Herbaria
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All Natural Handcrafted Soaps & Personal Care Products LaRee DeFreece made our first batch of soap in 2001. Many customers are Herbaria addicts. Louis.
She suffered from dry, sensitive, sun-damaged skin and was fed up with store-bought soaps. Nearly all contained harsh detergents and synthetic fragrance. She set out to craft a gentle, moisturizing, all-natural soap. After much research and numerous experiments, she created the basic recipe all Herbaria soaps are made with today. LaRee gave samples to her friends to try. “Best soap I’ve ever used,” they’d all say. This type of soap goes by three names: old fashioned lye soap, as opposed to detergent; Castile soap, because it’s made with olive and other vegetable oils; and cold process soap, as opposed to melt and pour soaps. The properties of soap are determined by the oils employed. For example, olive oil is moisturizing but used alone makes a soft bar that doesn’t last or lather well. LaRee’s blend of several vegetable oils makes a perfectly moisturizing, long-lasting, luxuriously lathering soap. The first Herbaria soaps made a splash at Missouri Botanical Garden’s Best of Missouri Market. Soon after, LaRee returned to her law career and her husband, Ken Gilberg, took over. His background in botany, cooking, photography, graphic arts and marketing continue to advance the business. More than a dozen years later, Herbaria ships to all fifty states and numerous countries. They insist our soaps have solved their skin problems, such as eczema and rosacea. In 2009, Herbaria moved to our current location, a large, bright store and workshop on the Hill in St. You can tour the facility, see how real soap is made and learn why Herbaria is better for you. We love what we do. We are grateful to have a business devoted to creating all-natural vegan products healthy for people, pets and the environment. We believe in what we make. We guarantee your satisfaction.
10/08/2026
We're back today to set up at the NEW indoor section of The Best of Missouri Market, making this the biggest market EVER!
Friday–Sunday, October 9–11 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Members-only Shopping Hour: Saturday, October 10 | 8–9 a.m.
To learn more about admissions to the Botanical Gardens Market, visit their website: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/signature-events/best-of-missouri-market
10/06/2026
The MetroQuest Scavenger Hunt descended upon our neighborhood and shop last Saturday. The ensuing melee was something to behold, but we hope the competitive folks had a good time and return to frequent our shop in the future. Thanks for stopping by.
10/04/2026
We return to the indoor market portion at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the Best of Missouri Market next weekend, October 9–11, 2026.
Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m)
Members-only Shopping Hour: Saturday, October 10 | 8–9 a.m.
Shop more than 150 vendors of handcrafted items, locally produced food, and much more at this beloved fall festival.
See you there soon!
https://shorturl.at/QZ06L
10/04/2026
Happy Fall!
Love,
the shop girls, Soapy & Bubbles.
We love what we do and the products we make. We hope you do too. If you don’t love us already, come and see why you should for yourself.
We’re open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.
09/29/2026
Mocha soap is part of our Beta Bar line of test bars.
Using real chocolate and coffee absolutes, this bar smells like an invigorating sweet treat. Added cocoa butter helps moisturize, coffee adds a subtle scrub.
09/25/2026
Headed to the U.S. Virgin Islands soon? No need to pack your Herbaria Citronella Mist because the Christiansted National History Site will carry your supplies in its shop!
Our newest National Park site to carry our all-natural mosquito repellent, this site states, "Located in Alexander Hamilton's hometown, this 7.5-acre historic site, nestled along the Christiansted waterfront, was once the seat of Danish colonial power in the Danish West Indies."
Anyone been? Thanks, Christiansted NHS, for letting us provide mosquito protection for your tropical site.
09/21/2026
Half Bars make great guest soaps, kids' soaps, and gift soaps. They are the size of one of our regular soaps chopped right down the middle. Some customers tell us they enjoy a smaller bar in their hands.
Customers love changing varieties for a new scent. Each Half Bar is individually wrapped to identify its variety and list its wholesome ingredients. You can find these little nuggets and more on our website through the homepage link in our profile.
09/20/2026
Six bestselling soaps, perfectly sized.
Six chunky, palm-sized half bars of our absolute favorites. Individually wrapped and identified. We send your Half Bars shrink-wrapped in a decorative tray and tied with raffia ribbon, ready for gift-giving.
Shop here: https://herbariasoap.com/half-bar-6-bestsellers.html
09/19/2026
We accommodate group tours larger than 10 people by scheduling them ahead of time; please call to get onto our calendar.
As this photo suggests, we try to make your visit as comfortable as possible and can provide a seated environment. We always offer informal tours to regular-sized groups of folks; visit us any time during store hours.
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.
On the tour, learn the difference between detergent and real soap; synthetic fragrance versus essential oil. Even kids enjoy learning about soap—its history, what's in it, and how it's made. We include a little bit of our own almost 25-year history. The tour can be as simple, as technical, or as botanical as you like.
Visit soon!
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2016 Marconi
St. Louis, MO
63110
Opening Hours
| Monday | 10am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 10am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 10am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 10am - 5pm |
| Friday | 10am - 5pm |
| Saturday | 10am - 5pm |
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