The Handmade Soap Company on Dublin’s Wicklow Street have launched in-store candle-making workshops and we were among the first to try it out. Founder Donagh Quigley is a wealth of knowledge on natural fragrance, essential oils and scenting your home for your mood, all of which he explained in detail to the group of six as we got set up for the workshop.

Spread out safely with your own workstation, we set to work making our candles which were made using sustainably sourced bee’s wax (Donagh keeps bees near their factory in Slane) and rapeseed oil which he sources from local farmers. The Handmade Soap Company blends their own mixes of essential oils which you use to scent the candles. Next up were the bath bombs which felt a little like an experiment you would have done in school, using baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch and alcohol, ensuring the right quantities of each to cause a reaction. Adding some dried flowers and essential oil blends meant the bath bombs looked as good as they smelled. You come away with three large bath bombs so you could easily wrap one or two up and gift them to a friend in need of some self-care!

Speaking about the workshops, founder Donagh Quigley said, “These workshops were part of our original dream ten years ago. It has taken us a while to get to an ideal time and place but now we are ready. The intent is to share our knowledge, our passion and to show people the ritual of nature’s self-care is accessible to all.” With an emphasis on natural ingredients, Donagh explains that during the workshops “you will learn the basics of natural perfumery, using a selection of the finest essential oils and unifying them to the perfect, well-balanced blend. You will master using ingredients that are readily available in nature and then learn how to customise them with dried seasonal flowers that grow locally. You will leave with your handmade products and the knowledge of how to create your own forever.”

After the workshop it’s time to browse The Handmade Soap Company store and it’s hard to leave empty-handed. After hearing Donagh’s story about the origins of the company, the processes at the factory and the care and consideration they put into each product, suddenly you want to fill your bathroom with these products. Over the past year, we have lost a lot of the emotional connection with shopping and products, missing out on the tactile experience of touching and feeling before you buy as well as learning from and making a connection with shopkeepers, sales advisors and brand founders. The Handmade Soap Company’s in-store workshops brought all of that back and more.

Each workshop will have a limit of six people, each workstation appropriately separated and in-line with all Covid safety guidelines. The workshop dates are:

· *Candle Making 5.30pm to 7:00pm:
July 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th
August 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th

· *Bath Bomb and Lip Balm 7:00pm to 8:30pm:
July 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th
August 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th all at 7pm

All workshops cost €50 per person and will run for 1 hour and 30 minutes in The Handmade Soap Company’s Wicklow Street store in Dublin 2. Pre-book your spot online at www.thehandmadesoapcompany.ie.

*Workshop dates will be dependent on government guidelines.