WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-True Body Products

Winooski, Vermont - May 15, 2009

The boxes of soap on the packaging line come so steadily, they almost form a blur. A constant work pace has become familiar to Janice Shade. She says, "I think it's going to grow even faster in the coming months!"

The Jericho mother of two introduced a line of soap less than a year ago with a simple goal: To make simple soap; a product free of ingredients you can't pronounce like the stuff she says fills competitors' brands on grocery store shelves.

Shade adds, "Most of those products technically aren't soaps. They're detergents, because they're made with synthetic ingredients."

Her True Body Soap has just five ingredients: water, palm oil, coconut oil, glycerine, and citric acid. But more significant is what it's missing. True is unscented. Shade says, "Not adding expensive ingredients like essential oils keeps the cost down."

Most products labeled "organic" or "natural" carry premium prices. Some such soaps sell for $5 a bar. True sells for about $1.67. It is still more than conventional bars, but again, in the world of natural products, it's a comparative value. "It lets [consumers] take steps towards a natural lifestyle without compromising their monthly budget," the company founder says.

Shade found a partner launching her line right around the corner. 37-year-old Twincraft Soap makes more than 100 million bars a year for names you know like Mary Kay, Avon, Clinique, and more. Twincraft developed the True formula, including a proprietary process that keeps the soap from spoiling. It doesn't have preservatives as many other names do.

Robin Terricciano of Twincraft Soap says, "It's nice we can push her along and see her grow into a national company, which is our hope."

Already, Janice Shade has benefited from her background developing products for companies including Procter & Gamble and 7th Generation. She chuckles, "I've wanted to have my own company since I was a teenager!"

Twincraft is churning out tens of thousands of bars of True at a time. Shade has a deal with the national chain Whole Foods, and more major accounts in the works. Her test will be if True can attract buyers who don't typically pick natural products. "When you have a good idea, it just works," Shade says.

True Body Products is confident the fragrance-free soap will continue developing the sweet smell of success, each bar "Made in Vermont."

True Body Products hopes to expand its line to include unscented lotion and shampoo. But for now, the soap sells at several area stores including Healthy Living in South Burlington, City Market in Burlington, and other co-ops.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont