Everything comes from our own soap factory
We make our products ourselves, by hand, in small batches. We have been doing this since 2019. Our soap workshop is located at Olieweg 1 in Velsen-Noord.
The soap factory
Why we make it ourselves
Beesha started in 2019 with one product: a shampoo bar. At the time, the shelves were full of shampoo in plastic bottles, and the bars you could find often came from far away or contained ingredients we preferred not to have. Making them ourselves was the only way to solve that.
Founder Ben Bos started at his kitchen counter: sourcing ingredients, finding recipes, calling suppliers. More than a year went into product development before the first five shampoo bars were ready. "I insisted on doing the production myself," he later said about it in an interview.
That has remained the case. Everything we sell, we make ourselves: by hand, in small batches. This way, we know exactly what is in every product and keep quality in our own hands. There is no factory and no middleman involved. You are talking directly to the people who make it.
The same soap factory also manufactures care products under other brand names. We can do this because we know the recipe and the process ourselves. You can read more about this on the private label page.
1 Olieweg, Velsen-Noord
Where it happens
In the soap workshop, we mix, pour, cut, press, dry, and package. We work in batches: a defined quantity of one recipe and one scent, which we make all at once. Each production run is assigned its own batch number, so we can always trace when and from what something was made.
Because it is handcrafted, a batch sometimes differs slightly from the previous one. Shea butter and coconut butter are natural products whose composition varies per harvest, and they harden differently at different temperatures. The recipe remains the same, the end product occasionally feels just a little different.
This is how we make artisanal soap
Our artisanal soap is created using the cold process method. We make shampoo bars, conditioner bars, and body bars differently: they are mixed and pressed by hand.
1. Weighing oils and butters
Four oils form the basis: shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and castor oil. Each oil has its own role in the lather, hardness, and conditioning.
2. Cold process soap making
The oils are combined cold with lye, or sodium hydroxide. During saponification, they turn into soap and glycerin. The lye reacts completely; no lye remains in the final product.
3. Pouring and cutting
The mixture goes into the mold and is then cut into pieces by hand. Because it is handmade, every piece is slightly different.
4. Age for at least six weeks
Next, the soap goes onto the racks. Over those weeks, it hardens, the pH becomes milder, and the texture develops. The glycerin that was created during the saponification process remains in the soap; in industrial soap, it is removed.
5. Numbering
Each production run is assigned its own batch number. This makes it possible to trace exactly when and from what each bar of soap was made.
6. Plastic-free packaging
The soap goes into paper and cardboard. Packed and shipped plastic-free, including the box your order arrives in.
What making it yourself yields
In-house production is not an end in itself. This is what it means in practice.
Small batches
We make a limited quantity of one recipe and one scent at a time.
Scents that move with you
For the artisanal soap, the scents change with the seasons. We schedule new varieties ourselves.
Short lines
No middlemen. You speak directly to the people who make it, and for business inquiries, to the owner.
No minimum from a brochure
Because we handle production ourselves, there is no fixed minimum order quantity from an external factory. What is possible depends on the product.
Each batch has its own number
For every product, we record when and from what it was made.
Handmade soap
Handmade using the cold process method and cured for at least six weeks. The scents vary by season.
Frequently asked questions about the soap factory
Where are your products made?
In our own soap workshop at Olieweg 1 in Velsen-Noord. Everything we sell is handmade there, in small batches.
Can I come over?
Yes. The soap workshop is generally open on the last Saturday of the month as a pop-up store. You can drop by without an appointment to browse and shop; both cash and card payments are accepted. We are often in production on those days, so you can see how we work.
Around holidays and vacations, the schedule may vary, so please check before you make the trip. If you would like to visit at another time, for example for a tour or a business meeting, we work by appointment. Please contact us.
Do you also work for other brands?
Yes. The same soap factory manufactures personal care products under other brands' names. We start from one of our own basic recipes and adjust the fragrance, color, and composition. We do not copy another brand's recipe.
What's in it?
The artisanal soap is made from shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and castor oil, cold-processed with sodium hydroxide. During the saponification process, glycerin is created, which remains in the soap.
A different recipe applies to the shampoo bars and conditioner bars. The complete ingredient list is provided for each product on the product page and is always leading. View the explanation for each ingredient.
How long does it keep?
The shelf life varies by product and is stated on the packaging. Each production run is also assigned its own batch number.
Our products remain good while unopened. What diminishes over time is primarily the scent, as fragrances and essential oils slowly evaporate. If you have opened a jar of body butter or scrub, use it within approximately six months. Handcrafted soap actually gets harder as it ages.
Read more
About Beesha
How we started in 2019 and why everything is packaged and shipped plastic-free.
Private label
Our soap factory manufactures personal care products under your own brand name.