Setting the bar: Local soap maker creates unique products you won’t find in stores

Written by Jessi Bang
August 14, 2022

ST. GEORGE —When a Hurricane woman searched for natural body products, she discovered the ability to make them herself, adding a happy twist of shapes, colors and fragrances that you won’t find in stores. 

Maryann McCarthy, owner of Soak and Lather Soaps, smiles for the camera, St. George, Utah, August 1, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Maryann McCarthy, owner of Soak and Lather Soaps, smiles for the camera, St. George, Utah, August 1, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Maker Maryann McCarthy said when she found out she was pregnant, she stopped using regular bath and body products such as shampoos, conditioners and lotions, due to their harmful ingredients. She decided to replace commercial products with things like baking soda and no poo shampoo.  When her sister gave her a bar of natural soap she had purchased at a local market, she became interested in making the products herself.

“I really try to educate people on why natural soap is is good for you and about commercial soaps, which are basically just detergents and how much they’re hurting your skin,” McCarthy said.

Through her research, McCarthy found a soap-making class at Utah Tech University. Most of the students in the class didn’t actually make soap, so she made it at home and sold it to fellow students. That’s when she realized she might be able to turn something she loved into a full-time business. 

As she continued to learn through various professional soap makers’ YouTube videos, she added bath salts, bath bombs, scrubs and lotions to her line of products. She put a creative twist on each one, such as bath bombs shaped as watermelons, peaches and other unique shapes. 

“It was kind of an obsession and crazy when I first started. I would even wake up in the middle of the night with ideas. I was seeking out knowledge and learning more every day,” McCarthy said.

A gift set by Soak and Lather features handmade candles, scrunchies, lip balm, bath bomb and soap, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Maryann McCarthy, St.George News
A gift set by Soak and Lather features handmade candles, scrunchies, lip balm, bath bomb and soap, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Maryann McCarthy, St.George News

In August of 2019, in her hometown of Hurricane, McCarthy started her soap business – Soak and Lather Soaps. With a husband whose job moved them around often, they made the move to Texas, where they lived for two years. She continued her soap business online via Etsy but wasn’t comfortable attending local markets and putting herself out there due to a lack of support without family. 

“When we moved back to Hurricane, I was like okay, now I’m home, with family, in the place I feel comfortable,” McCarthy said. “My mom suggested I attend my first farmers market, so I finally did, and it kind of took off from there.”

While she’s always had a natural ability to take things and put them together, McCarthy said she wasn’t always as confident about her creative side.

“As a kid, it was a weird thing for me to be a maker,” McCarthy said. “Making things were strange and odd to other people and no one ever really thought it was really cool. I want to inspire people and women to do what they do naturally because we have been conditioned not to be our authentic selves.” 

McCarthy said that oftentimes, people have abilities that cultures may not recognize as special skills, and find themselves worried about the judgment of others. While she has been inspired by many other artisans, McCarthy hopes to also inspire others. And to remember that the only real competition they have is themselves.

“I think we are all naturally creators,” McCarthy said. “I want other women, specifically, to get in touch with that side of themselves and embrace it.”

Maryann McCarthy stands at her booth, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Maryann McCarthy, St.George News
Maryann McCarthy stands at her booth, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Maryann McCarthy, St.George News

During the pandemic, McCarthy used her Soak and Lather Soaps Etsy shop to switch gears and provide masks and scrub caps when they were in desperate demand. She mass-produced over 1,000 in a short period of time and also donated them to local churches, schools and hospitals. 

“I can make all sorts of things. And it felt like something that was really needed at the time,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy is currently working on the creation of shampoo and conditioner bars to add to the Soak and Lather Line. Her business currently offers handmade soaps, bath bombs, tub tea bath salts, lip balms, face masks, lotion bars, flaxseed eye pillows, Epson salts, candles, mens’ shaving kits with shave soaps, fragrance rollers and sprays, along with gift sets.

Products from Soak and Lather Soaps can be seen locally inside both Muddy Bees Bakery in Hurricane and St. George Massage. Shop her Etsy shop here, or visit her booth at the weekly Washington Indoor Market. Follow Soak and Lather on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to see the soap-making process along with available products.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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