About Us

Hello!

Welcome to Dublin Soap!

CAPTURING WILD SCENTS OF IRELAND IN A LUXURY SOAP CUBE!

The NATURE IN A CUBE soap is not an ordinary soap – it’s much more, it’s a ‘skin foodie’!™ Dublin Soap's 'Nature in a Cube' soaps cleanse, feed and protect your skin!

w i l d c r a f t e d

Dublin Soap Ltd, based in Dublin, Ireland is a family-run business. The magic happens in our tiny studio where we make our soap cubes by hand with the old, traditional cold process method, putting in skin-loving butters and oils into every batch. Our luxurious vegan recipes use raw organic shea butter, raw organic cocoa butter, organic virgin olive, raw organic virgin coconut oil, organic sweet almond and organic castor oil, also various clays, spring water, salts and therapeutic essential oils. It takes over 150 natural and pure ingredients to create our soap cubes. We forage and ethically harvest wild Irish plants and algae in some most remote places in Ireland where the air is fresh, free from pollution and the waters are crystal clear.

The wild botanicals and seaweeds are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and can do wonders when it comes to glow and complexion.

Our modest soap cubes cleanse, hydrate and soothe your skin gently and effectively without stripping it of moisture. The unique formulas deliver a high concentration of powerful active ingredients, helping to minimise the sign of ageing and remedying a wide variety of skin conditions. The components neutralise free radicals and strengthen the protective barrier of your skin, ensuring that your skin is healthy, nourished and moisturised.

Dublin Soap Ltd story goes back in time, when soap-making was part of the seasonal domestic routine and for Ilona's great-grandmother making soap was part of her life as much as cooking. The family tradition, the ancient knowledge of many wild plants and the uses of traditional Irish folk remedies are the basis for the creation of our soap recipes.

Dublin Soap Ltd was founded in December 2020 by Ilona de Burgh, BA (Hons), MBS. Earlier, she graduated from Bronwyn Conroy Beauty School and holds a CIDESCO and Aromatherapy diplomas.

In time when cosmetic brands focused on brand image and celebrity figureheads to generate an illusion of quality, at Dublin Soap, we decided to draw attention back to the product itself. The process of producing our handmade WILDCRAFTED soap cubes takes at least 14 weeks, mostly during the seasons from April until October. The changes in Nature are reflected in Dublin Soap seasonal work and authenticity of its powerful natural products. It also takes minimum of 8-10 weeks to make our organic plant, veggie and fruit based soaps from the 'Truly Irish' as well as the 'Skin Foodies' and 'Zero Waste' collections.

h a n d m a d e

Everything about Dublin Soap cube soaps is lovable. The handcrafted products may feature inconsistencies or slight flaws but there are Green and environmentally sustainable. Variations in colour, texture and scent are inherent in a handmade soap but no two items are exactly alike, every single soap cube is one-of-a-kind. They have been crafted as an expression of our creative spirit and are always made in a space of joy, pride, and respect. We believe, that those same values somehow find their way into the very essence of our handmade soap.

s h a p e & s i z e

Inspired by Savon de Marseille, Dublin Soap has adopted the visually appealing geometric cube shape for its soaps. The cube symbolises minimalistic structure and orderliness. The Sculptural appearance stimulates curiosity and the desire to touch and experience the soap. The 5cmx5cm soap cube fits perfectly into the palm of a hand.

f r a g r a n c e & c o l o u r

At Dublin Soap we continuously aspire to capture the essence of the amazing natural world in every cube. We are inspired by the gorgeous scents and colours of the wild and unpredictable Irish landscape. In recreating the wild scents of Ireland we apply wildflowers distillation and infusion processes. The light floral, herbal and woody scents of Dublin Soap cube soaps are liked equally by men and women. The fragrance and colour in our soaps is created with the use of ONLY natural ingredients - plants, seeds, roots, clays and therapeutic essential oils.

v a l u e s

In the business context ‘what’ we do and ‘how’ we do it is important, however, in our view, the purpose, ‘why’ we do it is even more.

