From Their Hands to Yours

Stories from the Market

Slippery Soap — A Founding Favorite, Made with Care

Spring has been making its way into the Valley these past few weeks — longer, warmer days coaxing leaves to bud, while birdsong and chatter return to the trees, drawing us back outside.

It’s the perfect time to visit one of our favorite vendors and a true cornerstone of the market — Slippery Soap Company.

There’s something quietly special about the moment you pick up a bar of handmade soap — the weight of it, the scent, the care behind it. At the Salem NH Farmers Market, Slippery Soap brings that experience to life with products that are as thoughtful as they are practical.

A founding member of our market community, Slippery Soap has been with us since the very beginning. Established in 2011, the company was born from a bit of serendipity. On a frigid February morning, Diane and her husband Tom ventured to Plum Island, just outside Newburyport. There, tucked inside a small cottage shop filled with handmade soaps and a basket of rubber ducks, inspiration struck. What began as an idea for natural soaps for children soon grew into something much more — and Slippery Soap Company was born.

Today, their offerings extend far beyond soap bars. Crafted in small batches and rooted in simplicity and intention, their products are made with skin-loving ingredients designed to nourish rather than strip. From goat milk soaps and rich moisturizers to salves, sprays and specialty body care, there’s something for everyone — men, women, children, new mothers and even pets.

Heading outdoors? Slippery Soap has you covered with essentials like all-natural bug spray, poison ivy relief and jewelweed products — a time-tested remedy for irritation from poison ivy, oak and sumac, as well as bug bites and burns. Their “Gardnah’s Soap” is a favorite for hardworking hands, while classic pine tar soap and eczema salves offer comfort and care for sensitive skin.

Their lotions and moisturizers are made with simple, nourishing ingredients like orange blossom water, mango and shea butters, jojoba oil and pure essential oils — thoughtful formulations for everyday use. Even their hand sanitizer is crafted with care, blending hospital-grade alcohol with organic aloe vera and essential oils to be both effective and gentle on the skin.

But what makes Slippery Soap truly stand out isn’t just what they make — it’s how they make it. This is a business built on care: care for ingredients, for process and for the people who use their products every day. It’s something you feel when you stop by their table, ask a question and leave with something made just for you.

In a world of mass production, Slippery Soap is a reminder that the everyday can still be meaningful. A simple bar of soap becomes a small ritual — a moment to pause, reset and reconnect.

Find Slippery Soap at the market this Sunday and discover your new favorite way to start — and end — the day.