Friendly Soap: Yorkshire's Natural Luxury
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TL;DR
Friendly Soap creates luxuriously rich, handmade soap bars, shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and household products using traditional cold-process methods in the Yorkshire Pennines. Founded in 2008 by lifelong friends Geoff Kerouac and Rob Costello, every product is crafted with premium natural ingredients including coconut oil, shea butter from a Ghanaian women's cooperative, and Spanish olive oil sourced from bird-friendly producers.
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The quality is exceptional and the value remarkable: each soap bar lasts 2-3 months, with a shampoo bar replacing approximately three bottles of liquid shampoo. Their bars produce a silky, moisturising lather that's remarkably gentle on even the most sensitive skin – completely free from SLS, parabens, palm oil, and synthetic fragrances. With 12 beautiful scents from calming lavender and invigorating citrus to grounding patchouli and warming cinnamon, plus fragrance-free options, there's something for every preference.
Everything is poured, cut, stamped, and packed by hand at their rural Yorkshire workshop, creating zero waste through their ancient cold-process method. The company employs 22 local people with fair wages and profit-sharing, partners with charities Just a Drop and For Us Tree, and packages everything in recycled, recyclable, completely plastic-free card. As one long-term customer put it: "100% natural ingredients at sensible prices – you can find other natural soap brands but they are twice the price!"
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Yorkshire Heritage & Craftsmanship
In the stunning Pennine countryside above Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, sits a small workshop where something rather special happens every day. This is where Geoff Kerouac and Rob Costello create Friendly Soap – and the story behind it is as authentic as the products themselves.
"Brilliant products... I use their facial, shampoo and shaving soap bars. All excellent and possibly the best out there. Another upside is the lack of plastic bottles in my bathroom."
Growing up in Hebden Bridge during the 1970s, Geoff and Rob were immersed in one of Britain's most vibrant alternative communities. It was a hotbed of radical thought, environmental awareness, and genuine connection to the natural world that surrounded them. These weren't passing teenage interests – they became lifelong values that would shape everything the friends would later create together.
Both went on to work at the legendary Suma Wholefoods Co-operative, learning firsthand that it's entirely possible to run a successful business where ethics genuinely come before profits. In 2008, armed with this experience and their shared vision, they founded Friendly Soap. Today, the company employs around 22 local people, all paid fair wages with a company-wide profit-sharing scheme that keeps everyone invested in the quality and success of what they're making.
What makes Friendly Soap truly distinctive is the ancient cold-process method they use – a traditional soap-making technique that's been quietly perfected over centuries. Unlike modern industrial methods that rush production with high heat, cold-process soap making preserves all the natural goodness of the oils and butters. The ingredients are carefully combined, poured into moulds, and then left to cure for weeks. It's slow, it's hands-on, and it produces soap with a luxuriously rich lather and exceptional moisturising properties that simply can't be rushed.
Every single bar is poured, cut, stamped, and packed entirely by hand. There are no mass-production shortcuts, no automated processes that compromise quality. This hands-on approach creates literally zero waste – everything goes into making beautiful soap. It's an approach that honours both the craft and the environment, producing bars that feel genuinely special from the moment you unwrap them.
The Natural Difference
The ingredients in Friendly Soap products read like a carefully curated list from nature's finest – and there's a story behind each one. The coconut oil comes from suppliers who guarantee their coconuts haven't been harvested using exploited monkeys (yes, this is a real issue in some regions). The Spanish olive oil is sourced from producers who refuse super-intensive night-time harvesting methods that can harm birds. The shea butter arrives direct from a women's cooperative in Ghana, supporting fair wages and community development.
"I love this company! I have been buying their products for a good few years now. 100% natural ingredients at sensible prices! Their washing powder is by far the best natural washing powder I have used, and I have tried all the brands out there!"
This meticulous attention to sourcing creates soap with a beautifully rich, silky lather that glides across your skin. The natural oils – coconut, olive, castor, rapeseed – work together to create that lovely slippery feel you get from premium soap, whilst the shea butter adds deep moisturising properties that leave skin feeling soft rather than tight or stripped.
The list of what Friendly Soap doesn't contain is just as important as what it does. There's no SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) – that harsh detergent that strips away your skin's natural oils and can cause irritation. No parabens, those preservatives that have raised concerns about hormone disruption. No palm oil, given its connection to deforestation. No synthetic fragrances or colours – only pure essential oils and natural botanicals for scent and colour.
For those with sensitive skin or conditions like eczema, this matters enormously. Many customers report that switching to Friendly Soap has resolved persistent skin issues that other products either caused or couldn't help.
The scents come purely from essential oils, flowers, herbs, and spices – nothing synthetic. The result is fragrance that's present and beautiful without being overpowering. A lavender soap smells genuinely of lavender flowers, not a chemist's approximation. The cinnamon and cedarwood has real warmth and depth. The peppermint is refreshingly natural. Customers consistently describe the scents as "gentle," "subtle," and "not overpowering."
The Product Range
Natural Soap Bars
The soap bar range is where Friendly Soap's philosophy really shines. There are 12 beautiful fragrances to choose from, each with its own character and properties, plus the unscented Aloe Vera option. What they all share is that luxuriously creamy lather and gentle cleansing action that works beautifully for face, body, and hands.
"These bars are great. They smell good. Some of the other soap bars I tried from other places smelled OK, but then after using them, they weren't so nice. These bars are really nice and have a gentle scent, that isn't overpowering."
The range spans floral and herbaceous scents like Lavender and Rose Geranium, fresh citrus options like Orange & Grapefruit, woody and spicy choices including Cedarwood and Patchouli & Sandalwood, and cooling varieties like Peppermint & Poppy Seed and Tea Tree. For sensitive skin, the Aloe Vera soap is pure, gentle, and beautifully soothing – no fragrance, no colour, just naturally moisturising oils and nourishing aloe vera.
At 95g each, these soap bars might seem modest in size, but customers consistently report that each bar lasts 2-3 months with regular use – significantly longer than most commercial soaps. The secret is in the density and quality of the cold-process method, which creates a harder, longer-lasting bar.
Hair Care Bars
Friendly Soap's shampoo bars combine castor oil (used for centuries as a natural hair conditioner), coconut oil, and olive oil to create a rich, moisturising wash. Available in Lavender & Tea Tree, Lavender & Geranium, and Fragrance-Free options, each 95g bar lasts as long as approximately three bottles of liquid shampoo.
"I tried this shampoo as a replacement to the shampoo bars offered by Lush and found the results excellent. One bar of shampoo lasts as long as three bottles of liquid shampoo."
The conditioner bars feature a special blend of cocoa butter and castor oil that delivers fabulous, frizz-free results. The essential oils of lavender and rose geranium add calming and antibacterial properties alongside beautiful natural fragrance. There's also a Fragrance-Free conditioner bar option for sensitive scalps.
Shaving & Facial Care
The shaving soap bars create a rich, protective lather, available in Orange & Lavender or Fragrance-Free options. The Shea Butter Cleansing Bar is specifically formulated for facial use, though gentle enough for the entire body. It's particularly excellent for makeup removal whilst leaving skin feeling moisturised rather than tight or stripped.
"I love this cleansing bar. I was concerned it would dry my skin out as I have quite dry skin. However, I was really impressed with how moisturising it was. This cleansing bar will last me at least 6 months."
Laundry Powder
Friendly Soap's eco-friendly non-bio laundry powder extends their natural philosophy to household cleaning. Made with plant-based ingredients and entirely free from plastic, palm oil, SLS, and parabens, it's both gentle on fabrics and effective at cleaning. The fragrance-free formula makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin or allergies, and each 1.75kg box provides up to 25 washes.
"Soap, shampoo bars, laundry powder - all great! I've used their products for years and I don't get any skin or allergy problems with any of them."
