Lee Ann Hopkins, founder of Do Good Soap and Suds
According to local business owner Lee Ann Hopkins, there is a reason that soap is called “the yardstick of civilization.” It is essential for good hygiene and disease prevention.
As both a clergywoman and an attorney, Hopkins spent her life trying to make a difference in her community and for the environment. However, she found that talking and writing only inspired a minimal amount of change.
When she pondered how to have a larger impact, she knew she had to take direct action, starting with her own personal habits. Looking around her own house, she noticed how much plastic she used for soap, detergent, shampoo and other personal care items.
About 18 months ago, she decided to leave law practice and pursue making solid soap bars in environmentally-friendly packaging – and that was how “Do Good Soaps and Suds” was born.
Do Good Soap and Suds
With encouragement on her website to "Give up the bottle. Go to the bar," Hopkins focuses on creating soap bars that are gentle enough to be used on body and face. They are made from a base of coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter and scented with essential oils. She does not use any detergents or dangerous surfactants in her products.
The soaps are made using lye, which is a commonly misunderstood chemical. The lye is necessary for the process of saponification which converts the oils into glycerin and soap. When made properly, the lye is eliminated during the soap-making process and is not in the final product.
In addition to body bar soaps, Hopkins also makes solid dish soap, solid deodorant bars, lotion bars, lip balms and shampoo bars.
One of Hopkins’ newest and favorite products is “The Bonaparte,” a soap bar made with activated charcoal and clove, lemon, cinnamon and rosemary essential oils.
This combination of essential oils was used by Napoleon to protect his army from diseases and by people affected by the Plague outbreak in the 1400s.
She recommends “The Workhorse” for gardeners who are looking to wash away dirt or cooks who want to get rid of the smell of garlic from their hands. This bar is made with rosemary essential oil and oats. For the men, Hopkins suggests “The Brew Bar” which is made with a popular local beer.
Hopkins says now more than ever, soap is an important tool in fighting diseases like the coronavirus. Unlike hand sanitizer, which deactivates germs, bacteria and viruses, soap pulls them apart and washes them off your hands and down the drain when rinsed with water. She recommends 30 seconds of hand washing.
While some people believe that soap in bottles is somehow "cleaner" than bars of soap, viruses do not like soap and cannot live on the solid soap bars; with liquid soaps, viruses can live on the dispenser and packaging.
To preserve the longevity of the soap bars, Hopkins suggests storing them in a dish that allows them to drain properly, which she sells in her online store.
Hopkins primarily sold her products at farmer’s markets and at one-on-one demonstrations where she would visit people’s homes and teach them about soap and how to make their own products. She also has an online store which has now become her primary focus due to coronavirus restrictions.
“Do Good Soaps and Suds” products and gift cards are available for shipping or pick-up on her website dogoodsoapsandsuds.com.
You can also follow her on Instagram @dogoodsoapsandsuds or Facebook www.facebook.com/dogoodsoaps.
