History |
Established 2000
We are a small business based in the Cotswolds active in the making and marketing of high qualityplant based soaps as well as in plant-centred workshops and educational initiatives. The seed of the company was planted several years ago while Jonathan developed the Soap Making work for Ruskin Mill College and the Hiram Trust.
2000: SOAP WORKSHOP INITIATED AT RUSKIN MILL
Ruskin Mill College provides an innovative and experiential education for young people with special learning needs aged between 16-24 years. The soap workshop introduced students to many aspects of the craft of soap making including:
harvesting and preparing plants as additives for soap
basic plant identification
modelling and moulding
research into plant oils, their properties and uses in soap making
distillation of essential oils
8888888888888888888cold-process soap making
research into the use of plants for colour and scent.
2001: QUINTESSENTIAL SOAP TAKES ROOT
Quintessential Soap is founded as a partnership independent of Ruskin Mill College, though affiliated through the ongoing work of its founders as tutors and house parents at Ruskin Mill. Quintessential Soap develops a line of quality hand-made soap and begins to market them locally. They join the award-winning Stroud Farmers Market and set up a stall at the twice-monthly farmers market in Cornhill. Quintessential becomes a member of the Made in Stroud cooperative.
2002 - 2006: SOAP, STUDIES,
Quintessential Soap begins to look back to its roots and, while continuing to make its popular range of soaps, begins to offer workshops in soap making in a variety of contexts:
The Waldorf College Project - as a practical craft and seed for a longer course in holistic science
The Hiram Trust - for teachers looking to develop experiential approaches to teaching science and to integrate the arts and sciences
Rolle College now absorbed into Plymouth University - for students in the Waldorf education degree program