Why Customers Love Friendly Soap
Looking across hundreds of customer reviews, several themes emerge consistently:
Outstanding Quality: "Possibly the best out there" appears repeatedly. The rich lather, gentle cleansing action, and moisturising properties exceed expectations. Customers who've tried numerous natural soap brands consistently rank Friendly Soap at the top.
"Love the ethics of the company. The packaging is made from recycled cardboard and it is recyclable. The soap is vegan and free from sulphates. They pay a living wage and Friendly soap is handmade in Yorkshire using traditional methods with no by products."
Remarkable Value: Premium natural soap at prices significantly below competitors like Lush. Bars that last months, not weeks. One customer noted: "You can find other 100% natural soap brands but they are twice the price!"
Skin Benefits: Countless reports of resolved skin irritations, successful transitions for sensitive skin and eczema sufferers, and elimination of scalp itching. The absence of harsh chemicals makes a noticeable difference for those managing skin conditions.
Authenticity: A company that genuinely lives its values rather than using them for marketing. Fair wages, charitable giving, environmental integrity – all quietly implemented without fanfare. Customers appreciate the transparency and honesty.
British Craftsmanship: Handmade in Yorkshire using traditional methods, supporting local employment and skills. There's pride in knowing exactly where and how these products are made.
"I won't be buying from anywhere else. These are brilliant products at sensible prices. You can find other 100% natural soap brands but they are twice the price!"
From the stunning Pennine landscape where they're made to the careful attention given to every ingredient and every business decision, Friendly Soap represents natural luxury at its finest – products that feel special to use, work beautifully, and allow you to live according to your values without compromise.
The Feel-Good Factor
What truly sets Friendly Soap apart goes beyond the quality of their products – it's the integrity woven through every aspect of what they do.
Fair Work & Community
The 22 people who work at Friendly Soap's Yorkshire workshop aren't just employees – they're profit-sharing partners in the business. Everyone earns a living wage, and the company operates a profit-share scheme that ensures success is genuinely shared. There's no hierarchy of exploitation, no corner-cutting to maximise shareholder returns. It's business done properly, following the cooperative principles Geoff and Rob learned at Suma.
"Great soaps at really good prices. The company seem very ethical and use quality products as well as paying their workers fair wages."
The company also gives staff paid days off to help with local environmental projects – planting trees and hedgerows with their partner charity, For Us Tree.
Charitable Partnerships
Every single order placed through Friendly Soap's website generates a 10p donation split between their two charity partners. Just a Drop supports vital hygiene and safe water projects around the world, providing communities with handwashing stations and the materials to make their own soap. For Us Tree is a workers' cooperative dedicated to restoring biodiversity through tree planting, hedgerow creation, and river restoration.
Environmental Integrity
The cold-process method creates zero by-products – literally everything goes into making soap. The packaging is made from recycled card and is fully recyclable. Together with Good Shipping, Friendly Soap is working to decarbonise their supply chain by replacing freight fossil fuels with biofuels derived from food industry waste.
The company is registered with both Cruelty Free International and The Vegan Society, and holds a Best rating from Ethical Consumer. These aren't badges bought for marketing purposes – they represent genuine third-party verification of practices and values.
The Honest Approach
Perhaps most refreshingly, Friendly Soap is honest about their products and transparent about their sourcing. They're meticulous about ensuring their coconut oil doesn't come from suppliers using monkey labour. Their Spanish olive oil comes from producers who refuse night harvesting that harms birds. The shea butter supports a women's cooperative in Ghana. These details matter – they represent hours of research and relationship-building that never makes it onto a marketing campaign but reflects genuine commitment to doing things properly.
When you choose Friendly Soap, you're not just buying excellent natural products at remarkably fair prices. You're supporting a genuinely ethical business that proves it's possible to create quality, pay people fairly, protect the environment, and still succeed. That's the real luxury – products you can use with complete peace of mind.