The Heart Behind the Suds: A Note on Pricing and Quality

Hello everyone,

If you’ve been following Island Enchantments for a while, you know that this business is my heart and soul. Every bar of soap that leaves my hands and finds its way to your home is a labor of love, science, and a little bit of magic.

Today, I wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you about some changes. With the launch of the new Spring Collection, I have updated the price of my soaps from $9.99 to $12.00 to better reflect the time, research, and premium ingredients that go into every bar.

I believe in transparency, so I want to share exactly what goes into that $12 bar and why this shift is necessary to keep the enchantment alive.

Why the Change?

When I first started, I wanted to make my soaps as accessible as possible. However, the reality of creating a premium, truly natural product has evolved. Here is what happens behind the scenes:

• The Magic is in the Wait: One thing that truly sets real cold-process soap apart is time. It isn't made overnight. Every single bar requires a minimum 6-week cure time to ensure it is hard, long-lasting, and gentle on your skin. But the work starts long before the soap is even poured. I spend weeks carefully infusing botanicals into my oils, a slow process that can take up to 6 weeks just to pull those amazing properties from the plants. When you add in the countless hours of researching new ingredients and the trial and error of creating unique designs, each batch represents months of dedication and craft.
• The "Secret" Ingredients: I refuse to cheapen my formulas. While many brands use palm oil or canola, I stick to a high-quality oil blend of Olive oil, Castor oil, Premium High-Oleic Sunflower oil, Shea butter, and Tallow. These ingredients are what make my soaps feel different and better for your skin—rich, moisturizing, and long-lasting.
• Unique Botanicals: My soaps feature premium ingredients you won't find in your average shower. I’ve carefully researched and sourced unique additives like seaweed extract, aloe vera, silk peptides, marshmallow root, nettle, colored clays and many, many more. Every bar is a unique concept designed with specific botanicals to create a high-quality experience for your skin.
• The Art of Natural Perfumery & Aromatherapy: The cost of pure essential oils is, frankly, astronomical, but I refuse to use any artificial fragrances. As someone with high skin sensitivity, I know how easily synthetic scents can make skin "angry." I’ve found that pure essential oils, used at safe and correct percentages, are perfectly compatible for happy skin—not to mention the incredible aromatherapy benefits you just can’t get from a synthetic scent.

I put a lot of work into sourcing very particular, uncommon oils to create sophisticated, complex blends you won't find anywhere else. You won’t find any "one-note" soaps here; most of my recipes involve a layered blend of 2 to 4—sometimes even more—essential oils to create a unique atmosphere. I even incorporate rare, perfume-grade absolutes and resins like Tonka Bean, Cocoa Absolute, Benzoin Resinoid, Peru Balsam, or Vanilla Oleoresin, along with precious oils like Chamomile and Helichrysum. These are premium ingredients that ensure every bar smells as amazing and unique as it feels.

Let’s Talk About Shipping

This is a big one. On average, it costs me about $20.00 to ship a single order. For a long time, I’ve been subsidizing that cost out of my own pocket because I know times are tough.

I am keeping our $9.99 flat-rate shipping and Free Shipping on orders over $55. You truly won't find a better shipping offer for handmade goods, and I’m happy to keep doing this to make my products accessible, but the slight price adjustment on the soaps themselves helps make this sustainable for the long haul.

Small Business, Big Dreams

I don't ever want to compromise on quality. I want to keep giving you the best skincare possible without cutting corners. By adjusting my prices to reflect the actual time, research, and premium ingredients involved, I can ensure that Island Enchantments is here to stay.

Thank you for supporting my small business, my family, and my craft. I am so grateful to have you along for this journey. I can’t wait for you to experience the magic in our current Spring Collection, and I’m already hard at work researching and designing even more enchanting blends for the seasons to come!

With gratitude,

Alexa | Maker & Owner, Island Enchantments