Don’t be turned away from this blog post thinking I’ve gotten boring. Buying soap – yes, it’s a menial task, you go to the grocery store, you get what you need, you bring it home. Not much to it, right?
Well if you haven’t yet been able to tell, I am really big on supporting local businesses and keeping our neighborhoods spinning around with a local economy. So one of the products I like to use since I discovered it a year ago is Ballard Organics soap.
Ballard Organics was founded by Ben Busby-Collins, and made in his apartment in Ballard as he worked for Zenith Supplies in Ravenna. He started making soap as a hobby, and then began taking his hobby to the local farmer’s markets. Eventually, his hobby became a business and now Ballard Organics operates out of a warehouse in the Rainier Valley with 10 local employees.
Ballard Organics is certified organic, with no animal products, no synthetic fragrances, and no artificial preservatives or dyes. That’s one of the things I love about it, as I am really trying to adapt to the north Seattle lifestyle of living healthy and caring for the planet. I also love the natural scents – one of my friends really loves the peppermint soap, while I’m a fan of the tangerine.
The soap products can be found in 280 stores across five states these days. Locally, you can find it at the Roosevelt, Ballard, Greenwood and Queen Anne Bartell Drugs, Greenwood Market, Ken’s Market, View Ridge and Green Lake PCC’s, Roosevelt Whole Foods, and a bunch of other places.
Buying local products and visiting local shops and eateries means we support the people who live in our communities. We’re able to directly impact our neighbors’ well-being and boost each other up, how can you say no to that?
