Soap, Monsters & Zurich Cool: Inside the World of Soeder

Tucked behind the leafy fringes of Zurich, Soeder isn’t your average soap maker. It’s part factory, part design lab, part creative clubhouse — and all heart. Step inside their world and you’ll find sunlight pouring through skylights, terracotta walls warming up industrial cool, and the gentle clink of glass bottles being filled with the good stuff. Yes, this is where skincare gets soulful.

Founded in 2013 by Hanna, Johan, and a few curious minds, Soeder started without a blueprint. No big pitch decks. No market research. Just a simple need: where’s the soap that doesn’t suck? Spoiler — they couldn’t find it, so they made it.

By 2015, their first batch of natural soap was bubbling away, and things haven’t slowed since. Today, the Zurich HQ, housed at the Halle Q: the reawakened heart of Werkstadt Zürich, a former railway workshop reshaped into an inner-city factory of ideas, production and place.

In their 2,000-square-metre playground of product development, bottling, brainstorming and the occasional coffee-fuelled eureka moment, everything happens under one roof. Fragrances are born, face creams are whipped, and even the emails are written right here in the mix.

And let’s talk tanks. One of them’s called Monster — an affectionate nickname for a beast of a soap vat they thought was huge when it arrived. It’s since been joined by an even bigger sibling, but Monster stuck. These steel giants hum quietly in the background, churning out luscious lathers while guests peek in through huge windows. Yes, you can actually watchyour shampoo being born. Very Soeder.

But what really sets this place apart? Transparency. Not the corporate kind. The real, look-into-our-lab kind. From ingredient sourcing to packaging to how they manage their emissions, Soeder’s approach is honest to the bone. Everything is made in-house, using 100% natural ingredients like Swiss honey, wheat protein and cold-pressed oils. It’s biodegradable, refillable, and blissfully free of anything synthetic.

Speaking of refills, they’ve set up more than 130 refill stations across Switzerland. Bring your bottle, top it up, feel good. When plastic’s unavoidable, they use bottles made from 60% recycled marine waste. It's circular thinking with Swiss precision.

And if you're into the sensory stuff, you're in luck. Soeder’s scents are fresh from the wild. Herbal Garden is all lavender and sage and calm. Black Pine hits like a forest walk with a twist of mandarin. Orange Grove is pure summer. Even their deodorant smells like something you’d actually want to wear. Natural, effective, and designed to be used daily — not saved for best.

What started as a family project is now a brand that’s rethinking how we wash, care and consume. No flash. No fluff. Just good stuff made properly. And yes, you’ll probably want to take a selfie in the visitor centre.

Soeder isn’t just selling soap. It’s inviting you to see how things should be made. With care. With craft. And maybe, with a monster or two.

Step inside Soeder’s scent-filled Zurich factory where soap, sustainability and Swiss cool meet. From glass-bottled essentials to Monster-sized vats, this is where natural skincare gets seriously stylish

Inside Soeder: Zurich’s Coolest Natural Soap Factory