During Covid many of us spent time washing our hands with soap repeatedly. For mother and daughter, Cristy and Sam Allen, they were inspired to make soap themselves. Cristy admits that the process intimidated her at first. 'I was afraid I might blow up my kitchen!' she laughs. What emerged were beautifully handcrafted soaps using locally sourced ingredients. Cristy and Sam work from their home in Queen Creek to make bright, fragrant soaps that look good enough to eat. In fact, some of their soaps might double for dessert. The colors are vibrant, sometimes swirling and accented by golden leaves or delicate flowers. Nature is clearly an inspiration. Cristy herself grew up on a ranch in Arizona surrounded by farmland and the spirit of self-sufficiency. It was Cristy’s mom who taught her how to make soap using rendered animal fats. However, the soaps Cristy and Sam make now are all plant based and far from plain. Every ingredient, even the eco-friendly wrapping are local. Cristy said that she hopes that getting one of her products is like ‘opening your first Christmas present’.
For their Fall line, their scents include Autumn Wreath, which is an apple and cinnamon scent with undertones of Fall fruit. A bath bomb called Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice is topped with a little cinnamon stick. Using their soap isn’t just about washing your hands either, Cristy and Sam are on a mission to prove great things can be created and sold locally too. Their business gives back as well. Recently they have joined the non-profit Eco Soap Bank, which collects the discarded scraps from soap makers to create soaps that are then sent to countries who need them.
On their website, Soap Freakin Excited has a tag line of ‘Getting back to basic’. Yet, there is nothing basic about their artisanal soaps that they have sculpted into aromatic works of art. They are the essence of what Queen Creek has always been about; combining family, community, and hard work.