Ultimately, it was the deep disappointment with the cosmetic industry that motivated Ilona to take action and launch Dublin Soap. Cosmetics are under-regulated. There is no solid system in place 'to catch' when personal care products are harmful. Furthermore, our study shows how badly under-reported are health problems such as itching skin, rashes, acne, brittle hair, hair loss, bald patches or even serious allergies and skin cancers related to cosmetics. Although in recent years, the European Union has been more proactive in regulating consumer cosmetics and they have banned more than a 1000 chemicals, the problem of safety still exists. Ilona has been a strong advocate of natural cosmetics and its uses for a very long time. She wrote her CIDESCO thesis on the subject of herbal cosmetics, its health benefits and scarcity on the market already in the late 70s. Even though a lot has changed and natural cosmetic brands are popping up everywhere, the questions remain still the same; are they safe, are they really natural?

Plastic waste is another issue which deeply affects all of us. We can’t ignore any more the consequences of plastic waste which releases powerful gases leading to an alarming rate of climate change. Plastic waste is polluting oceans, harming wildlife and beauty products packaging is part of this big problem. Recent bans on single-use plastics and other regulatory approaches heightened the awareness that the social license to use plastic packaging is no longer acceptable. Start-ups are demonstrating to brands that there are workable, functional, creative alternatives to plastic packaging that has infiltrated the cosmetic industry. Hopefully, in the post COVID-19 world consumers sustainability concerns will return to the fore. We have the rights to demand sustainable packaging and stop feeding into the buy-and-throw-away mentality.

Mission: To raise awareness of health and well-being benefits from Reconnecting with Nature and from the use of toxin-free natural products. To help people to take actions that reduce plastic waste. To promote Ireland and its stunning Natural Beauty.

Vision: To make our Planet a better place.

s o c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

Ilona grew up with values that business is an extension of yourself. When we live a life that is true to our core values, like kindness, generosity, integrity our business actions reflect those thoughts, beliefs and emotions. At Dublin Soap, we nurture and promote those values.

Irish people have a reputation for being very generous when it comes to supporting charities and causes. More people take action and donate in Ireland than in any other nation. Ireland has been labelled as the most generous country in the world. With this spirit at heart, Dublin Soap has set up an initiative where 10% of profits from the sales of soaps from ‘Truly Irish’ collection are being donated to Cancer Research, chosen trusted Charities and Projects to support their efforts in issues such as mental disabilities, homelessness, domestic violence and sustainability.

b r a n d i n g

Cube soaps are packaged in organic drawstring Jute Bags and wooden Gift Boxes, accessories with a simple kraft label. The sustainable and sophisticated, timeless yet contemporary labels and package design is a fusion of Scandinavian, Japanese and Irish elements. It is an Irish product, made in Ireland, promoting Dublin, Irish countryside and its people. An Irish gift, a souvenir, addressing emotions of longing to come home, missing the country, family and friends. It is also a brand creating an online community of people loving Ireland and believing in 'zero-waste' and healthy living.

c o n c l u s i o n

The humble soap stood up to years of changing trends. It actually transcended those changes. Dublin Soap's unique, organic, wildcrafted cube soaps with their beautiful delicate scents and velvety lather are sophisticated, timeless and contemporary luxuries. Made with only the best plant-based ingredients, with naturally occurring glycerine locked into each cube means that you can clean, nourish and moisturise your skin while doing something good for yourself, for your loved ones, for the local economy and for the Planet.

In short, Dublin Soap stands for:

Reconnecting with Nature

Zero Waste

Healthy Cosmetics

Healthy Lifestyle

Supporting the Local and Green Economy

Supporting Environmental and Societal Actions

We say:

No Plastic

No Palm Oil

No Toxins

No Artificial Colourants