If you look at Bowness Soapworks’ products, you’ll spot a bar of soap topped with dried green herbs dubbed “Margo’s Mint.” This name isn’t just a fun alliteration — the titular Margo is a friend of Bowness Soapworks founder Melba Seto and the mint comes from her personal Calgary garden.
“I try to source locally when I can,” says Seto.
Other herbs and decorative touches are also grown and gathered firsthand by Seto and her community, including sage, lemon balm, rose hip and even decorative moss. Seto also turns to local businesses for ingredients, such as coffee grounds from Hammer & Chip, a small-batch, Calgary-based coffee roaster.
The soap ingredients are also natural and never include perfumes or dyes. Bowness Soapworks’ base recipe, sold as the Buck Naked Unscented Soap, has only three ingredients: olive oil, water and saponified oils.
As a fan of outdoor adventures, it was important to Seto that her soaps could be enjoyed while exploring nature. The bars can be used for hands, hair, face, body and even in the kitchen, a versatility that makes the soap ideal for longer outdoor excursions.
“I usually take a bar of soap when we go on our adventures, and cut it up for dishes, washing our hands and body, and [even] laundry,” says Seto. “When you’re camping, it’s a more economical and practical way of using soap.”
Drawing from Seto’s love for the nearby mountains, many of the soap bars have cheeky names that might ring a bell, including the Kleananaskis Kountry Charcoal Soap, Bow River Brew Coffee Soap and the beloved LemonGrassi Lakes Soap.
Seto also makes pottery — choose from a selection of beautifully made tea cups, tumblers and mugs.