Also appreciated the variety of gift packages and baskets. If you’re into floral/​herbal fragrances– eucalyptus, verbena, tea tree, lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, etc. then this store is for you!

I love the soap kitchen! The family that owns it are very kind and knowledgeable about their product. I always get a little sample from them on checkout of a soap sliver. They smell so good. I mainly go here to get the tea tree oil shave bar.
It’s true, the prices are on the more expensive side at this family owned business. It’s pushing $ 8 – 10 per bar. But, I will say that everything is made with a ton of love and lasts forever. My shave bar lasted for about a year. How many shaving cans do you go through in a year? It adds up. Here, your money is going to the community.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get to rub one of their dogs. They are sweet and beautiful.

The store is NOT CLOSED, it is moving closer to Colorado, closer to the main street.
I love their soaps, they smell delicious especially their lavender citrus!
They make beautiful little gifts for any occasion, yes they are more expensive than chain stores, but they package everything very nicely and they always give you samples.

I loved the soap from here. So far I have used only one for my face but it is very nice and tingly. Its the tea tree and peppermint essential oil face bar. The owner gave me a sample of the Lavender Citrus and it smells like heaven.
They did have a dog in there which I didn’t really care for. It IS a bath and body place after all. A dog does not belong there.
I will be ordering more things from online.

I have been really distressed by all of the articles I’ve read lately about the toxic, possibly cancer-​causing chemicals that are in soaps, lotions, and other beauty products. For the last couple of months, Ive been buying more «natural» or «organic» soaps and shampoos from Whole Foods. So when I heard about this store that made all-​natural soaps on the premises, I had to check it out. The smells were just heavenly when you walked through the door, and there were certainly no shortage of wonderful soaps to choose from. The following are just a few of the great offerings at this store. Mmm!
Lavender Citrus
Lemongrass Peppermint w/​Shea Butter
Lemongrass White Cornmeal w/​Shea Butter
Orange Clove & Cinnamon Spice
Rosemary Lavender w/​Shea Butter
Just Lavender w/​Shea Butter
Tea Tree Face Bar (acne)
Tea Tree Peppermint Shampoo
The staff was friendly and helpful, even suggesting a good soap for my son’s acne. I was surprised to see that they offered shampoo soaps, bath salts, candles, and more. The soaps were, indeed, expensive, but what else can you expect when the products are made from only the best, natural materials to make safe and healthy products — unlike most of the other products we find on our store shelves? My trips to the Soap Kitchen may not be too frequent, but I will definitely go back again. My good health and well being is certainly worth the added cost. I went away very happy with my purchases, and look forward to my next visit to stock up again on these wonderful soaps.

The Soap Kitchen is so good… It’s just plain silly!
If for no other reason, The Soap Kitchen deserves your visit because it’s owner operated, and the owner is as sweet as the store is good. She is a hands on, hard working, innovative, natural, tasteful, genius, generous, and caring entrepreneur.
Even if her product was «just ok», she deserves your business. But here’s the thing… Her product is better than just «ok».
The main product is, of course, soap. Handmade, fresh in every way… soap. But her style and personality comes through in her displays, arrangements, and supporting items. It’s a dynamite place to buy gifts, and she’d never let you go home without samples for yourself (just don’t be righteous about it! You might spoil her enthusiasm! lol).
The Soap Kitchen is clean, and everything is always neatly in it’s place. This is a remarkable feat, as it’s impossible to resist holding each new soap up to face so you can get a «whiff“‘ of another of her flavors.
I could go on and on about this shop, and the owner. Why? Because I believe one should be given credit where credit is due. For so many reasons, credit is due here. So go on in and find a few reasons of your own to get excited about this place and be sure to take some soap home with you. Anything you do buy will be a credit to your own taste, and to your home as well.
(Disclaimer…If you have something against the whole concept of being clean, you will not enjoy the experience. Further, if you just can’t stand it when someone ELSE is able to turn something simple into something special. .. well. .. you get the picture…

I’m a little biased because I bought someone a gift from here and they LOVED the gift, so of course, I’m going to rate this place five stars.
The soaps have an olive oil base to it and is marketed as «all natural.» The soap scents are amazing, but what is more amazing is their marketing abilities of preparing a variety of gift baskets for customers. Smart business models allows me to shop with efficiency and effectiveness, which is why I’ll come back here to buy more presents for more people.

3.5 stars. The Soap Kitchen provides a quasi-​romantic shopping experience: it’s in Old Town Pasadena, it’s a cozy little storefront, artisanal soaps are made on-​site with all natural ingredients, and I can even imagine I have enough disposable income to sustain this kind of lifestyle!
Fantasies aside, the Soap Kitchen is a quaint little boutique store, reminiscent of small tourist towns in the Northeast. They carry mostly soaps, scrubs, some shampoo bars, lip balm, and a few other bath goodies. Their claim: providing chemical-​free alternatives to mass-​produced, commercial soaps by handcrafting their soaps with all natural ingredients. The scents are fab but can be overwhelming for some (but of course, it’s a soap store!). One drawback from this «welcome whiff» is that it’s just a mélange of fragrances that overpower your sense of smell right upon entry, then it’s a bit hard to make out each of their individual soap varieties.
Soaps are sold by weight, most at $ 1.75 an ounce. Shoppers pick their pre-​cut/​-​packaged soap bars and they’re weighed at checkout. A regular size bar (about 4 oz) comes to about $ 7 — $ 8. There are supposed to be some «man bars» with fragrances that are more appealing to men (or perhaps more odorously-​suggestive of masculinity) but I didn’t find a big selection in the store aside from shaving soap bars. There are also some specially-​formulated facial bars. My experience at the shop was pleasant. I was left to roam and sniff around the different varieties, but I also didn’t get offered any help either: no stories about Huell Hauser’s visit-​inspired California Gold soap, no recommendations, no «are you looking for anything in particular, maybe something to grow your hair back?»
There’s street parking nearby (although not in front of the store) and some of the public lots give the first 90 minutes free parking.
PROS:
+ Local business, artisanal
+ Wide variety of all-​natural soaps
+ Great fragrances, if you’re into the lavender, lemongrass, tea tree, cinnamon, and other herbal scents
CONS:
— Costly
— No specials or sale items to motivate purchases (but credit where it’s due: there is a Unilocal check-​in special offer as of August 2011).
VERDICT:
= It’s where the bourgeois and the aristocracy shop for aromatherapeutic soap. It’s a nice little boutique shopping experience to indulge your sense of smell, and I want to say «Yay! I’m a fan», but the cost is a bit rich for my blood, so I have to politely nod, it’s «A-​OK.»