Our Philosophy
At Boh Bon Soap Company, we believe that simple is better and that is what we bring to you – simple and fresh soap, made with natural ingredients, that are both beneficial and recognizable. To us simple means using only natural ingredients and avoiding unnecessary synthetic & artificial fillers. We recognize that we are all faced with many product choices when it comes to bath & body care today. Our goal is to offer an affordable & natural alternative to the commercially made, chemically laden products that are most common in today’s marketplace.
Our Handcrafted Soap
Our soap is handcrafted in small batches, each recipe is crafted with care to incorporate the most pure and natural ingredients we can. We begin with premium plant oils – pure olive oil, coconut oil and sustainable palm oil – and then add in nourishing butters, fruit and nut oils. Next, we scent our soap with pure essential oils (no fragrance oils here!) and then add clays, herbs, botanicals, and spices for color and texture. Finally, we hand pour and cut each batch, letting the bars cure to a generous 4 – 4.5 ounces over a period of a few weeks. We do not use animal fats in any of our products, nor do we test on animals (only dirty family & friends!). Most of our soaps are vegan, however, we do use select animal byproducts, such as goat milk or honey, but don’t worry, it is always on the label when this is the case! We use organic and local ingredients whenever they are available and affordable to us.
At Boh Bon Soap Company we are inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us and we are committed to being a friend to the earth and doing what we can to help sustain it. To us, there is nothing better than a natural start or end to the day. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we enjoy creating them, and hope you take a little time to… LIVE. LOVE. LATHER.
About Us
Boh Bon Soap Company was founded in the summer of 2006 by Chrissy Wilbee. After more than 6 years of traveling around the world for her job, Chrissy returned to her roots in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to follow her dream and start a cottage industry handcrafted soap company – on the site of her family’s summer cottage – full of natural inspirations, cherished memories and definitely on the other side of the world from where she had been.
While some might say Chrissy took the long road home, it was her time on the road that provided much of the inspiration for Boh Bon Soap Company and since filling her suitcase with soap from every city and country she visited wasn’t an option, Chrissy finally decided to buy a one way ticket and head home – although she still doesn’t go anywhere without her passport – because you just never know!
Once tucked along the shoreline of Little Bay De Noc and nestled under a cluster of pines, Boh Bon has been through a couple of location changes within our home state of Michigan since the summer of 2006. Chrissy spent a year in Detroit and has recently settled (for now at least!) in Mid Michigan. Always a travel girl at heart who just can’t seem to sit still, Boh Bon can frequently be found at fairs and festivals in Metro Detroit, UP and around the Midwest.
What’s with the funny name?
BON BON. We get called that a lot. It’s okay, we know Boh Bon is an odd name. It sounds like nonsense, a made up name with no meaning behind it, right? Most people are hesitant when they do say it out loud… BOH BON? (Always with an implied question mark.)
So, where did the name come from and what does it mean?
We’ll tell you…
While growing up in the little town of Escanaba, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, my Grandfather owned a small grocery store. It was a neighborhood joint that sold staple groceries, the local newspaper, penny candy and much more. That corner grocery store was called the “Hob Nob” and from my earliest memory, I thought it to be the most fantastic place (a great part of this due to my love of penny candy I am sure).
Many years later, the Hob Nob grocery store is gone, but through a funny little play on words it gains new life, in a new way. That’s right BOH BON is simply the words HOB NOB turned backwards. It is a small tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit that was instilled in me, as well as my family, an homage to a man who taught us all to work hard, be honest and most of all to have the courage to live your dreams.
