The following list continued to grow right up to the day of publication. To the best of my knowledge, there is no one, all-inclusive list of the manufacturers and distributors of the materials we’re on the lookout for — including this one. Instead we must be detectives, always putting out feelers for a lower price, a better quality, and a reasonable minimum. Once in a while, another supplier will refer a competitor, or one of their customers. Occasionally, soapmakers will reveal their sources. And more often, the various trade journals will lead you to potential suppliers.
For us as cottage industry or home-soapmakers, the biggest problem is minimum orders. Most of the larger essential oil companies which offer the lower pricing require 5- to 30-pound minimums per essential oil. The huge distributors may even require the purchase of 55-gallon drums. The least expensive way to purchase palm oil is by tank truck, but how many of us can have 50,000 pounds pumped into the house? Palettes of drums (48 drums on a palette) are relatively inexpensive in comparison to gallons or pails of olive oil. The per pound cost for large quantities is dramatically cheaper than what most of us are used to paying for smaller quantities.
Ignorance can be bliss. Once I discovered how low it all can go, I’ve been a bit pained paying the higher prices, but I’ve shaved off some of the middleman costs by not going quite so far down the list of distributors. By the time we’re purchasing from the fifth to the tenth customer of the original distributor, we’re paying for many shipments and a whole lot of overhead. Each step closer to the manufacturer saves us something.
It’s easier to start closer to the manufacturer and ask for customer referral than it is to start with the wholesale/retail distributors and ask for their suppliers. So don’t be too discouraged if the huge companies won’t do business with you. Explain your dilemma and ask for a list of customers in your area. The first couple of customer lists may be too large as well, but continue this process until you reach the right match for your personal needs.
Finally, watch for adulterated products. To increase profits, cheaper materials are added to the pure material, leaving the end user with an inferior product, one which will not react properly within the soap pan and one which degrades the quality we strive toward.
Ask questions, request a product analysis, pay for a chemical analysis, and take the time to call references to confirm quality and integrity. Something impure may still pass by us, but we increase our odds of success when we cover more bases and when we’re alert.
During the time that I learned the craft of soapmaking, founded my soap company, and wrote this book, two buyers’ guides led me to the following suppliers. They were the International Buyers’ Guide of the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association and the DCI Directory Issue of the Drug and Cosmetic Industry.
The DCI Directory has not been updated since then, but the CTFA International Buyers’ Guide is now available online or in print. The online version is updated twice a year, while the print version is published annually. This guide is an indispensible resource of raw ingredients and their suppliers. Anyone can search the online version — a great boon to soapmakers everywhere! Members of the CFTA can receive unlimited copies for free, paying only shipping; contact the CFTA to find out the current rate for nonmembers. Call 301-953-2614 or visit www.cfta-buyersguide.org to learn more.
Note: For company addresses and phone numbers, see pages 161–164.
Aloe Vera Gel
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Apricot Kernel Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Lebermuth Company
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Company
Avocado Oil
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love
International Sourcing Inc.
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Borage Oil
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Calendula Oil/Extract
(ask for pure oil-soluble)
Alban Muller International
Croda Inc.
From Nature with Love
Carrot Root Oil/Carrot Seed Oil
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
From Nature with Love
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love
Frontier Cooperative Herbs
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Chlorophyll
DeSouza International, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Coconut Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
Columbus Foods Company
The Fanning Co.
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Liberty Natural Products Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Welch, Holme, and Clark Co., Inc.
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Ecodermine
Sederma, Inc.
Essential Oils/Fragrance Oils
Creative Fragrances Manufacturing Inc.
Essential Oil Co.
From Nature with Love
Frontier Cooperative Herbs
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Lebermuth Company
Liberty Natural Products Inc.
Mountain Rose Herbs
Nectarine
Prima Fleur Botanicals Inc.
Robertet Inc.
Sweet Cakes Soaps, Inc.
