About Green River Basin Soapworks
A view from the GRB home base of Gannett Peak (the highest peak in WY) in the Wind River Range of the Bridger Tetons.
Named for the Green River Basin of Wyoming, where the small company was founded in 2023, GRB Soapworks is a woman owned and run business creating handmade soaps, candles and wood crafts.
We are adding products frequently, so please check back for new items!
Here’s the ingredient list for a common big-brand soap, taken from their site:
What’s in commercial, big-brand soap?
Linseed oil (AKA flaxseed oil) is listed in the ingredients, and advertised as a benefit. Linseed oil can be processed into a food-grade nutritional supplement, but according to Wikipedia the main applications of linseed oil are paint binder, putty, wood finish, and linoleum. In fact, I use linseed oil in some of my woodworking.
But I’m sure the kind commercial soaps use is totally fine to put on your skin.
Why buy small-batch soap?
We small soap-makers aren’t huge manufacturers producing enormous quantities of…well, chemical soap.
We’re microbusinesses using basic, simple ingredients: oils and lye (sodium hydroxide, which is what turns the oils into soap), some colors and fragrances, and allowing for the time needed to properly cure, usually 2-6 weeks.
Homemade soap is crafted from far more natural ingredients than the big-brand stuff you get at the store. And it comes with the bonus of supporting small, local businesses (even if it’s not necessarily local to you) to whom your patronage makes a much bigger difference.
Ingredient list from one of my soaps:
Natural plant oils (usually a mix of Avocado, Argan, Canola, Castor, Coconut, Olive, Palm or Rice Bran oils)
Water
Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
Fragrance (sometimes essential oils (EOs), sometimes non-EO fragrance)
Colorant (natural mineral colorants)