About Us

Back Porch Soap Co. was founded in 1998 by me, beauty industry expert, Marla Bosworth. I'm a Massachusetts resident who is inspired daily by life in and around Duxbury Bay, Cape Cod and anywhere my travels take me. 

For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by nature to create beautiful things. As a young girl, I grew up in central Illinois and later in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I can recall making crafts endlessly as a child.

Understanding retail sales and products at an early age (I began working in retail at 16 in the resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming), I developed a keen eye for how to differentiate consumer products and began uncovering the secrets to successful selling techniques – from trendy gift shop boutiques to ski apparel. After running my own retail store in the Boston area for a number of years, I recently decided to pursue wholesale and internet sales exclusively.

Every bath and body product on our website is handmade by me. I use the finest ingredients sourced from all over the world. We import our shea butter from Ghana, West Africa; essential oils from Indonesia and Bulgaria; and our gift sets use natural, sustainable, packaging solutions that supports small businesses in Thailand. All of our products are completely vegan ~ and we do not test on animals - and we use organic ingredients when available.

My credentials include a B.A. in English/Journalism from the University of New Hampshire in 1987. I have an extensive background in marketing, market research and manufacturer consulting as a Market Research Analyst for the company now known as Forrester Research. Clients included Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Xerox and IBM to name a few. Currently I am an independent bath and body business consultant.

My true calling is creating beautiful soap luxuries and inspiring other entrepreneurs how to do the same. 

(Marla is a contributing author for The Saponifier Magazine, a moderator on Indie Beauty Network, and a speaker at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference in 2009, 2010 and is scheduled to speak at the 2011 conference in Miami, Florida. She teaches natural skincare and business classes throughout the U.S.)