Logan Creek Soap: Handcrafted in Door County
By Laurel Ciohon
There are so many different kinds of soap to choose from while shopping, it’s almost overwhelming; Dove, Olay, St. Ives, Nivea. But do you ever really look at the contents of your soap? What are we really lathering all over our skin, the largest organ of our body? I personally buy whatever soap is on sale at Target or what smells the best. After visiting Logan Creek Soap, I will truly never look at store-bought soap the same again.
Back in 2014, Bob and Bonnie Abrahamson, previous owners of Logan Creek Soap in Sturgeon Bay, welcomed me into their cozy soap shop conveniently located behind their home this winter. Shelves filled with sixty-five different soap lined the walls and it smelled fantastic. They brought me into their back test kitchen where all the soap are made and I was immediately drawn to the huge whiteboard on the wall with notes written all over it. On it, they had a list of ingredients you would find in your average Oil of Olay soap bar compared to the ingredients in one of their homemade Logan Creek bars.
The comparison was incredible! Not only did the Olay soap not have any real soap in it, but was full of chemicals that I could barely pronounce! All of the Olay information, as well as information of any beauty product, can easily be found at cosmeticdatabase.com. Logan Creek Soap, on the other hand, does not use any irritating chemicals, lasts long, reduces the need for lotion, and has been said to cure rashes, scaly skin, and dryness.
Logan Creek Soap’s ownership was taken over by Lori Kabat in 2017 when the Abrahamson’s retired. Lori moved the store location to a more convenient space on Madison Avenue on Sturgeon Bay’s west side which I had a chance to visit earlier this winter. Lori offers the same soap, but with a new look. The shop is cozy and warm, with new wood floors, reclaimed wood walls, a metal ceiling, sliding barn doors, and vintage claw foot tub in the front window; rustic meets modern.
Logan Creek Soap uses only natural ingredients such as olive oil, canola oil, palm oil, and palm kernel, which give the soap great lather. Sweet almond, caster, sunflower, avocado, cocoa butter and Shea butter are used to provide a rich, soft feel on the skin. Logan Creek also only uses natural coloring from paprika, cinnamon, and calendula, as well as other ingredients. They use the best essential oils as fragrance, as well as fruits, chamomile buds, lavender, rose petals, and peppermint leaves.
The ingredients are carefully melted and mixed with large stick blenders, then spread out in custom-made wood trays to set for 24 hours. All of Logan Creek Soaps are made in small batches right at the shop and are hand-cut and stamped by Lori herself. The soap is then set on a rack to cure for several weeks.
Logan Creek Soap is open year round. It is located at 142 S. Madison Avenue in Sturgeon Bay. 920.746.7627, logancreeksoap.com, sales@logancreeksoap.com.