Dock and Aloe

✨ A very special evening at St George’s Hall ✨

Tonight I’m spending the evening in one of Liverpool’s most spectacular buildings — St George’s Hall — and what a setting it is! ❤️

I’m set up in the incredible Atrium, surrounded by some of the most beautiful architecture in the city, with the stunning Minton tiled floor beneath me. There really can’t be many places quite like this for an evening market!

I’m also getting the chance to experience the Minton Tiles VIP experience, taking a closer look at one of the most remarkable features of this iconic Liverpool landmark.

St George’s Hall is such an important part of Liverpool’s history, and seeing it brought to life in the evening makes it feel even more magical. The architecture, atmosphere, beautiful surroundings and all the amazing independent makers here make this a really memorable evening.

🕰️ I’m here until 8:30pm tonight, so if you’re in Liverpool city centre, there’s still plenty of time to come along!

And of course, Dock & Aloe Soap Company is here too! 🧼🌿

Come and have a browse, say hello, smell the soaps, pick up a few treats for yourself or get ahead with some gifts 🎁 — and enjoy one of Liverpool’s most beautiful buildings while you’re here.

📍 St George’s Hall, Liverpool
✨ Atrium
⏰ Here until 8:30pm

Honestly, if you’ve never experienced St George’s Hall in the evening, you’re missing something special. ❤️

A View With Some Serious History 🌊🏛️

What a stunning view to have while I’m at my stall today! 😍

I’m spending the day inside the magnificent Port of Liverpool Building, looking out across the Mersey — and honestly, it never gets old.

And because Liverpool is Liverpool, there’s a ridiculous amount of history packed into the view…

⚓ The Port of Liverpool Building opened in 1907 and was the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board.

🌍 It was once part of the world’s busiest port complex, when Liverpool was one of the great gateways for global trade.

🏛️ It’s one of Liverpool’s famous Three Graces, alongside the Cunard Building and Royal Liver Building.

🦅 The building is topped by a huge copper dome, while its architecture was designed to reflect Liverpool’s maritime importance and global connections.

🚢 And here’s a brilliant one: the building originally had its own underground railway system connecting it to the docks and other parts of the port complex.

👀 Look closely at the decoration and you’ll find loads of maritime references — including ships, dolphins and other details celebrating Liverpool’s relationship with the sea.

So today I’m not just selling handmade soap… I’m doing it from one of the most spectacular historic buildings on the Mersey.

📍 Port of Liverpool Building 🕙 Today, 10am–2pm

Come and say hello, have a wander around this incredible building and maybe take home a bar of Dock & Aloe while you’re here! 🧼⚓

✨ DOCK & ALOE IS OUT & ABOUT THIS WEEK! ✨

I’ve got TWO gorgeous Liverpool markets coming up this week, and I’d absolutely love to see you there! 🧼🤎

⚓ PORT OF LIVERPOOL BUILDING
📍 Port of Liverpool Building
📅 Wednesday
⏰ 10am–2pm

I’ll be bringing along my handmade Liverpool-inspired soaps and the full Dock & Aloe range — all made with plenty of love and a little bit of Liverpool character. 🤎

🏛️ ST GEORGE’S HALL — FIRST EVER NIGHT MARKET
📍 St George’s Hall
📅 Thursday
⏰ 2:30pm–8:30pm

Then it’s time for something a little different… St George’s Hall’s very first night market! ✨

A gorgeous evening of independent makers, local businesses, shopping and brilliant Liverpool vibes — all in one of the city's most beautiful buildings.

Come and say hello, have a sniff of the soaps and support my little Liverpool business. 🧼🤎

Wednesday by the waterfront. Thursday under the lights. I’ll see you there! ✨

New Laundry Stain Bar 🧺🫧

Not just a bar of soap — there’s a bit of chemistry behind this little stain-fighting powerhouse.

Our fragrance-free Laundry Stain Bar combines 40% coconut oil, 35% olive oil, 20% shea butter and 5% castor oil, with bicarbonate of soda added for an extra boost.

🧪 So how does it work?

The soap molecules are surfactants. One end is attracted to water, while the other is attracted to oils, grease and dirt. When you work the damp bar directly onto a stain, those soap molecules help loosen oily and greasy particles from the fabric so they can be carried away in the wash.

🥥 Coconut oil gives the bar strong cleansing and stain-lifting properties.

🌿 Olive oil helps balance that cleansing action and gives the bar a smoother, gentler feel.

🧈 Shea butter gives the bar hardness and durability.

✨ Castor oil helps create a rich, workable lather so you can really work the bar into the fabric.

And then there’s bicarbonate of soda — a mild alkaline ingredient that gives an additional helping hand with lifting everyday dirt and stains.

