Responsibly-sourced plant-based butters & oils.
Cruelty-free and animal product-free soap.
Plastic-free packaging.
What it means to be clean.
Getting sand-blasted on Island Beach State Park. Roasting in a flats boat off Cudjoe Key. Radiated by the unfiltered sun in Craig. Simultaneously sweating and freezing in Deposit in July.
Fly fishing is my favorite way to enjoy our beautiful country — but it is brutal on my skin.
I have zero interest in dragging around an arsenal of skin-care products everywhere I go. My rolling duffel is already full of fly-tying equipment and a spare one of everything. I have no room — or desire — to schlep around creams and lotions and potions too.
I like my life simple. But I also like my skin healthy, soft, and nourished.
So when I set out to create the perfect soap for the less-clothes/more-gear, fish-till-you-drop-then-do-it-again-tomorrow kinda person, I started with the most luxurious, skin-loving butter around: Shea.
A whopping 21% of the oils and butters in every bar is shea.
Shea is nothing new. In fact, it’s really old. And really good. Shea is famous for its moisture-boosting, skin-soothing, and antioxidant-loaded qualities. Packed with fatty acids, it has the ability to protect skin from environmental damage with its anti-inflammatory properties.
Every ingredient in a bar of Tailwater soap is thoughtfully chosen. Not only for its purported skin benefits but also for its ability to be responsibly sourced from reliable, traceable, and accountable resources.
I am very proud of my recipe. It took a long time to develop a bar of soap that:
has a luxurious, bubbly lather that rinses clean off my skin and the shower floor too
leaves my skin hydrated and silky soft — not that “squeaky clean” feeling that’s dry and itchy five minutes out of the shower
doesn’t get squishy and melt away in a week
most importantly — I know every ingredient, where it came from, how it was sourced, and I feel good about it.
I am so proud of what I’ve created, I’m even happy to share the recipe so you can make it yourself if you wanted to:
24% Coconut Oil
For a luscious, bubbly lather and a long-lasting bar.
21% Shea Butter
A powerful emollient famous for hydrating and softening.
21% Olive Oil
High in oleic acid, olive oil conditions skin and gives bar soap longevity.
14% RSPO Palm Oil
Adds to bar longevity and works beautifully with coconut oil for a rich, bubbly lather.
8% Cocoa Butter
Enhances lather with silkiness and is well-known for creating a hydrating barrier on the skin.
7% Avocado Oil
Also high in oleic acid, avocado oil delivers extra conditioning properties.
5% Castor Oil
A powerful and unique humectant, it’s known for helping skin retain moisture and adds further silkiness to the lather.
Everyone should believe in something; I believe I’ll go fishing.
Henry David Thoreau