03.09.07
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Moonshine Soap is crafted with eco- and socially-conscious premium ingredients.
By Joanna Cosgrove
Online Editor
Ten years ago, Ellie Trinowski made giftsoaps in her kitchen to hand out to friends and family. Nowadays her home-based hobby is a full-fledged business, Moonshine Soap. Based in Cleveland, GA, the company specializes in bath soaps formulated with premium ingredients. The products are designed to promote awareness of healthy skin care and the environment.
The products are grouped into two primary collections: Moonshine Soap Signature Collection and Georgia Collection. The Signature Collection contains 10 soaps with fragrances such as Lavender Lunacy, Moonglow Mint and Enchanted Earth. The Georgia Collection is also comprised of 10 soaps with scents uniquely evocative of the south: Mint Julep, Blooming Jasmine and Stone Ground Grits. There is also a collection of Spa Soaps, offered online, with fragrances that vary with the seasons.
Each handcrafted bar of Moonshine Soap takes one month to make. “The initial soap process of combining fatty acids with an alkali to begin saponification, along with the addition of herbs and essential oils, and finally pouring the soap mixture into moulds takes only a couple of hours,” said Ms. Trinowski. “It is the curing time of three to four weeks that allows the soap to complete its final journey to a solid bar of soap and glycerin. The curing time also promotes a long lasting bar of soap with a safe pH balance.”
Eco-Friendly Ingredients
Moonshine Soap is 100% natural, made from 80% certified organic vegetable oils and 20% unrefined, organic shea butter. Ms. Trinowski noted that her company selects its ingredients based on “reliable sources and availability” to ensure the soaps are free of synthetic chemicals, fillers and preservatives. “Our skin absorbs everything we apply to it and it just makes sense to create a skin care product that is void of harsh chemicals,” said Ms. Trinowski. “Organic ingredients … are richer and healthier because the standards used in organic farming are strict. This supports our mission to provide a soap that is healthy for the skin.”
The company purchases its organic oils from a processor of all natural vegetable oils that has been certified by the Organic Crop Improvement Association International (OCIA) and the U.S. National Organic Program (NOP). “We also believe in a holistic philosophy in business and lifestyle, therefore, by purchasing certified organic oils, we are participating in the sustainability of overall improved nutrition in the nation’s crops, as well as, a healthier, cleaner planet,” said Ms. Trinowski.
Shea butter, the central ingredient in Moonshine Soap, comes from Ghana, Africa, and Ms. Trinowski takes great pride in the fact that her company’s business offers support for the network of enterprising women in Africa. “Through collaborative efforts, the support we offer has contributed to a better lifestyle for these people. Wells for fresh water, schools and books, as well as a hospital wing have been part of the difference in this village and we will continue to effect positive change with each bar of Moonshine Soap we sell,” she said.
More info: www.moonshinesoap.com