How to use it: Wet the stain and the bar, rub the bar directly onto the mark, work it into the fabric and leave for around 15–30 minutes before washing as normal.

Simple ingredients. Solid soap chemistry. No fragrance. No plastic bottle. Just a little bar designed to earn its place in the laundry cupboard. 🤍

Dock & Aloe Laundry Stain Bar — coming soon.

⚓️ DOCK & ALOE IS HEADING OUT AROUND LIVERPOOL… 🧼🌿

The soap is made, the stock is packed and the market bags are getting a serious workout! 😂

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be popping up at four brilliant Liverpool locations, each with its own little bit of history. So here’s where you can find me:

🏛️ 27 AUGUST — PORT OF LIVERPOOL BUILDING
🕙 10am–2pm

Down at the Pier Head, surrounded by Liverpool’s famous Three Graces.

The Port of Liverpool Building opened in 1907 and became the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, helping oversee the huge amount of trade passing through Liverpool’s docks.

A rather grand setting for a little handmade soap stall! ⚓️🧼

🏛️ 28 AUGUST — ST GEORGE’S HALL
🕝 2:30pm–8:30pm

One of Liverpool’s great architectural treasures.

St George’s Hall opened in 1854 and is famous for its enormous neoclassical interiors, grand columns and magnificent Minton tiled floor.

And this one is an evening market, so I’ll be there until 8:30pm — soap shopping after dark! ✨😂

⚓️ 6 SEPTEMBER — ALBERT DOCK
🕚 11am–4pm

Albert Dock opened in 1846 and was hugely innovative for its time, with fireproof warehouses and hydraulic technology making the movement of goods much more efficient.

These days it’s home to museums, galleries, restaurants, shops… and, on this particular day, Dock & Aloe Soap Company! 🧼⚓️

🌿 13 SEPTEMBER — LARK LANE MAKERS MARKET
🕚 11am–4pm

Finishing the run on Lark Lane — one of Liverpool’s best-known independent neighbourhoods.

Cafés, food, independent shops, makers and plenty of character. Basically, the perfect place for a Sunday afternoon mooch!

And just in case anyone thinks I spend my days leisurely making soap… 😂

I’m doing all of this alongside being a full-time classroom teacher, while also currently buying and selling a house.

So the current schedule is basically:

👨‍🏫 Teach a full-time class
🧼 Make soap
📦 Pack orders
🏠 Buy a house
🏡 Sell a house
🏛️ Set up markets
🛍️ Sell soap
📋 Deal with approximately 47,000 bits of paperwork
😴 Cue the eyebags

Honestly, at this p

🧼 SOAP SCHOOL: The boring-but-important bit nobody sees…

You see a gorgeous bar of handmade soap.

I see… THE PAPERWORK. 😂

Before a bar of soap can legally be sold in the UK, there’s a whole side to soapmaking that has absolutely nothing to do with swirls, colours and pretty packaging.

One of the big ones is the SCPN — the Submit Cosmetic Product Notification.

Every cosmetic product placed on the UK market needs to be notified, and yes… each variant matters.

🌿 Sefton Park isn't the same notification as Penny Lane.

🌹 Different fragrance? Different formulation? Different concentrations?

More paperwork.

And this is where it gets particularly fun (for people like me who apparently enjoy spreadsheets 😆):

Your product information needs to accurately reflect what's actually in the bar — including the exact formulation and concentrations of ingredients, fragrance/essential oil usage and the relevant allergen information.

You can't just think:

"I'll put roughly 2% lavender oil in this one."

Nope. 😂

You need to know what went into the product and be able to demonstrate that the finished formulation is safe and compliant.

Then there's:

🧪 Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR)
🏷️ Correct ingredient/INCI labelling
⚠️ Declaring relevant fragrance allergens
📋 Product Information File (PIF)
🇬🇧 SCPN notification
🧼 GMP / good manufacturing practice
📦 Correct packaging and required information

And THEN… we get to actually make the soap. 😂

So when you buy a little handmade bar from Dock & Aloe, you're not just buying oils + fragrance + pretty packaging.

There's a LOT happening behind the scenes to make sure that little bar can legally and safely sit on a market stall and be sold to you.

Handmade doesn't mean homemade.

And definitely doesn't mean "I made it in my kitchen so I'll just stick a label on it." 😂

That's tonight's SOAP SCHOOL lesson!

Did you know there was this much legal and safety work behind a bar of soap?

👇 Tell me what surprised you most!

🌲👀 SNEAK PEEK… SOMETHING NEW IS COMING 👀🌲

A little clue for you…

💚 It’s green
🐿️ There’s a red squirrel
🌲 And plenty of pine trees…

Can you guess what the next Dock & Aloe soap is inspired by? 👀

I’ve been working on something new behind the scenes and I can’t wait to reveal it.

Drop your guesses below! 👇