SOAP! quietly opened on Black Friday at 1742 East Passyunk Ave., in the former Enki space.  SOAP-makers Nathan and Denise Vernier, along with business partner Richard Salloum, decided to move from their online-only original location to open up a retail shop on bustling East Passyunk Avenue.  The store smells oh-so-delightful, and the huge glass storefront windows provide a perfect backdrop for showing off their in-store soap making demonstrations.  SOAP posts their newest lathery creations on their Facebook page every day.

A look to the past

The other day

SOAP began when the Vernier’s wanted a soap for their dogs’ skin issues. but couldn’t find the perfect soap that encompassed all the natural remedies they desired.  A knowledgeable friend taught them how to make soap, and a project to make doggie soap quickly evolved to a passion for making people soap.  After a few years of hand crafting soap in their small East Falls location, they’ve found the perfect outlet for their first retail store in Passyunk Square, just steps from Marra’s, Philadelphia Scooter and the Scioli’s, Tailor to the Stars.

Bustling East Passyunk Ave.

This Lush-like store strives to reduce their impact on the environment by reusing, recycling, and re-purposing all materials, crafting wooden molds from a local carpenter’s leftover lumber, for example.  The soaps come from natural ingredients, each one specially formulated for a specific skin need.  They are working on expanding the selection of products, including lotions, body whips, lip balms, shampoos, and bath bombs.  As much as everybody loves Lush, we’re are glad to have a local alternative to an international chain. Oh, and no longer needing to trek up to Center City is a nice bonus!

Update: As of tonight, mere hours after this post went live, Soap! has closed down. More to come…