NK Story
The hands (and heart) behind every bar.
Hi, I'm Nicole
The hands (and heart) behind NK Soap
By day, I teach art to students in grades 5 through 12 at a small school in rural Ohio, 22 years in, and still surrounded by color, texture, and the occasional art disaster. There's a kind of magic in watching a student touch clay for the first time, and I've never quite grown out of that feeling myself.
I've always needed my hands in something. Pottery, painting, photography, printmaking. If it's a medium, I've probably made a mess with it once before.
Soap making found me the same way. I always wanted to try making soap. I've always been extremely sensitive to smells, chemicals, and cleaning supplies. I wanted a bar of soap I didn't have to worry about what I was putting onto my skin.
The chemistry behind soap making is another fascinating endeavor. There's a rhythm to it: measuring, blending, watching a batch trace and set, then waiting through the cure while the colors and scents become what they're meant to be. It's not so different from glazing a pot or mixing paint, just with a little more chemistry, and a lot more patience.
Where it's made
A Rural Ohio Studio
I live out on a rural property in Ohio with a pond, a barn, and a wonderful studio. It's the kind of place that makes you slow down, which I think shows up in the soap. Every bar is made in small batches using the cold-process method with organic oils, the same care I'd put into anything I make.
NK Soap is really just an extension of everything else I do: teaching people to see beauty in process, and making things meant to be used, not just looked at. I hope you love it as much as I loved making it.
How it's made
Cold-process, start to finish
1. Mix & saponify
Organic oils and a lye solution combine in a chemical reaction called saponification. This is the traditional way soap is made, and what actually turns oil into soap.
2. Color & pour
Each batch is colored with natural clays and botanicals rather than synthetic dyes, then hand-poured. No two bars ever come out quite identical.
3. Cure for weeks
Once poured, each batch cures for several weeks, allowing the bars to harden properly and mellow into a gentle, long-lasting bar.
Curious what's actually in the soap?
Read the full ingredients philosophy, care tips, and FAQ.
Ingredients & FAQ