Beessential began with a beehive someone else had placed on the founder’s family farm. When that person could no longer tend it, the founder took over, learned to keep bees, and attended beekeeping workshops at Ohio State’s agricultural campus.

That interest led to making soap and shampoo with the family. Today, Beessential makes skin and hair care by hand in the United States, using ingredients that include honey and beeswax.

The people behind a bar of soap are worth knowing, too. If you’re looking for something for the bathroom sink or shower, begin with the formula and scent you prefer. Leave the bar where you’ll use it every day.