The Soap Box Company is an online re-seller of several indie brands, specializing in bath and body products with some cosmetics, perfumes, and nail polishes. There seems to be a trend lately of indie companies branching out and housing other brands in addition to their own - Shiro now sells Femme Fatale and Victorian Disco for example - but The Soap Box Co is entirely a distributor and doesn't produce any of their own products. However, they have worked with many of their vendors to offer some exclusive scents.
There are a some pretty big benefits in purchasing from a larger re-seller. In no particular order:
- You get to purchase from multiple brands but pay only one shipping cost.
- Exclusive products that aren't offered any where else.
- Some brands never do sales and The Soap Box Company does so you can get a bit of a discount on certain things.
There are also a few downsides.
- Re-sellers, or at least ones that are run properly, generally only sell what they have on stock so depending on the brand, several products may be out of stock at once with longer waiting periods for things to come back again.
- They get seasonal items much slower than the brand pages themselves.
- Be aware of a product's shelf life. When purchasing from a distributor, that product has an added time between being produced and being sold that may be longer than the indie brand itself. This is generally not an issue but something to be aware of for things with shorter lifespans.
Packaging:
My package came in a USPS 2-day priority mail box and everything was neatly packed. Most items were inside a cellophane bag and padded with shredded paper. The box was stuffed with packing peanuts.
The Soap Box Company lists on their help page that all of their choice packing materials are "green." From the website:
The Soap Box Company lists on their help page that all of their choice packing materials are "green." From the website:
I was pretty happy to find out that the packing peanuts were the biodegradable variety. The "green" movement usually doesn't strike a bell with me but packing peanuts are really terrible. Also they status stick to everything.Paper shred - 100% Recycled Paper, made in USACellophane bags - certified biodegradable & compostable, made in EnglandPacking peanuts - certified biodegradable (pet-friendly option coming soon)Colored tissue paper - 100% Recycled Fibers, made in USA
Selection:
Since they're a distributor, The Soap Box Company offers a pretty large array of products. Though they don't offer all (or even in some cases, most) of the products available from a brand.
They offer products from the following companies:
They offer products from the following companies:
- Alkemia
- Arcana Soaps
- bambu earth
- Calypso Salt & Soap
- Concrete Minerals
- Eau de Nerd
- Glisten & Glow
- My Lip Stuff
- Naiad Soap Arts
- Paintbox Soapworks
- Pink Parchment
- Puur Body Tonic
- Red Leaf Bath & Body
- Sixteen92
- Skinny Dip Candles
- Soapgirl
- Urban Lacquer
- Villainess
- Vivid Lacquer
I haven't heard of most of these brands - brand awareness is a great reason to link up with a distributor! - but I think that someone is much more likely to try out a brand they've never heard of if they're already purchasing from a shop. We haven't touched most of them but I've linked the companies that we have covered in the list above.
But, though they have such a wide brand menu, some of these brand pages are pretty sparse compared to their full offerings.
Samples:
Not all brands offer samples or minis though oddly, you can get a 6-pack Villainess Sampler which is the only way that I've found to try out Villianess without purchasing full sizes on any site.
Quality:
 |
| Crystallization on Villainess Smooch |
However, I did want to elaborate on one of the negatives that I mentioned above. I'm not a chemist or even close to being an expert on this topic but from my understanding, products with cocoa butter can crystallize oddly during temperature changes. This is entirely a cosmetic issue and doesn't effect the use of the product but it does look pretty gross in some instances. That's what happened in the Villainess scrub on the left.
This is an issue that happens if a product melts and then re-solidifies (it tends to be pretty common with lip balms actually). I mention it because The Soap Box Company is based in Texas where it is very very warm.
Now, I repeat, this is just a cosmetic issue (if you do have concerns, contact the brand owner of the product. I contacted Brooke at Villainess and she verified the problem with this particular scrub.) but it's something to be aware of since products will be traveling from all over the place to Texas and then out to wherever the customer is.
Cost:
I've found that the prices on The Soap Box Company website are pretty much on par with the prices from the brands themselves though some things will be marked "on sale" and be lower in price. Also, as I mentioned above, The Soap Box Co does do sales. They recently had a scrub sale and will also offer percentage off sales. This is pretty awesome because some of the brands that they carry don't do sales at all so this is a great way to get a discount.
Another thing that's pretty cool is the Rewards Program. For every $1 spent, you get 10 rewards points and 100 rewards points is $1 off a purchase.
Another thing that's pretty cool is the Rewards Program. For every $1 spent, you get 10 rewards points and 100 rewards points is $1 off a purchase.
Customer Service:
I haven't needed to contact The Soap Box Company but they do have a Facebook Page that they respond to queries through.
TAT:
Turn around time is listed as a fantastic 1-3 business days. I received a shipping notice the day after I placed an order and it was in my hands two days later.
Shipping:
A little pricey but it's because they ship 2-Day Priority. They refund shipping charges over $2.But they do offer free shipping if you meet an order minimum. From the website:
US: $100+ minimum orderCanada: $200+ (coming soon)All Other International: $300+
Personal Thoughts:
I really like The Soap Box Company! I know that I paid more for the shipping so I really shouldn't be overly excited that it got to me so fast but having a package three days after purchasing is really fantastic. I'm super spoiled by Amazon Prime 2-Day Shipping so sometimes regular USPS times are really painful.I would probably use The Soap Box Company more if I could get seasonal release items from them or if they had more stock of some of my favorite brands but I think they're performing a pretty awesome service for the indie market.
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