We're Haluk and Nicola and The Black Cat Soap House is our family business.
Our purpose as a business is to provide you with high quality cosmetics products which your skin and hair will love and to do so in a way which is both sustainable and ethical.
Why are our products all natural, vegan and organic?
Because they are beautiful like this and they don't need to be any other way. Because they are beneficial to us and our skin and kinder to animals, people and the planet.
Having a son with severe eczema when he was a baby and toddler was when we saw first hand the irritation that some ingredients in so called "natural" commercial products could cause. Listening to him cry as we put on the lotions recommended by the doctor led us to look for truly natural alternatives. It was my mother who first introduced us to Shea Butter and using it on our son's skin was when things started to get better.
That was 22 years ago now - long before we were vegan or had started making soaps and creams ourselves - but something we have never forgotten! And for that reason, Shea Butter plays an important part in our products.
We feel proud to be able to share what we've learnt and to offer you an alternative choice which is gentle and ethical.
Haluk is the one with the magic hands! He makes all our products himself and when he's not weighing, mixing, pouring and cutting you'll find him selling his soaps at markets and events. You might also see me, Nicola, at markets too. I have another job but in my spare time I help out behind the scenes and do most of the social media posts, leaflets, website etc. Our boys help out too, mostly with loading and unloading the car on market days but also helping out on the stall, cutting soap, counting the newly delivered stock of soap dishes etc.
We owe a lot to my mother and step father. They used to have a soap business themselves and we have learnt so much from them. In fact, working for them was where Haluk first developed his soap making skills.
The whole family is involved with testing the products .... it's a tough job but someone has to do it!!
We are totally against animal testing and none of our products or ingredients have been tested on animals.
If you are looking for vegan products you can rest assured that as a vegan company, and vegan ourselves, our products and processes have always been 100% vegan and cruelty free. We are certified by PETA as Animal Test Free and Vegan and endorsed as Cruelty Free by Naturewatch Foundation.
Plants are amazing and have many powerful properties. That's why we make all our products from plants! High quality soaps, shampoo bars, oils and creams which look, smell and feel beautiful. Fragranced with pure essential oils, made from natural and organic ingredients, we are proud to offer you eco-friendly skincare products which will leave you feeling gorgeous.
Everything you will find in our products, except for the organic clays and pumice stone in some of our soaps, comes directly from plants and everything we use is there because it is beneficial in some way.
Our products are great for sensitive skins. There are only a few exceptions, such as the Gardener's Soap because it contains pumice powder to help get rid of the garden grime and may be too rough for sensitive skin. As well as other powerful ingredients, many of our products contain Organic Unrefined Shea Butter because of its amazing skin healing and moisturising properties.
The Black Cat Soap House is hidden down a little lane in Kirriemuir, a quirky little town in the heart of the Angus countryside in the East of Scotland. It's situated at the base of the Angus glens and is surrounded by beautiful scenery. We have stunning views with big open skies and it is a wonderful place to sit down with a cup of tea and watch the seasons change. We have recently converted our old garage (which in Victorian times had been the wash house for the whole street) into our new Soap House. We love it.
We love cats! When we started our business our cats weren't black and sadly are no longer with us, but they were a big part of our lives for a long time. We rescued their mother who we had found, terrified and starving, stuck on a rooftop in Izmir when we lived in Turkey. Soon after her rescue she had kittens, 2 of which became our special friends.
Several years ago we adopted a lovely cat from one of the local rescue centres who does happen to be black. She quickly became a very important part of our family! To us, cats are simply beautiful and the iconic image of the black cat is stylish and memorable.
