We are a proud member of the Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers, a peer support network for all compliant artisanal crafters in the soap and toiletry industry. When you see this sign for a business that makes soap and toiletries, you know they have been checked to comply with all UK and EU legislations regarding insurance, product safety checks (cpsrs), and being a valid, registered business.
An unboxing video from the Scottish Beauty and Spa Guide.
Read MoreCreator and Owner
Meet the creator and owner of The Dark Island Soap Co., Chiara, originally from Edinburgh, now resides in Stirlingshire with her partner and two young daughters. Opting for the more quieter, simpler life, Chiara creates all of her products from her countryside home. As a certified Reiki practitioner, and a former painter, she has a huge appreciation for nature, the beauty of, and the power to self heal. She also hopes to pursue her Reiki 3, Master Healer degree in 2024.
Our Brand
Here at The Dark Island Soap Co. we make our cold process soaps from natural oils and butters. We carefully craft and oversee each bar to ensure you'll receive the highest quality of soap. At the end of 2022, Chiara studied for and completed a business diploma in soap making, learning about the importance of creating cold process soap safely, and the correct measurements needed for recipes. She is a fully self-taught soap maker, and made her first cold process soap in December of 2022. With a deep love for creating luxurious aromatherapy soaps with the best ingredients that nature has to offer, Chiara has excelled in her profession. Whilst restocking her brand, her products are now at least 90% organic and vegan friendly.
The Big Question!
Cold process soap making is the original, traditional method of making soap by combining fat or oil (animal or plant based) with sodium hydroxide (lye), then blending in an addition of essential oils, fragrance oils, and/or colourants as required. This treatment causes a chemical reaction called saponification which takes up to 48 hours, and the final stage of "curing" (which hardens the bar) takes between 4-6 weeks.
Generic store bought soaps devoid of glycerine can leave skin dry, ashy, itchy, and looking far from its best. Handmade soap, however, traditionally made so as to retain its glycerine content, will leave your skin more moisturised and healthy-looking, which is exactly what you'll get from using our traditionally made, cold process soaps!
The Dark Island Soap Co. are proud to support charities in Uist, where often they are overlooked being so remote. We have so far donated our products in Uist to Parkinson's Disease, Mental Health Awareness, and for Carers on South Uist who do a wonderful and selfless job every day. If you are a registered charity in Uist, please get in touch! At info@thedarkislandsoapco.com
Fundraising in Uist to support the work of Parkinson's UK in Scotland.
Learn MoreThe Beacon is a mental health support group which is working towards becoming a non-profit charity. It is run by a team of local volunteers who have lived experiences of mental health.
Learn MoreWestern Isles Community Care Forum SCIO (SC023918), established in 1992 as a forum which represent the interests of carers and users of voluntary care services throughout the Western Isles.
Learn MoreFor every order that passes through our website, we plant a tree somewhere on the globe. For wholesale orders, we plant 10 trees! Striving to do more for the planet as a business body.
Learn MoreBeing a net zero website means that for all the traffic our website receives, trees get planted through Tree Nation, to offset all of the emissions made.
An Eco-Friendly Yarn: What is Ribbon Yarn? Sari Silk Ribbon is not only a beautiful fibre, but it has a fascinating story behind its origin as well. It can be used in so many different projects, from classic fibre work such as knit and crochet, to trendy DIY projects and jewellery making. Sari Silk Ribbon is made from 100% Sari Silk material. It’s often called “Recycled Sari Silk Yarn”, but don’t let that fool you! Sari Silk Ribbon isn’t actually made in the same way that traditional recycled goods are made, but rather it is derived from remnants of Sari material that is either left over from creating the full Saris, or from Saris that are no longer wearable. As opposed to throwing this material into landfills. This material is salvaged and created into something usable, whilst giving the women making it the chance to provide for their families by receiving a salary for their creations. We use 100% recycled and reclaimed Sari Silk to lovingly wrap your orders with.
We also use natural, vegan friendly hemp yarn to wrap orders with. Another beautifully sustainable choice. ♻ Much of this yarn is made directly from plants in India, and on occasions parts of plants or trees may be noticeable in the yarns.
Here at The Dark Island Soap Co. HQ, we prioritise reusing and recycling. We use packaging that arrives from stock orders to either shred down and use as protective padding for your orders, and also, to use as secondary "safety boxes" to house your main order boxes in. If we ever receive plastic, you may see it in with your order (as bubble wrap to take an example), as we would rather reuse this harmful material (hoping that you will, too!) than just discard it straight to a landfill.
We are proud to be Peta-approved for zero animal cruelty in our products.
