The Heritage
The Story of Brooklyn Soap Company
Brooklyn Soap Company blends the grit of its namesake borough with a quiet devotion to scent. Founded in the mid‑2010s, the label offers a modest line of soaps, candles and niche fragrances that echo everyday moments – a rain‑slick sidewalk, a summer rooftop, a quiet library. Its most recognized scents, The Woods Beginning (2015) and The Woods New Level (2017), illustrate a progression from raw, woody notes toward a smoother, layered composition. The brand stays small, hand‑crafting each batch in a loft studio and shipping directly to a community of collectors who value authenticity over flash.
Heritage
Chris Collins, a former runway model who grew up in Brooklyn, launched Brooklyn Soap Company after years of experimenting with home‑made soaps in his kitchen. In 2015 he released The Woods Beginning, a fragrance built around cedar, pine and a hint of amber, which quickly attracted attention from niche‑fragrance blogs for its unpretentious approach. The following year the company expanded its product range to include hand‑poured soy candles and artisanal bar soaps, all produced in a modest loft on the Williamsburg waterfront. 2017 saw the release of The Woods New Level, a refinement that added subtle spice and softened the original’s sharp edges, signaling the brand’s willingness to revisit and evolve its own creations. By 2018 Brooklyn Soap Company partnered with a local Brooklyn artist to redesign its packaging, introducing recycled glass bottles and labels printed on reclaimed paper. The pandemic of 2020 forced the studio to shift entirely online; Collins used the downtime to refine sourcing practices, establishing direct relationships with U.S. farms for essential oils and natural butters. In 2022 the brand introduced a refill program for its candles, reducing waste and reinforcing its commitment to sustainable production. Throughout its growth, the company has remained rooted in the borough’s industrial aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the neighborhood’s warehouses, street art and community gardens. The brand’s story reflects a broader movement of small‑scale makers who prioritize craft, locality and a sense of place over mass‑market ambition.
Craftsmanship
Production takes place in a 1,200‑square‑foot loft that doubles as a laboratory and workshop. Each batch of soap begins with a melt‑and‑pour method that blends coconut oil, shea butter and olive oil in precise ratios, then cools under controlled temperature to preserve fragrance integrity. Candles are hand‑poured using 100 % soy wax, a choice that yields a clean burn and reduces soot. The Woods fragrances are blended in small glass vessels, where perfumers—often freelance artisans rather than in‑house staff—measure natural essential oils by weight, allowing for exact replication across batches. Ingredient sourcing emphasizes regional farms: cedarwood comes from the Pacific Northwest, while amber notes derive from sustainably harvested Baltic amber resin. Quality checks include a visual inspection for air bubbles, a scent test by a panel of three staff members, and a burn test for candles to confirm even melt pools. Packaging uses recycled amber glass for bottles and reclaimed cardboard for boxes; all inks are soy‑based. The brand maintains a strict batch‑size limit of 250 units for each fragrance, ensuring consistency and allowing the team to monitor each release closely. Documentation of each step is stored in a digital ledger, providing traceability from raw material receipt to final shipment.
Design Language
The visual language of Brooklyn Soap Company mirrors the borough’s industrial heritage. Bottles feature simple amber glass with a matte black cap, echoing the look of vintage apothecary containers. Labels employ a sans‑serif typeface stamped in white ink on recycled paper, giving a tactile, slightly imperfect feel. The brand’s logo—a stylized skyline silhouette—appears subtly on each product, reinforcing a sense of place without overwhelming the design. Packaging for soaps and candles incorporates kraft paper wraps tied with twine, a nod to the neighborhood’s market stalls. Seasonal collaborations introduce limited‑edition color palettes drawn from local street art, while the refill program showcases sleek, reusable glass jars that sit neatly on a windowsill. Overall, the aesthetic balances minimalism with handcrafted charm, inviting customers to display the items as functional décor rather than mere accessories.
Philosophy
Brooklyn Soap Company believes that scent should capture the ordinary rather than chase the extraordinary. Its creative vision centers on translating the sounds, textures and smells of daily Brooklyn life into olfactory experiences. The brand values transparency, sourcing ingredients that can be traced back to regional growers whenever possible. It avoids synthetic shortcuts, opting instead for natural essential oils, plant‑based waxes and responsibly harvested woods. Community drives the company’s decisions; feedback from local customers shapes new releases, and collaborations with neighborhood artists keep the visual language fresh. Sustainability informs every step, from using recycled packaging to offering refillable containers that extend product life. The philosophy also embraces a modest pace: rather than flooding the market with seasonal drops, the label releases a handful of carefully considered scents each year, allowing each fragrance to settle into the lives of its users.
Key Milestones
2015
Launch of The Woods Beginning, the brand’s first fragrance, featuring cedar, pine and amber.
2016
Introduction of hand‑poured soy candles and artisanal bar soaps, expanding the product line beyond fragrance.
2017
Release of The Woods New Level, a refined version that added spice and softened the original’s edge.
2018
Collaboration with a Brooklyn artist to redesign packaging using recycled glass and reclaimed paper.
2020
Full shift to online sales during the COVID‑19 pandemic; direct sourcing agreements with U.S. farms were established.
2022
Launch of a refillable candle program, reducing waste and reinforcing sustainable practices.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
United States
Founded
2015
Heritage
11
Years active
Collection
1
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
3.7
Community sentiment
Release Rhythm