XX Files: Jenny White, Swinging Soaps

Story And Photo By Julianna Bonnett

JENNY WHITE

She’s The Bomb (of baths, that is!)

At Swinging Soaps, local entrepreneur, Jenny White, works day and night perfecting her own little twist on gentle bath and body products made fun for all.

What started out as a small business idea after realizing her daughter Alyssa had eczema, White ventured out and started making soaps to test for people with sensitive skin types. And as a result, back in December of 2016, she opened her own shop at 2001 Provincial Road in Windsor.

Born in Hull, Quebec, and raised in Ottawa, White always had a dream of being an artist, but she knew making luxury soaps was also a passion of hers, at a young age.

“I remember spending $14 on a rose soap from Crabtree & Evelyn when I was young,” shares White. “It was the most expensive bar of soap I ever bought and I loved it right down to the last sliver of remaining soap.”

In her late twenties, White moved to the UK.

“I just loved the candle and soap shops when I lived in the UK,” White states. “I was fascinated by the whole process and it became a huge love of mine.”

While she resided there for seven years, a new company was just starting to grow in the region, which inspired her to build something of her own.

“I ended up opening my own small candle business while I was in the UK,” White recounts. “Then we had kids, so I shelved my dreams for a spell, and never had the chance to go to Plymouth University like I dreamed of.”

After many ups and downs, White relocated to Windsor with her family and restarted on her journey of creating something special.

“I picked up my dream again and opened a factory this time supplying beauty products to individual companies and distributors across North America,” White states. “We closed it to expand to retail and my dream of one day opening a wonderful quirky soap shop became a reality.”

Her company, Swinging Soaps, offers a huge variety of bath bombs in so many shapes, over 53 soaps, Body Butter Creams, Bath Truffles, Sugar Scrubs, Milkshake, Donut and Gelato bath bombs, and soap cakes by the cake/slice. They also have a multiple amount of speciality creations to choose from.

You can’t help but smile when you walk through the doors to Swinging Soaps. Owner Jenny White says the reason for the bright pink look of her shop is to spread happiness and to make people feel like they are in a candy shop.

“We do so much here — bath soaps, bath bombs, gelato bath bombs — you name it we probably have it,” White expresses. “Even during this pandemic, we have been able to adjust to it very well by offering curbside pickup and delivery. But, I won’t lie — it has been hard on us, like many other businesses are experiencing.”

White says the coronavirus shutdown of businesses (mid-March to mid-May) came at an already challenging time for them. She is hoping when the COVID-19 restrictions are over, people in Windsor will want to learn about her company, what they do and take a trip out to see what they offer.

“Every business is special as it is someone’s dream,” White says. “I have a very clear vision of how I see Swinging Soaps in my head and what it will look like when it’s finished. Despite this pandemic, it will become what I want it to be.”

White expresses that if she had any advice to other women in business in Windsor, it’s this: “Do not give up on the dream, even if you must close and come at it again from a different angle. Closing the location is just that, it does not mean an end of the dream.”

For more information about products available for curbside pickup or delivery, log on to: SwingingSoaps.com.