There is intangible magic in a product that embodies an idea bigger than itself, like a souvenir that conjures mental snapshots of a favorite adventure, or the smell of a dish that’s so like the one grandma used to make.
Colorado Etsy entrepreneur and “soap artisan” Erin Groves captures a bit of this magic with her Nederland Naturals hemp-oil infused, vegan soaps as using one is tantamount to a “Calgon-take-me-away” moment.
Consider “Truly Patchouli” Hemp Gardener’s Hand Scrub Soap, an herbaceous bar dotted with palm kernels and real patchouli. To use it is to stroll through a farmer’s market on a cool summer morning. It’s surely no coincidence that Groves stocks her soaps at Front Range farmers markets. And the user would have to be a rock to avoid cracking a grin while soaping up with a bar of her red, gold and green “Irie Spring” Facial Soap.
Pretty and affordable, each variety of Nederland Naturals features the sort of details that characterize handmade craftsmanship, like the glittery specks in “Savannah Rain,” or the swirled light-dark colors and ingredients in “Bonsai,” a bamboo charcoal and white clay facial soap. This attention to detail carries over to each carefully-crafted online description of a soap and its intended purpose.
Natural fragrances are key to this brand, so the one type of consumer who may literally turn up a nose to Nederland Naturals is someone with a perfume sensitivity. But most anyone who enjoys an olfactory indulgence should pick up a bar of this hemp seed oil soap.
Nederland Naturals soaps and bath products are about $3-$6 each at nederlandnaturals.com or etsy.com.
