By Morgan Grant
Shaen Goetsch, owner of Perfectly Natural Soap, says she wants to provide comfort and reliability to customers who use her products. When asked about how she wants people to feel when they make a purchase, she says, “I want our products to do what they say they’re going to do.” She makes clear that she is not in the business of selling empty promises or miraculous cure-alls, but good, honest products people can rely on. “I want them to be comfortable with what they’re putting on their skin,” she says.
In 2013, Shaen and her husband, Rich, were inspired to start Perfectly Natural Soap after having difficulty with finding products that were safe for their eldest child’s sensitive skin. As a team, the couple began in earnest by selling their soaps independently online, before getting an opportunity with a major online retail platform. This allowed them to reach nationwide clientele, and soon they began selling at farmer’s markets in the Smithfield area.
“We really loved it. We loved the people, the charm of the good, small, quaint downtown,” Shaen says. Within just a few years of starting Perfectly Natural Soap, they managed to open their first retail property in Smithfield in 2016. The success of their first store then allowed them to open subsequent shops in their hometown of Williamsburg in 2018 and 2020. Opening the shop’s door brings a feeling of calmness and peacefulness as the lovely aromas permeate the shop. When asked what has changed since starting the business, Shaen answers excitedly, saying, “Well, everything!”
This soap specialist speaks about how different it is, for both herself and for the customers, to sell products in-person at the shops as opposed to online. “When you’re selling online, there can be too much choice. It can be a little bit overwhelming for people. But we found when people come into a soap shop, they like a lot of different choices, and being able to touch things, smell them and sample them makes a difference.”
Shaen talks about how she wants to cultivate a spa atmosphere in the shops, so that people can take a little bit of relaxation home with them. She says, “Everybody’s lives are so busy and stressed these days, and not everybody can just take a spa day whenever they want. So, we really try to help people pull that serenity and peacefulness back into their daily lives.”
Shaen works seven days a week because the shop is so busy. “Every year I say I’m going to get down to six days a week,” she says with a laugh. She doesn’t have much time for hobbies, but even if she did, her main hobby before starting Perfectly Natural Soap was soapmaking. It’s this work ethic and passion that helped earn her a certification from the Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild of an Advanced Certified Soapmaker. “Within the company I come up with new recipes and any type of cosmetic chemistry that needs to be done. That’s my wheelhouse,” she says. Once a new product has been formulated, her husband takes over with the day-to-day production, keeping the entire manufacturing side of the business within the family.
With a commitment to using natural ingredients such as avocado oil, aloe and plant-based butters, Shaen says she and her husband are very proud of the consistency they can offer their customers. She estimates about 75 percent of their business is return buyers, many of whom like to bring their friends and families to the shop during visits. She says that, while social media definitely helps them get the word out about product launches, when it comes to growing their customer base, there’s nothing like word of mouth and visits to the shops to sample the products.
TO THE POINT:
Perfectly Natural Soap
Address: 2021 Richmond Rd., Ste. A, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Contact: Shaen Goetsch, owner
Phone: 757-345-5407
Website: perfectlynaturalsoap.com
