Featured Member: Birch Brook Soaps
Featured member Birch Brook Soaps brings handcrafted care and thoughtful entrepreneurship to the Littleton community. Founded and operated by Robin Van Diepenbos, Birch Brook Soaps offers a growing collection of small-batch body care products made with quality ingredients, community spirit, and personal care at its core.
A Second Act in Life and Business
Robin began making soap in 2019 as a way to explore a new chapter after raising her children and working various jobs. “I just wanted to do something different,” she shared. “It has grown organically from that.”
What started as a creative outlet during the pandemic soon evolved. “I naively thought, ‘Oh, I’ll just put it online,’ without realizing that’s a whole other job,” Robin explained. From Etsy to launching her own website, managing photography, copywriting, and marketing, she embraced every challenge and opportunity.
High-Quality Ingredients, Thoughtfully Chosen
Quality ingredients are at the heart of Birch Brook Soaps. Robin handcrafts each product using natural oils, butters, and additives that are beneficial to the skin and environmentally responsible. She uses lard for its nourishing properties, because it is rich in vitamins and fatty acids that closely mimic our own skin’s structure.
Ingredients like avocado oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and colloidal oatmeal are chosen not just for label appeal, but for their functional benefits. Robin ensures that every soap is free from parabens, phthalates, and synthetic detergents. “I really like having that kind of everyday luxury experience,” she said, describing the creamy, bubbly lather her recipe creates.
Every batch is made using a cold-process method and cured for a minimum of four weeks, giving the soap time to harden naturally and maintain a gentle pH.
Expanding the Product Line
From her original bar soaps, Robin has expanded into lotions, body butters, and liquid hand cleansers. The two main scent collections, Nectar & Bloom and the Essential New England Collection, offer a wide variety of aromas, from floral and fruit-forward to regionally inspired notes like Boston Tea Party and Balsam Pine.
With 14 signature scents and rotating seasonal offerings, Robin maintains a product line that balances consistency with creative flexibility. Limited edition releases, such as pride-themed soaps benefiting North Country Pride, allow her to support causes she cares about while engaging customers with new, timely products.
Deep Roots in Community Engagement
Robin’s dedication to community care goes well beyond business transactions. “The real core of what I do and why I do it is about taking good care of yourself, or if you’re gifting, to show somebody else how much you care,” she said.
This philosophy informs her business practices. She donates production scraps to the Eco Soap Bank, an organization that recycles soap for hygiene education in developing countries. Locally, she donates products to the Littleton Area Mutual Aid pantry and supports LGBTQ+ initiatives like North Country Pride.
Her website emphasizes these commitments, noting that creating a socially responsible business isn’t a marketing tactic. It’s a core part of her values. “I try to make sure that the care I put into each product spreads outward,” she writes, “to my customers, to my community, and to the world.”
A Sunday Favorite at the Littleton Farmers Market
Now in her second year at the Littleton Farmers Market, Robin considers market day the highlight of her week. “Everybody’s smiling… kids with face paint, people introducing their dogs. It’s just such a wonderful community atmosphere.”
In addition to her website and markets, Birch Brook Soaps products are available locally at Brown Paper Packages and WREN in Bethlehem, and seasonally at Flume Gorge and Crawford Notch gift shops.
Looking Forward
As Birch Brook Soaps continues to grow, Robin remains committed to intentional expansion. “I like the idea of having a few things that come and go seasonally,” she noted, while acknowledging the challenges of space and capacity. Her focus remains on quality and care, ensuring every item she creates aligns with her values and serves her customers well.
Explore Birch Brook Soaps
With handcrafted products, clean ingredients, and a commitment to giving back, Birch Brook Soaps stands out as a business that combines skill and soul. Visit Robin at the Littleton Farmers Market or shop online to experience products made with purpose. You can also connect directly with Robin on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
