Welcome!
Food for your body & soul...
Hand crafted primitive soap and nourishing emulsions made with organic and therapeutic ingredients.
About Us
Our offerings are all hand crafted in small batches...
*Please select the "How to Order" button above for changes to USPS shipping rates and our "free shipping" effective January 23, 2023.*
We are nestled in Delaware County in the northern Catskill Mountains of New York and specialize in primitive artisanal vegetable oil soaps and emulsions made the old fashioned way. We are cruelty, paraben, phthalate & GMO free.
Can a single bar of soap change your day?
In ancient times, bathing was a ritual of cleansing and renewal that many of us have lost to a quick shower. We believe that bathing can still be a healthful, aromatic and rejuvenating experience that pleases all of our senses, even if we have only a few moments to spare. We hope that as you use our creations, you will enjoy the simple healthful pleasures they offer and they will help you in some way.
Our emulsions are made by hand in small batches with love and pure culinary grade and organic vegetable oils and butters (we do NOT use commercial pre-made soap, lotion or cream etc bases).
Our perfumes and essences are blended and aged by us using essential oils for very realistic scents. All are born of a desire to create toiletries that look, feel and smell wonderful naturally.
Our soaps, creams and lotions are hand made by using a lengthy process with our own proprietary formulas & methods, and reverse osmosis filtered well water or distilled water, primarily organic base oils and therapeutic grade Essential Oils. Our offerings are all made "the long way" with the highest quality and most natural ingredients available to ensure stability and longevity for up to 12 - 18+ months from purchase.
We have enjoyed and are grateful for nearly 30 years of research and formulating.
Our goal is still to create the freshest, most natural, healthy, safe and helpful emulsions available.
We strive to create affordable and enjoyable blends that help you in some way, and go from our pots to your door quickly and gracefully.
We wish for you, your families and friends an abundance of Health, Joy, Love and Light. Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and patronage.
Important Weather Advice & Care:
We formulate for safety and stability (without extra chemicals). During very hot or cold weather, we may hold an order for a day or so before shipping. This is because we do not use chemical stabilizers and most shippers do not have climate control. Our emulsions are quite tolerant, however they should not be left for extended periods in extreme weather (cars, mailboxes etc.) or (our soap in) high humidity and UV light. Our Creams, Lotions and other emulsions do NOT require refrigeration but may melt or freeze in extreme weather.
Our soaps should NOT be stored in plastic as they prefer to breathe and continue to dry. When purchased in large quantity, they may air dry a bit longer (if very fresh) and then may be stored in paper, in your freezer. They are made with primarily food based oils and do not contain preservatives, artificial colors, stabilizers or commercial ingredients. Freezing is not necessary in dry climates. High humidity may affect the soap due to high amounts of glycerin, which is a byproduct of natural soap making. Glycerin attracts moisture from the air. This is most important on the East coast, where our humidity, seasonal rain and temps can be a challenge.
***Please scroll below for a list of shops that carry our products.***
Happy Spring ! Peace, Joy, Love & Light !
June-July, 2023 & Shipping Update:
***Shipping rate changes: Please select "How to Order" above for detailed info on our new shipping policy and rates.***
***Please bear with our shipping carriers! During holidays especially, and with increased volume of packages from online retailers, we may experience shipping delays due to volume and weather. We ship within 1-2 business days. You may experience a transit delay of up to a week or more as the large volume of packages make their way through the carrier's system.***
Please pardon our "mess"!
This site is currently under construction and may remain as our "front door". We will continue to update and provide more pictures. You will find info here about our offerings that may not need to be in an upcoming "retail" environment.
Until then, please call or send an email to place an order.
Our soap and emulsion batch production are currently fairly stable and will vary as new batches are made. We apologize for any inconvenience!
We continue to cover increased ingredient and packaging costs with a few small exceptions. There is a possibility of rare small price changes. The base oil and essential oil markets remain unstable and we have experienced many increases and availability changes on ingredients, containers and shipping. Some of the essential oils have seen 2 - 3 fold increases. Production and import of oils has in some cases reduced. Harvest volume and potency vary from year to year and are also affected by weather. And world demand has caused some oils to increase (hopefully) temporarily or become unavailable.
Please refer to our Scent Profiles section (under "Our Products") for scent descriptions.
We continue to be well aware and cautious of transmissible illnesses and take care with preparation of batches, packaging & shipping.
We do not offer "walk in" retail sales from our location.
Please call or send us an email with your choices. Telephone: 607.652.9221 OR Email: northerncatskillsessentials@gmail.com .
Orders of $ 100.00 + to anywhere in continental US always ship FREE.
Please click "How to Order" above for more info.
LOCAL SHOPS:
***If you are within driving distance to any of the shops below, please call ahead to verify store hours. ***
A large assortment of our Creams, Soap, Facial Emulsions and Candles may be found at:
Barber's Farm Store
3617 State Route 30
Middleburgh NY 12122
Telephone 518-827-5454
***This large farm stand and shop has a great variety of locally grown produce and dry goods. Barbers also grows a huge assortment of ornamental and vegetable plants in their tunnels close by. Please visit their site to see what's in season and learn more about this multi-generational farm and family! ***
A large assortment of our Creams, Spray Milks, Perfumes & Soaps may be found at:
Catskill Outpost
Main Street
Stamford, NY 12167
Telephone 607-214-4166
***If coming from a distance, please visit their web site for store hours and/or call ahead for availability. ***
Marty's Mercantile
4075 Rte 28A
West Shokan, NY 12494
Telephone 845-657-4159
https://martysmercantile.com
***Marty's Mercantile is a cafe, market and beer garden that also offers items handcrafted by local artisans, and a nice assortment of our soap.***
A large assortment of our Creams and Soaps may be found at:
Roxbury General
53587 State Hwy 30
Roxbury, NY 12474
Telephone 607-326-6118
***Roxbury General offers a diverse selection of eclectic locally handcrafted items and thoughtfully curated home gifts and foods, blended with local books and other sundries. Bikes are also available for rental.***
GIFT ORDERS:
Our gift sets and gift orders can be sent anywhere in the US during any time of year! This includes custom orders packed in brown paper or shred with a gift card.
Please visit "Gift Sets" above for many options!
Disclaimer: Our offerings are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any medical condition. Any information provided is anecdotal. Please see your medical practitioner for medical care.
Aunt Rose's Roses soap!