Beyond Nerdy: Luxury Lane Soap

You know when you find out about something from a friend and you’re all like, “This looks cool. I’ll try it out.” And you do. And then you’re all like, “Holy shit, I’m never going to use anything else ever again!” So yeah, that’s what happened to me when I started using Luxury Lane Soap products.

Luxury Lane Soap is the brainchild of Kylee Lane, a be-tatted mother and wife who started making soap at home in 2005 after struggling to find products that wouldn’t irritate her son’s über-sensitive skin. The company branched out from there, and it seems that Lane hasn’t looked back.

Recent reviews for Luxury Lane Soap highlight the company’s quirky, geek-themed products, which are sure to please fandoms spanning the Verse. And to be sure, these soaps are A-mazing. Does your Stormtrooper need a pick-me-up? Cheer him with some “Soap in Carbonite,” depicting the iconic image of a frozen Han Solo. Want to say “I love you” to your special Whovian (without actually saying it)? Look no further than the “Type 40TT” T.A.R.D.I.S. soap, which is scented like roses, of course.

 
Reviews praising these products can be found on Lane’s “Press Features” page, and, for the most part, they highlight the products you’d want to display on a shelf next to your replica Serenity rather than use in the shower. This is all well and good, but I think the more traditional products needs some touting as well.

I ultimately keep buying Luxury Lane soap – both nerdy and traditional – because it works, and then some.

What makes a good bath product? For me, it comes down to effectiveness and aesthetic appeal. Does it make me un-stinky, un-dirty, and oh-so-touchable? Does it smell like all sorts of wonderfulness? Does it feel like all sorts of wonderfulness? Here are some of my favorites that meet these criteria:

Organic Artisan Soap:

I use this soap everyday, and it creates a silky lather that leaves the skin soft and clean. Most Luxury Lane products, including this one, are available in an array of tantilizing and creative scents, which are subtly blended and never overbearing. Vanilla Oak is my favoriate so far, which is warm with just the right amount of sweetness. ($6.50)

Argan Luxury Bath Bar:

The name is not a lie. This soap’s lather is extremely smooth and luxurious, with Argan and coconut oils providing excellent moisture. Bonus Points: it’s also Vanilla Oak scented. ($6.50)

Vintage Twist Up Shaving Soap:

This is the best shaving product I’ve come across. Rather than foam, it creates a smooth and long-lasting gel buffer for your skin. Once applied, it lasts through several passes of the razor rather than slough off like shaving cream (so long as you don’t leave your leg under the spray of water). The tube also lasts a long time, so it’s just as cost-effective as traditional shaving cream. ($7.99) Lane also sells Organic Shave Spirals ($8.99 for two), which provide the same advantages, but I like the application method of the twist-up version better.

Whipped-Up Sugar Scrub:

I use this scrub a couple times a week, and it exfoliates like a boss. Even better, Avocado and Argon oils leave newly-polished skin soft and moisturized. To maximize this effect, I exfoliate at the end of my shower, give the areas a quick rinse, and then towel dry. ($7.99) If you’re not looking to exfoliate, try the Whipped Soap Frosting ($9.95), which cleanses and moisturizes with Avocado oil as well.

Luxury Lane products cost anywhere from $2.99 to $15.00, which is a bit pricey for me right now. I’m not saying that they’re not worth it, but that living on Austin’s resident salary, raising a tiny human, and paying a car note/mortgage leaves us strapped for cash. $6.00 soap is a bit of a luxury. Luckily, Lane frequently posts promotional discount codes via social media (Like her Facebook page or follow @LuxuryLaneSoap on Twitter) and lists weekly sales. She also recently initiated “The Lane Laboratory” section on her website, offering up-and-coming or test products at lower prices. Yes, please.

What’s more, with this stuff, I don’t feel like a total jerk washing my suds down the drain. Lane takes pains to make her production process and all of her products environmentally friendly and humane from start to finish. As she explains on her website, she “uses pure, sustainable, organic ingredients,” and she assures buyers, “I am indeed conscious of where I purchase my supplies, and will continue to seek contentious growers and producers.” This contentiousness extends to her packaging, which contains “no mass produced labels” and utilizes “recycled materials, donated from our local schools and small business organizations.”

I will say, though, that buying handmade soap online puts me in a bit of an ideological conundrum. I try to buy responsibly, purchasing eco-friendly items and patronizing local businesses when possible. Does buying an organic, handmade product negate the environmental impact of shipping it halfway across the country? Would I be better served, and better serve my community, by finding an east Tennessee soap source instead? Perhaps. But I have a soft-spot for Iowa (Lane’s homebase and where most of my family lives); for me, buying from Iowa counts as local. I also have yet to find anything here that combines the same attributes of quality, eco-consciousness, and imagination.

Ultimately, everything I’ve tried from Luxury Lane Soap has rocked my bathing experience. I like that the products are ecologically friendly and effective, and I am willing to pay a bit more for them, as well as have them shipped to me. They’re worth it. While I’ve mainly focused on Lane’s traditional products here, I am also thoroughly in love with her geek-themed products, which deserve every bit of good press they’ve received. I want to buy all of the things!

“Do what you love in abundance.” This is Lane’s advice to other home-based businesses, provided in a previous review (see below), and her products provide tangible proof that she has taken it to heart. This is someone who works hard to please customers but who also loves what she does. These are products bred up from maternal care, hardcore work ethic, and a lively imagination. If you’re still on the fence about trying them, take a look at both parts of the interview below. If you’re not hooked – not impressed by Lane’s attention to detail and passion for her product – well, then you might just be a Dalek.

Part I:

http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/do-what-you-love-home-based-business/

Part II:

http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/stay-home-mom-home-based-business/

Here’s another fantastic profile, for good measure:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/mom-takes-matters-her-own-hands