Here on Prince Edward Island, we at Moonsnail Soapworks have been creating some of the highest quality, truly natural bath and body products that you can find. Jennifer Ridgway and Marcus Luttermann operate Moonsnail Soapworks and since a humble beginning at our local farmer's market in 1995 we have grown into one of the largest producers of handcrafted soap in Eastern Canada, with over 25,000 hand cut bars coming out of our studio every year.
Founded with the strong commitment to using only the finest natural ingredients- our focus hasn't wavered as we've grown. We carefully select all the ingredients for our products, and handcraft everything in small batches to ensure high quality and a long shelf life.
Marcus, with his engineering background, is our soap maker and head honcho of production. He has brought us to a higher standard of quality and streamlined all of our methods. All this- and all he asks is one bag of chocolate almonds per day!
Jennifer is the creative force behind Moonsnail, developing all new products, designing packaging and labelling, and doing marketing. We also have 2 long term employees, helping with all aspects of production and sales, and seasonal help in the crazy summer tourist season. All in all we love to have a completely open work environment, with great music playing, and lots of new folks to chat with every day! We hope you come for a visit.
Along with the great selection of natural vegetable based soaps, we also create full lines of herbal skincare, hair care, baby care and a great selection of wonderful treats for bath and body. We use only pure aromatherapy-grade essential oils, and no animal products except beeswax and, of course, no animal testing. No preservatives, dyes or artificial fragrances are ever used, and for those who prefer products that are scent- free, there are many options available, or you can have something customized.
Recently, Moonsnail moved out of the tiny shop/ studio in Charlottetown it had called home for 3 years. Our new building is just next door and has loads of natural light, beautiful hardwood floors, high ceilings and a bathtub fountain. Handcrafted wooden displays fill the front of the new shop, and we now carry a large and eclectic selection of crafts, natural gifts and art as well as the full line of Moonsnail products.
The open production area is just behind the shop - you can take a tour and learn about soap making, or watch as creams, balms or bath salts are made or packaged. We are often cutting soap, using wire cutters of our own design, and floor to ceiling soap racks hold tray upon tray of finished bars at the back of the studio. These bars must 'cure' for at least 2 months before being sold, so they will last well when used- this makes spring a busy time in the soap shop, as all of the summer stock has to be made. The soap racks are continuously filling with batches of Red Clay & Kelp, Calendula, Spearmint Swirl and Flower Power soap (as well as the other 20 varieties!). The scents from the essential oils used in these make the shop smell wonderful.
We hope this has given you the idea of what we are all about. Please don't hesitate to call or email with any questions or concerns, we love to talk to people directly!
We love what we do, and we hope it shows!
Cheers, Jennifer & Marcus