We’ve never participated in Joanne Hawker’s traditional 31 days of March Meet the Maker however we all love a good story so rather than bombarding your social media with posts I thought we would condense it all into one newsletter, and conclude with a relevant special offer!
So why not grab a quick cuppa whilst I introduce us properly..
Hello!
I’m Sophie, mum to Sebastian and wife to David. We live in beautiful Belstone with two lively pups, Bella and Django, three chicks and a fearless cat who totally rules us all. For any avid readers amongst you our house actually once belonged to Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing!
We moved to Devon from Essex in 2009 and started our Devonshire journey renovating a quaint cottage in the Teign Valley, from where I started The DSC. Soap-making first appealed to me when studying my Masters in Occupational Therapy, originally as a distraction from all the studying and subsequently as a great activity to do with clients.
In 2011 Sebastian was born and inspired by my baby’s delicate skin I took the brave decision to steer clear of traditional bathing products, despite their promises to ‘aid relaxation’ and ‘encourage sleep’, and instead create a completely pure bar of soap from the most natural oils. The results were almost immediate. Within days Sebastian’s eczema had disappeared, his skin was plump with moisture and what’s more, bath times became a joy!
This discovery got me thinking about our own skins and how they were affected by the products we use on them. I researched the debate surrounding the use of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in products, we familiarised ourselves with the role of parabens and became obsessed with reading labels, much to the annoyance of many a shop-owner!
In short, I became skin-savvy and embarked on a mission to put my soap-making skills to the test and create a range of beautifully scented, yet 100% natural soaps which would replace our existing bathing products. We were all so pleased with the results that I decided to share them with the world, and hence The Dartmoor Soap Company was born.
Right from the outset it was important for me to use locally sourced ingredients, both to manage our carbon footprint and to support other local businesses, whilst creating a 100% natural product. As a result of this we use local ale, beeswax, milk and donate 5p from every bar sold to Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust.
Our original unscented bar is still our best seller and has received such wonderful reviews from loyal customers:
“I was gifted this soap for Christmas with the beautiful heart shaped dish and I won’t use any other soap again! I had developed discoid eczema on my already very dry hands and this soap has been a godsend. It cleared the eczema and made my hands feel soft and hydrated again. I didn’t quite order fast enough before my bar ran out and I can really feel the difference using a ‘normal’ bar of soap again, my hands feel horribly dry! Can’t wait for my Dartmoor soap delivery! Thanks to a lovely company for creating such a lovely product! Bonus that it’s fairly local to me, too” February 2021
“This is the second time I have purchased this soap for my son who has eczema and has really dry hands, it’s lovely, and leaves his hands feeling soft” May 2021
“I bought this soap as I have sensitive skin, was not disappointed. Lathers up well, would definitely recommend” December 2020
Indeed in 2019 we decided to expand our unscented products to include a novelty range, christened by our very own muse, our (then) 7-year-old Sebastian!
These include:
As a little nod to these novelty soaps they will have 25% off until Monday 7th March and while stocks last!
Thank you so much for reading and for following our little family business, it really does mean the world to us.
Sophie x