For as long as I can remember, as long as there was soap in the soapdish, I really cared little for what soap I used.
Well, that all changed one day when I was on holiday and used some soap my father-in-law provided for the bathroom. He had discovered the soap at a golf club outside Philadelphia years earlier.
When I entered the living room, freshly showered, my wife commented on how fresh and clean I smelled and I was quick to take note of her approval.
I've been buying it by the case ever since!
Lightfoot's is a bit of a mystery.
This is what I have discovered after extensive searches. Lightfoot's was founded by William Lightfoot Shultz about 1915 in Brooklyn, New York as the Lightfoot Shultz Company and by 1918 was operating in Hoboken, New Jersey. He made fragranced soaps and toiletries as well as shaving soaps. In 1933, the American Razor Blade Company acquired full interest in the company, having been a part owner since 1919. Shultz went on to found the Shulton Company in 1934, the makers of Old Spice.
Lightfoot Shultz became a part of the Philip Morris Company in 1960 when the American Razor Blade Company was purchased by Philip Morris. In 1973, Lightfoots was dissolved and the brand sold to the Bradford Soap Company. In 2009 operations were moved to West Warwick, Rhode Island. While Bradford is the maker of the soap, they do not distribute the soap, and distribution is handled by Kenyon's Grist Mill in west Kingston, Rhode Island.
Rumors abound on the internet of the soap being made in England and dating to 1890. While Bradford Soap did open a plant in Chester, England in 1993, it was sold in 2005. I have found nothing to substantiate any claims of the soap dating to the 1890s or its English origins.
What we do have is an American made soap, which for years was only found in private clubs in America, developing a strong, but quiet, following.
The soap is hard milled, which means it lacks water and glycerin. While perhaps costing more per bar, it will last longer and is more resistant to "dissolving" in your soap dish.
And if you buy it by the case, which I do, you will find that the longer you have the bars, the longer they will last. This is because they continue to dry out as you keep them and this drying process results in a longer soap life in your soap dish.
Lightfoot's is filled with essential oils and resins of pine, which encourage the lungs to breath deeper, which in turn brings you to a deeper state of relaxation.in addition, that pine scent leaves you feeling and smelling fresh and refreshed after any level of exercise or activity.
I really like this soap. And while its origins may be less impressive than the packaging and internet rumors may imply, it is a well made soap with a well deserved reputation for quality.
All Rights Reserved.
Lightfoot Shultz became a part of the Philip Morris Company in 1960 when the American Razor Blade Company was purchased by Philip Morris. In 1973, Lightfoots was dissolved and the brand sold to the Bradford Soap Company. In 2009 operations were moved to West Warwick, Rhode Island. While Bradford is the maker of the soap, they do not distribute the soap, and distribution is handled by Kenyon's Grist Mill in west Kingston, Rhode Island.
Rumors abound on the internet of the soap being made in England and dating to 1890. While Bradford Soap did open a plant in Chester, England in 1993, it was sold in 2005. I have found nothing to substantiate any claims of the soap dating to the 1890s or its English origins.
What we do have is an American made soap, which for years was only found in private clubs in America, developing a strong, but quiet, following.
The soap is hard milled, which means it lacks water and glycerin. While perhaps costing more per bar, it will last longer and is more resistant to "dissolving" in your soap dish.
And if you buy it by the case, which I do, you will find that the longer you have the bars, the longer they will last. This is because they continue to dry out as you keep them and this drying process results in a longer soap life in your soap dish.
Lightfoot's is filled with essential oils and resins of pine, which encourage the lungs to breath deeper, which in turn brings you to a deeper state of relaxation.in addition, that pine scent leaves you feeling and smelling fresh and refreshed after any level of exercise or activity.
I really like this soap. And while its origins may be less impressive than the packaging and internet rumors may imply, it is a well made soap with a well deserved reputation for quality.
All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment