Ritual Skincare Apothecary Estd. 2023

We blend ancient wisdom with modern science to create effective, gentle solutions that respect both your skin and the environment. 

 

 Named as one of Scotland's "finest health and beauty brands." - June, '24 

Scottish Field Magazine
     

 Five of the best Christmas gifts made in Scotland. - Nov, '23 

The Times Scotland Newspaper
     

 Their exquisite array of products epitomise luxury and elegance. Each creation is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, showcasing not only stunning aesthetics but also spectacular scents that altogether transform a simple bathroom into a lavish sanctuary. The brand's prioritisation of utilising gentle, high-quality ingredients sets them apart in the industry, complemented by their relentless pursuit of excellence. 

Louise JaneCEO, The Vegan Choice Awards
     

 If The Dark Island Soap Co. hasn't crossed your path yet, you're in for a real treat! This brand is celebrated as one of the top vegan beauty companies, and it's easy to understand why. They offer a stunning variety of handcrafted products that are not only gorgeous but work wonders. It's clear they've mastered their art, producing items that are a feast for the senses, converting your skincare routine into a luxurious affair. That being so, they are without doubt a brand that has won my heart for the long haul! 

Louise JaneCEO, Vegan Beauty Awards
     

 The best beauty & skincare buys your skin will love this winter. - Nov, '24 

Glamour Magazine
     

 The Dark Island Soap Co. wins the Customer Satisfaction Award. Combining handcrafted, organic soaps with a robust sustainability ethos, their commitment to planting trees and reusing materials resonates with eco-conscious customers. Their ground-breaking efforts not only meet the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products but also showcase how innovation and responsibility can thrive together. By embracing sustainable practices and pushing the boundaries of possibility. - Dec, '24 

UK Business Awards
     

 The Dark Island Soap Co. embodies everything we value in a sustainability award winner—authenticity, transparency, accountability and commitment to natural and plastic-free practices. Their soaps have a rustic charm that feels deeply connected to the earth. Plus they not only smell incredible and work beautifully, but they also represent a meaningful step toward a more sustainable future. This is a business that proves you don’t have to compromise quality or luxury to care for the planet. - Dec, '24 

Anna ChatburnSustainability Award Founder
     

 16 products our beauty editors are shopping this January 

Glamour Magazine
     

 The Dark Island Soap Co. recognised among best companies to watch in 2025 - Jan, ‘25 

CEO Vision
     

 As the founder of the Sustainability Award, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing countless businesses strive for eco-conscious practices. The Dark Island Soap Co. truly stands out. Their dedication to sustainability is not just a marketing ploy; it’s woven into the very fabric of their operations. Achieving the Diamond Level award signifies an exceptional commitment to environmental responsibility, and the Dark Island Soap Co. embodies that wholeheartedly. Beyond their remarkable sustainability efforts, their soaps are simply divine. The natural ingredients create a truly luxurious experience. The scents are beautiful, and the gentle formulas leave skin feeling nourished and refreshed. It’s rare to find a product that so perfectly balances ethical practice with exceptional quality. Dark Island Soap Co. proves that you can have a product that is both kind to the planet and a delight to use. Plus, their Founder Chiara is always so delightful to communicate with, you can really tell the love and dedication behind the brand. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking a sustainable and indulgent bathing experience. - Feb, ‘25 

Anna ChatburnSustainability Award Founder
     
Fáilte 

The Man Behind the Business

The Dark Island Soap Co. was created in honour of my beloved late father, Donald MacLellan.
Dad hailed from Lochboisdale, South Uist, in the beautiful Outer Hebrides of Scotland, with “The Dark Island” being a place we would spend many a happy vacation when dad was visiting his home.
Unfortunately, he passed away on the 31st of August, 2022, from Vascular Dementia.

A business owner himself, he served his apprenticeship with Croall & Croall of Stockbridge, Edinburgh and became a Volkswagen Specialist, going on to own and run his successful motoring business in the sought-after area of Morningside, Edinburgh for over 50 years.

It is a privilege to dedicate this business to my father, and keep his memory alive.

Tapadh leat,
Chiara ​
Follow us on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok for all the latest updates! @thedarkislandsoapco 

Member of the Guild of Craft Soap & Toiletry Makers

  •  02/26/2024 08:30 PM

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 (including CPSR reports), and being a valid, registered business.

Next Level Skincare
Steam distilled hydrosols—also known as floral waters or hydrolats—are the living, aromatic waters left behind when fresh plant material is steam distilled. Long considered a humble byproduct of essential oil extraction, these botanical waters capture water-soluble plant nutrients, organic acids, and micro-droplets of essential oil to gently hydrate and balance skin. Historically, producing these floral waters predated the collection of concentrated essential oils by thousands of years, with early distillation techniques documented on ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets around 1200 BC. 

​Ancient Origins and Evolution:
  • Early roots: Distillation of aromatic waters dates back over a thousand years to ancient Persia and North Africa. 
  • Avicenna's contribution: In the 10th century, the Persian physician Avicenna refined the alembic still, making the mass production of pure rosewater for medicine, ritual, and beauty widespread. 
  • The shift to oils: For centuries, these fragrant waters were the primary reward of early distillation. Pure essential oils could not be easily isolated until condensing coils were perfected later in history. 
  • Modern rediscovery: As modern clean beauty values gentle, low-concentration botanical care over harsh synthetics or hyper-potent oils, hydrosols have emerged as treasured, standalone skin toners. 