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Evening Primrose Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Chemie Research & Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Liberty Natural Products Inc.
Jojoba Meal
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Jojoba Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
Desert King Corporation
From Nature with Love
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Purcell Natural Jojoba (PNJ)
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Kaolin
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Company
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Kukui Nut Oil
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Oils of Aloha
Lard
George Pfau’s Sons & Co., Inc.
From Nature with Love
Southern Clay Products, Inc.
Olive Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
Alban Muller International
Columbus Foods Company
The Fanning Company
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Co.
Liberty Natural Products Inc.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Palm Kernel Oil
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Palm Oil
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love
Liberty Natural Products Inc.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Stevenson-Cooper, Inc.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Peanut Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
The Fanning Company
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Plant Extracts
(ask for oil-soluble)
Alban Muller International
Robertet Inc.
Rosa Mosqueta
Rosehip Seed Oil
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Co.
Seaweed (flakes, flour, and extracts)
International Sourcing Inc.
Shea Butter
Alban Muller International
Essential Oil Co.
From Nature with Love
International Sourcing Inc. (Ask them about their other exotic butters: Dhupa, Kokum, Mango, Mowrah, Sal, and Illipe)
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Soapmaking Kits
From Nature with Love
Pourette Manufacturing Co.
Summers Past Farms
Sun Feather Natural Soap Company
Soapmaking Molds
Essential Oil Company
From Nature with Love
Pourette Manufacturing Co.
The Soap Saloon
Sodium Hydroxide
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
Desert Balm
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Sweet Almond Oil
Alban Muller International
Arista Industries, Inc.
From Nature with Love
International Sourcing Inc.
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Tallow
George Pfau’s Sons Company, Inc.
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
Tocopherols
Eastman Chemicals
From Nature with Love
Washi and Mizuhiki
Shizu
Uwajimaya
Wheatgerm Oil
Arista Industries, Inc.
The Fanning Company
From Nature with Love
Janca’s Jojoba Oil and Seed Co.
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
Penta Manufacturing Co.
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
Alban Muller International
305-994-7558
www.albanmuller.com/anglais/default_gb.htm
Arista Industries, Inc.
800-255-6457
Chemie Research & Manufacturing
407-831-4519
Columbus Foods Company Co., Inc.
800-322-6457
Creative Fragrance Ltd.
866-593-2203
Croda, Inc.
+44-01405-860551
Desert King International
800-982-2235
DeSouza International, Inc.
909-849-5172
Eastman Chemicals
423-229-2000
Essential Oil Co.
800-729-5912
The Fanning Corporation
312-563-1234
From Nature With Love
800-520-2060
Frontier Natural Products Co-op
800-669-3275
George Pfau’s Sons Co., Inc.
800-732-8645
International Sourcing, Inc.
800-772-7672
Janca’s Jojoba Oil & Seed Co.
480-497-9494
800-648-1123
Liberty Natural Products, Inc.
800-289-8427
Lipo Chemicals, Inc.
973-345-8600
Mountain Rose Herbs
800-879-3337
Nectarine
800-966-3457
Oils of Aloha
800-367-6010
Penta Manufacturing Company
973-740-2300
Pourette Manufacturing Co.
800-888-9425
Prima Fleur Botanicals, Inc.
415-455-0957
Purcell Natural Jojoba
800-676-1501
Robertet, Inc.
201-337-7100
Sederma, Inc.
732-692-1652
Shizu: Traditional Japanese Paper & Origami
626-395-7293
The Soap Saloon
916-334-4894
Southern Clay Products
830-672-2891
Stevenson-Cooper, Inc.
888-420-1663
Summers Past Farms
619-390-1523
952-945-9900
Welch, Holme & Clark Co., Inc.
973-465-1200
Ye Olde Soap Shoppe
800-390-9969
For small quantities at retail prices contact:
SunFeather Natural Soap Co.
315-265-3648