Soapdaze, Exeter.

Walking down Fore Street (my fave street in Exeter) you can now smell the most gorgeous scent and that’s all down to it’s latest arrival, Soap Daze.

My love affair with these beautiful handmade products started at the Christmas Market last year when I purchased their Frankincense soap bar. Originally supposed to be a Christmas present idea for my aunties…I ended up indulging myself. Oh everyone does that at Christmas!

On the opening of Soapdaze, Exeter I was kindly invited into the shop and gifted some items to try out. The very lovely Sharon showed me around the shop which is equipped with hand santizer and social distancing measures at the moment, following Government Guidance. The shop is beautiful, like walking into a spa with such beautiful scents and acts as a little sanctuary to stop you thinking about the strange world outside (at the moment at least, this time will pass).

All items are lovingly handmade and come in eco-friendly packaging! Which I love! I have tried really hard to swap most items I use in day to day life for environmentally friendly alternatives and Soapdaze made it easy peasy.

Here are some of my fave products. All of these are gluten free and for ease I have placed the ingredient list right beside it for you so you can check if it is suitable for you!

First up this beautiful organic rosehip facial oil. What a treat! My face smelt gorgeous after using it. I applied it before bed every night and arose with super soft bouncy cheeks as a result (that’s what the provitamins and essential fatty acids will do). This is a big thumbs up from me. At £12.50 this bottle is a bit of a bargain because you only need a little drop to rejuvenate your skin and make it glow. Make sure you massage it in to your face and neck for an extra well deserved treat.

This little face cloth was perfect. I am using a carbon soap bar for my face at the moment and I use this face cloth after, running it under warm water and giving my face a little exfoliation with the yarn. Lush. They come in loads of colours! £9.95 and you only need to rid of once it falls apart. Bargain, much more cost effective than throw away alternatives.

These mini soaps are absolutely perfect size wise for hand washing. Something we are all doing at the mo. Not only do they smell gorgeous but they are also super soft on the skin. 4 guests soaps come to only £8 as well! Great for trying out which scent you like best before you buy a big one. They last forever too so its great value for money instead of buying the usual plastic! I recommend these 3 above.

So this is my new go to. I have been looking for a shampoo and conditioner bar forever. All of the others have tried, tested and failed. My hair is a tad wild in the sense that some days it’s straight and some days it’s curly but my main problem is that I have very thick hair and it is so tricky to find a bar that will wash my hair without either drying it out or making it greasy. I also home dye my hair and lots of these shampoo bars wipe the colour. This definitely does the job for me – think it may be all the natural ingredients including quinoa which helps with the colour retention. My hair feels silky smooth after and I don’t have to use a conditioner too (making hair washing day much quicker).  At £7.50 I would say that this is a decent price! The only comment I would make is…buy a tin for it because otherwise it won’t last long. The solid shampoo isn’t made by Soapdaze, but a fellow soap maker Zero Waste Path but stocked on the website and in the shop.  They also make fine hair and curly hair options FYI.

100% will be buying this again. Firstly the smell is so refreshing. It not only smells gorgeous in your bathroom but it also really wakes me up in the mornings (tea tree is the one I need with my morning espresso!). I love a soap on a rope because instead of that mushy soap in a dish, it dries on a hook and is much more hygienic and lasts so much longer. I reckon this soap is going to last me months! This is a vegan option and uses organic coconut milk instead of water – no wonder it’s so soft! Just look at this for benefits:

Soapdaze website: “Tea Tree oil has a medicinal, earthy, herbaceous aroma, and is well known for its bug repelling properties. It is also anti-microbial and antiseptic so can help eliminate body odour if used regularly. Can be effective for acne prone skin. Eucalyptus oil has anti-bacterial properties and its scent can help relieve sinus problems. Peppermint oil has a cooling sensation and a calming effect. Spirulina powder is swirled into this soap. Spirulina is a blue-green algea, which has high levels of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. ”

I don’t know about you but my skin has had a couple of abnormal (for me) flare ups over lockdown and this has been a lifesaver for me!

This one is £8.95 – slightly more pricey for a soap but considering the fact that it lasts sooooo much longer it is a fab investment!

Last but not least up is Echo Beach. Now this soap has a story. This soap is part of the new HARMONY collection which is named after songs which have inspired and shaped the life of Soapdaze creator. Funnily enough, as I said “ooh I’ll give that one a try” the song came on in the shop! As if by magic! Martha and the Muffins must have heard us! This one smells divine, just like the sea. A calming scent in a not so calming world, add this one to your “at home” spa package and relax in the bath! Put a candle on and read a book. Delightful.

You can either re-use the packaging from the above (perhaps a sea shell collector for the kids) (£6.50) or you can buy this soap unwrapped and save £1!

So what I recommend is, take yourself out of the world for a while. Create an at home spa and order in some of these products. You won’t regret it. Supporting local too!

To shop Soapdaze:

https://www.soapdaze.com/

@soapdazedevon

Or head to the beautiful shop:

126 Fore Street Exeter EX4 3JQ.