The Story Behind Muddy Bar

We’re Shannen and Jackie,  a married couple based in Rotorua and the people behind Muddy Bar.

Jackie has the big job she is the soap maker. I’m Shannen, and I look after almost everything else. From sales and customers to marketing, emails and talking about soap far more than most people probably want to hear about it.

By the time we started Muddy Bar, we already had plenty of experience making soap. But we wanted to create a soap we were proud of, a brand we believed in, and a product we genuinely wanted people to discover.

And that’s where Muddy Bar began.

Jackie and Shannen Founders of Muddy Bar 

 

Where It Started

At the heart of Muddy Bar, we wanted to make really good soap.

Not soap that relied on clever marketing or a long list of unnecessary extras, but soap made with quality ingredients, carefully chosen scents and a process that we genuinely believe in.

And, as it turned out, we weren't the only ones who noticed the difference.

One of the things that really confirmed we were onto something was seeing how much our soap suited my own skin. I have sensitive skin that can be incredibly reactive, so finding products that don't leave me feeling dry or irritated has always been a challenge.

Our soap worked for me when a lot of other things hadn't.

We saw a similar experience with our niece, who had been dealing with acne and the endless cycle of trying different products, spending money and hoping the next one would be the answer.

Those experiences made the product feel much more personal. It wasn't just about making a nice bar of soap anymore. We had created something that we genuinely loved using ourselves and we wanted other people to have the chance to try it too.

Why Volcanic Clay?

The clay is a big part of what makes Muddy Bar, well… Muddy Bar.

We use New Zealand volcanic clay in every bar because we love what it brings to the soap. It gives our bars their distinctive character, helps create that lovely creamy feel, and adds another natural ingredient to an already carefully considered recipe.

We also love that it connects the product back to New Zealand. Muddy Bar isn't just a soap with a bit of clay added to it, the clay is part of the story.

New Zealand volcanic clay used in all Muddy Bar cold process soaps

 

Two Years of Making, Changing & Learning

We started Muddy Bar with 20 scents, and like any good range, it hasn't stayed exactly the same.

That's one of the things we love about having our own brand, we're constantly able to experiment, improve and evolve.

We're not interested in making hundreds of products just for the sake of having a huge range. We want every bar to earn its place.

Muddy Bar's New Zealand handmade soap

What Hasn't Changed

While the range might change, the reason we started Muddy Bar hasn't.

We still care about making a genuinely good bar of soap, using ingredients we feel good about and taking the time to make it properly.

We're proud of the fact that every bar is made by us, here in New Zealand, and that behind every box leaving our workshop are two people who really care about what goes into it.

Muddy Bar has grown from an idea into a real business, but we're still very much hands-on. We're still making soap, testing scents, packing orders, answering emails and figuring things out as we go.

And honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way.

From Earth to Skin Naturally,  that's what Muddy Bar is all about.