The North Shore Soap Factory occupies the renovated remains of a historic sugar mill in the small community of Waialua on Oahu’s wonderful North Shore. This family-owned small business runs the Hawaiian Bath & Body line of skincare products—which includes soap bars, lotions, body wash, and essential oils, just to name a few items. Visitors wishing to learn more about how these popular products are made may take an approximately 30-minute guided tour of the facility and visit the factory’s charming gift store.
History and Background Information
The North Shore Soap Factory is located in the heart of Oahu’s beautiful North Shore area. It occupies a three-story-tall bagasse bin on the grounds of what was once a sugar mill. As a side note, bagasse is the dry, pulp-like residue that remains after one has extracted the juice from sugar cane—when the site was a sugar mill, the bagasse was burned here to produce electricity for the operation. In recent years, the property was purchased by local entrepreneur Debora Driscoll, who with the assistance of prominent soapmaker Jonathan Isenberg transformed the spot into the headquarters of the North Shore Soap Factory. Everything they make here for the Hawaiian Bath & Body brand is created from natural oils, with their signature soap bars taking upwards of six weeks to complete from start to finish. North Shore Soap Factory is situated just 15 minutes down the breathtaking coast from picturesque Waimea Valley, while the Dole Pineapple Plantation is a mere 15 minutes inland.
What’s Here
The North Shore Soap Factory is open to the public every Monday through Friday between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm, as well as Saturdays from 8:30am to 4:00pm and Sundays from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Guided tours of the North Shore Soap Factory are available Tuesday through Saturday. Guided tours typically run every half-hour, with the day’s final tour departing at 1:30pm.
There are two types of guided tours available to visitors at the North Shore Soap Factory. The factory’s most popular tour is its Behind-The-Scenes Tour, which costs $20 per person. During this informative tour, you’ll be able to observe soap at every step of the production process. You’ll witness all the different types of plants, herbs, and special ingredients that go into each one of the North Shore Soap Factory’s 30-some types of soap, while learning about the power of essential oils, too. Along the way you’ll also get to see the soap mixed, swirled, cut, and packaged.
Families or individuals on a tight time schedule will be happy to note that the North Shore Soap Factory offers visitors the option of a second, shorter guided tour. This experience is devoted entirely to the “soap room,” where the core of the soapmaking magic takes place. It costs $10 per person.
No matter which guided tour you choose to go on, afterwards you’ll be able to browse the North Shore Soap Factory store in search of the skincare item that best suits your needs. Here you’ll find the entire line of Hawaiian Bath & Body products, which includes soaps, lotions, body wash, body oils, nut oils, bath salts, lip balms, and a whole lot more.
Tips for Visiting
*In order to participate in a North Shore Soap Factory guided tour, you must make a reservation at least 24 hours ahead of the scheduled departure time for the tour you wish to join. This can be done online at the North Shore Soap Factory’s official website, or by calling the store directly.
*Kids under the age of four years old may accompany the guided tour free of charge, but parents of small children should be advised that the North Shore Soap Factory doesn’t permit strollers due to space concerns. With advance notice, North Shore Soap Factory will accommodate individuals requiring the assistance of a wheelchair.
*Visitors using a Go Oahu All-Inclusive Pass as their admission pass to the North Shore Soap Factory are entitled to special perks as part of their guided tour experience. These bonuses are subject to change, but usually involve receiving a complimentary half bar of soap and a 15% discount at the in-house Hawaiian Bath & Body store.
