have been making their Superior Herbal soaps on the North Shore for 10 years now. Deb and Steve are pictured on the far left cutting the soap to begin the curing process. On the left are the natural ingredients—solid and liquid oils—that are combined to create the healthy, organic soaps.
When moms say, “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears” and “Don’t forget to wash the backs of your hands. They get dirty, too. And doggone it anyway, please use soap…” they are usually talking to their small children or their inattentive spouse.
Sometimes both.
In our house, it seems it’s always both.
But Steve and Deb Dobbelmann have an answer for those mopes wary of scary soaps. They have created a variety of super soaps. Healthy, organic soaps. Even the most sappy, sudsy, impaired soapologists will have to admit these bars of soap are not only healthy. They are heavenly!
So how did this come about?
“About 13 years ago I had a medical procedure that left me with severe inflammation and a lot of discomfort,” said Deb, who added, “A friend suggested that I steep comfrey leaves in a large pot. Once steeped, I strained them and added them to my bath water. The results were miraculous. Thenext day I was completely cured.”
This led Deb to investigating herbal medicines and homeopathy. She bought books and took classes and began to harvest every medicinal herb she could find. She also planted herbs along with vegetables that she grew organically. Because she didn’t use pesticides, she started having trouble with insects and fungi.
“I started researching natural solutions to rid the garden of these problems. That research brought me to a study of essential oils, which opened up a whole new world of plant medicine,” Deb said.
Soon Deb was making soaps and experimenting with essential oil blends. Because of skin problems in her family, she started to make soaps that would help cure unwanted blemishes. It wasn’t long before everyone in her extended family was asking for and using her soap.
“People need to take a hard look at what they put on their skin. There are a lot of bad chemicals in popular skin care products,” said Deb.
In 1999 she decided to leave her job at the Birch Grove Foundation to begin her Superior Herbals Company. One year later she was up and running and this year marks her and Steve’s 10th year in business.
Since then her company has expanded, now supplying 75 gift shops, several grocery stores and seven co-ops.
“We now make nine different types of soap, four lotions, a face cream, a salve to combat itching, and lip balm,” said Deb, adding, “We are also looking at adding new products. I have been working on formulas for night cream, anti-aging cream and massage oils.”
This process can be a lengthy one. Deb employs only natural products in her formulas and it can take years to get just the right blend to produce the results she and her clients are looking for.
Both Deb and her husband Steve spend portions of May and June harvesting Heal All and Plantain from the area forest. During this process the Dobbelmanns never harm plants. “We never take the plants by the roots; instead, we carefully cut the branches, leaving the plant to regenerate,” said Deb.
Steve and Deb work together to make the products. This is achieved using what is called a “cold processing” method: all the ingredients are put together at a temperature just below
” 100 degrees. Deb adds specific nutrients to the mixture just before the end of stirring time. Thisis called superfatting. Nutrients remain more prevalent in this process, and because of a high percentage of olive oil in the blends the soap lathers extremely well, said Deb.
Because essential oils are natural, they contain specific medicinal properties. These fragrant oils also smell good. After experimenting, Deb learned that certain combinations of oils worked better together than others.
When the soap is mixed properly, it is put in specially designed wooden boxes created for the Dobbelmanns by the late Roy Holmquist.
After the boxed soap sits under a blanket for 24 hours, Steve and Deb use a wire column and bar block cutters to make individual bars. These are put on shelves from two to four weeks. When an order comes in, Deb removes the product from the shelves, shaves the rough edges, and labels each bar by hand.
This labor-intensive approach results in a very highquality product. “We are one of the few companies that offer paraben-free, sodium laurel sulfate-free formulas,” said Deb.
“Because we make small batches we can assure the freshest ingredients. Steve and I love every aspect of this business, and we hope that our customers feel the joy that we put in the product,” said Deb.
Locally their products can be found on the shelves at Johnson’s Grocery store, the Whole Foods Co-op and Beth’s Fudge & Gifts or Birchbark Gallery. To learn more, check their web site: www.superiorherbals. biz.
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