Why They Benefit Skin: 
  • Aqueous compatibility: Because human skin layers are naturally receptive to water-soluble compounds, hydrosols absorb smoothly without clogging pores.
  • Gentle profile: Containing only about 0.2% to 0.5% aromatic plant compounds, they are safe for sensitive skin types that react poorly to undiluted essential oils. 
  • pH balancing: They restore the skin’s natural acid mantle after cleansing.



THE DARK ISLAND SOAP CO. STIRLINGSHIRE, SCOTLAND Editor’s Note: Unique handcrafted Scottish soap from Stirlingshire, blending natural skincare with quiet ritual and Hebridean influence.
See Our New Feature Here
THE DARK ISLAND SOAP CO. STIRLINGSHIRE, SCOTLAND Editor’s Note: Unique handcrafted Scottish soap from Stirlingshire, blending natural skincare with quiet ritual and Hebridean influence.

Chiara MacLellan

Creator & Owner of The Dark Island Soap Co. Holistic Herbalist and Reiki Master

Chiara is an Edinburgh native who now resides in the beautiful Stirlingshire countryside with her young family, partner and Labrador, “Tag!” Since 2022, she has been a full-time, self-taught soap maker, who has studied for studying for and completed a business diploma in soap making; learning about the importance of creating cold process soap safely. Along with being a traditional soap maker, Chiara now creates award winning, plant-based skincare, seeing most of the ingredients she uses wild foraged near her Stirlingshire home. As an avid herbologist, Chiara understands and appreciates the wonderfully healing power of nature, and, just like the seasons, appreciates that everything blooms in its own time. In the autumn of 2022, after the loss of her father, Chiara studied Usui Shiki Rhoyo Reiki and is now a respected Reiki Master Healer, with a diploma in Shamanic Energy Healing and Crystal Healing.

New Label
Stockists
Herringbone Gift Shop:
56, High St, Peebles EH45 8SW

Delights Gift Shop:
18, North Beach, Stornoway HS1 2XH

Art & Vintage Cafe & Gift Shop:
3, Lyne St, Edinburgh EH7 5DN

Crossroads Pet & Garden Centre:
Millhouse, Tighnabruaich PA21 2BW

Crafts on the Croft Gift Shop:
Polochaple, Culkein, Drumbeg, Lairg IV27 4NL

The Pier Cafe:
64 A848, Tobermory, Isle of Mull PA75 6NU

Wyrd & Whimsy Gift Shop:
2, Seafield St, Cullen, Buckie AB56 4SH

The Boho Coffee Bothy:
Birchwood Business Park, Doune, FK16 6ER 
Accredited Ethical Business
The Dark Island Soap Co. are proud to have recieved a score of 100% with the prestigious The Good Shopping Guide, and have been awarded the title of "Ethical Innovator."
Established 25 years ago, The Good Shopping Guide is very well established as a leading independent authority on the ethical comparisons of companies and brands.
Gold Plastic Free Business Award Winners!
We are extremely proud to announce that we have won Gold status as a Plastic Free Champion business by Surfers Against Sewage.

What does this mean? By working with Surfers Against Sewage, we have now completely eliminated the use of plastic in our business.
Since July 2023, through every order placed through our website, we have planted over 2,000 trees globally through Tree Nation.

We are proud to run a registered Net Zero website, which sees all of the traffic which passes through it off-set harmful CO2 emissions by planting more trees!
“Blessed is he who plants trees under whose shade he will never sit.” - Indian Proverb

Supporting Charities in the Western Isles

The Dark Island Soap Co. are proud to support charities in Uist, where often they are overlooked being so remote. So far, they have donated their 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

Strùan Tea for Parkinson's

Fundraising in Uist to support the work of Parkinson's UK in Scotland.

Learn More  

The Beacon: Supporting Mental Health in Uist

The Beacon is a community-based mental health support group and registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) located in Lochboisdale, South Uist. It offers a safe, welcoming peer-support space focused on improving island mental health, reducing isolation, and saving lives through social connection and wellness events.

Learn More  

Western Isles Community Care Forum

The Forum was established in 1992 as a forum for Voluntary Care organisations which represent the interests of carers and users of services throughout the Western Isles. It is actively involved in national and local consultations on behalf of the voluntary and independent care sectors and works closely with the statutory care sectors at a statutory planning level. We provide services directly to carers and users by disseminating information, maintaining a register of family carers, producing regular newsletters and providing a Directory of Care Services. Western Isles Community Care Forum SCIO (WICCF) has secured funding for, and administered projects which benefited informal carers, for example, provision of funding for respite, free ice grips and the Carers’ Trainers’ Project, which offers support and training to informal carers. The Forum has a Board of Directors which is made up from the Co-ordinators/Service Managers from some of the Voluntary Care Organisations throughout the islands and one carer representative.

Learn More  

Tagsa Uibhist

"Tagsa Uibhist (which means ‘Uist Support’) was established by a group of friends who wanted to help elderly people who needed support and care, who were socially isolated and who did not have access to transport. Tagsa was formally constituted in 1999 and became a registered charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. In 2020, we adopted the simple mission statement Slàinte agus Sunnd, which means Health and Wellbeing. This gives us a broad and inclusive remit, recognizing that achieving wellbeing means different things to different people. Tagsa is a practical organisation and our core services in care at home, elderly support and community transport reflect our commitment to respond to these important needs. Through our Community Gardens project, we provide a wonderful environment for social interaction, learning about vegetable growing, sharing successes and failures in growing different plants and for providing nutritious food locally."

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  • Registered Office Address: The Dark Island Soap Co. LTD, Suite 2/3 Clyde Offices, 2nd Floor, 48 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 1BP
  • Company Registration No. SC756943

Disclaimer: The information is provided by The Dark Island Soap Co. LTD. We endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct. We make no medical claims, representations or warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, of the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability.