Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep # 125 Soap Opera: When Himalayan Salt Met Chlorinated Pools
When chlorinated pools wreaked havoc on her competitive swimmer daughter's sensitive skin, Evelien Zonneveld turned frustration into innovation. After trying countless commercial products that only made things worse, this Dutch-born Closter mom took matters into her own hands, creating what would become Swimmers Block Bar - a line of all-natural skincare specifically formulated for swimmers.
From her kitchen laboratory, Evelyn meticulously researched, tested, and perfected formulations built around three core principles: eliminating chlorine, cleansing skin, and providing deep nourishment. Her signature products harness the power of natural ingredients like activated charcoal (which absorbs chlorine and odors), Himalayan pink salt, oatmeal, shea butter, essential oils, and vitamin-rich additions that work together to combat the harsh effects of pool chemicals.
What makes Swimmers Block Bar truly special is Evelyn's unwavering commitment to quality and freshness. Each soap, lotion, and body butter is handcrafted to order, using ingredients sourced exclusively from small, family-owned businesses. This dedication extends beyond her own daughter - her products now serve competitive swimmers, casual pool-goers, and even those with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema who've found unexpected relief in her gentle formulations. With every batch made fresh in small quantities, Swimmers Block Bar represents the perfect intersection of necessity, entrepreneurship, and a mother's determination to solve a problem affecting the entire swimming community.
Ready to transform your post-swim skincare routine? Visit swimmersblockbar.com to discover natural solutions for chlorine-damaged skin, or find Evelyn at local swim meets with her testers and freshly-made products in hand.
EKatora Soaps & Skincare
Evelien Zonneveld
201-362-6155
evelien@ekatorasoaps.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast brought to you by Bergen Neighbors Media Group. Today we have a special guest. It's Eveline Zonenfeld. She is the owner guest. It's evelyn zonenfeld. Uh, she is the owner. Now I I had the name of um ikatora soap and skin care, but actually it is swimmers black bar. Uh, online site is called swimmersblackbar. com.
Speaker 2:Evelyn, welcome to the show thank you so much for having me so we learned, before we came on air, that, uh, you basically live in the town next to me, I'm in harrington park and you're in kloster, which, um, you know, bergen, county bergen, I learned, was um, uh, the dutch settled this area and they, you know, because they were, I mean not exactly, I guess, compared to the netherlands we have bergens here, we have mountains, we have more hills than, I guess, in the, uh, the lowlands of of the netherlands, but, uh, they're the ones who settled this area. They named it Bergen. Klooster is a, I guess Kloister. It's like a German word. It could be Dutch as well. Klooster is a German word for Kloister, which is a kind of church. So I guess it, you know, being from where you are, it seems natural that you'd live in Bergen County, in Kloster.
Speaker 3:No, yes, actually, uh, it's, it's surprising. Um, I have been coming to uh Kloster for many, many years and um, when my daughter was born, um, I I visited I was actually living in fort lee and um, I went to closter because of the swim school, the, the goldfish swim school and every time I drove into closter, I I felt like this sort of uh relief coming over me, like uh, like I felt at peace and uh, yeah. And then, um, um, three years ago, I actually purchased my home here and my daughter and I moved here and uh, yeah, I I came to understand of the, the rich history and the link with the netherlands, and and uh yeah, how close to was settled.
Speaker 2:So yeah, somehow it was meant to be my office is on schralenberg, which I tell my son. Anytime there's a word with two a's, uh, next to each other. It's dutch, like harlem, the, the original harlem, but schralenberg with two a's. And and yeah, it's a lot of dutch, a lot of dutch history area, yes, dutch history. But anyway, we, you know, we're not here to talk about holland, although we love. I could ask you, why is it called holland and the netherlands and you know, and why are you called dutch? It's like, okay, you live in holland, you're in the Netherlands and you're Dutch I mean, at least Germans, they call you Nederlander. So it kind of makes sense Nederlander, nederlander, but in America we call you Dutch, even though you're from the Netherlands and you're from Holland. So we can get into that another time.
Speaker 2:Sounds good, so tell me I mean all right, so you're a swim mom, right, yes. So tell me I mean all right, so you're a swim mom, right, yes. And so what was it? You saw something that inspired you to start a business. Tell us about what is. You know, I understand skincare. If you're in the pool a lot and it's chlorinated, you can get really dry skin. I'm sure there's a lot of other problems that come up with people that are in a pool quite often. So what is Swimmerimmers Block Bar all about?
Speaker 3:Yes, so Swimmers Block Bar is all about skin care for swimmers. The skincare products that I make myself are only made with natural products, natural ingredients that are not harmful to the skin, and the reason why I decided to, you know, develop skincare for swimmers is because my daughter is a? Uh swimmer and she is actually a usa athlete, and she she's 12 now and she swims um a very tough training schedule of six days a week for two and a half hours a day.
Speaker 3:She is in the pool and of course these pools are chlorinated and other chemicals are in there as well. For good reasons right to to keep the water healthy for the swimmers or healthy, you know, free of bacteria, harmful bacteria but there is a downside for the swimmers and the immediate downside to the skin in this case is that when you have a little bit more of a you know sensitive skin, and especially when you're in the pool for six days a week in chlorine, it takes a toll on everybody's skin and I had tried every product under the sun, literally for my daughter that you can get in CVS, in regular stores, on Amazon. I tried it all and even the products for sensitive skin which my daughter has sensitive skin, and there was one day that well, two issues A, my daughter has eczema which flares up tremendously when being in chlorine. That much Plus, when I tried that skincare for sensitive skin on her, she actually complained of a burn on her skin and she wanted to get the cream that she had on. She wanted to get it off as quick as possible.
Speaker 3:So that made me think like there must be another type of solution. So I started to dive a little bit deeper into the products that she was already using, that I was purchasing for her and I found out that all of the products actually also have alcohol in them, which obviously, you know, aggravates a already sensitive skin and a skin that is exposed to so much chlorine Plus. There were other ingredients in there that are hard to pronounce for me because they they are a little bit more, more chemical and they might, may, be fine if, if you do not have sensitive skin, or do not do not swim in the pool so frequently so that sort of prompted me to look into actually starting to make a skincare myself based on all natural ingredients, and that is sort of how this came about.
Speaker 2:Did you have any background in chemistry or anything like that to start making? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:No, I did not um I am, uh, I'm literally a mom with a full-time job and a child with a need, and, um, I uh started to educate myself, um, so, self-taught, and a lot of reading, a lot, of, um, you know, background research into you know what are, uh, better ways to treat the skin, and um, I, I, you know, started in that way and started, um to, you know, purchase natural products myself. So, so the ingredients and started very simple by making a soap. So I'm connected to a lot of communities, on Facebook, for example, where soap makers come together and, you know, share tested recipes, and yeah, so that's literally how I started Self-educated, based on this need that, yeah, for me, consists out of helping my daughter.
Speaker 3:And then I started to think you know, there there's such a large community of people that used to pull and that go into chlorinated pools and that have skin issues. Um, so that's how things came together. And yes, and then I started, you know, when I had a formula that really you know was all balanced out, with all the pH levels and what have you. I started to test the products, together with a small community of swimmers that I know and that wanted to help.
Speaker 2:So you didn't have a laboratory of test animals to test it on.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I actually took it under the shower myself. Like you know, I'm pretty critical in the sense of like if it doesn't work for me, I'm not going to you know, ask anyone else to try it. I have a sensitive skin myself and my daughter. We try it also and say yeah, so no, it's, it's no animals are involved either.
Speaker 2:very yeah, yes so you know that there's a saying necessity. Necessity is the mother of invention, or all invention and um, or all invention and um. You know you're, you're a mother and you saw a need. Now, yes, um it, you know, you mentioned it's, it's, you know, for your daughter and and initially it was, uh, you know about kids, but this is a product that any swimmer of any age would use, right?
Speaker 3:yes, any swimmer of any age can use this product, and I also made it gender neutral, so the scent of the smell appeals to both the you know like yes, it's yeah, because also with sensitive skin. So all the ingredients that I use are purely natural.
Speaker 3:There's nothing added to it, uh, that can cause any harm, and every ingredient has a benefit to the skin and so also the the scent um uh is produced in in the soap comes from an essential oil, and so I kept the palette really gender neutral. And yeah, that's, I think, the key to what I do. Nothing is in there if it's not necessary. So everything has a purpose. And on top of that, because when you swim in a chlorinated pool, the skin also, when you come out of the pool, you know, smells after chlorine.
Speaker 3:And so the items or the ingredients that are in the skincare products are also chlorine neutralizing, but everything is very gentle to the skin.
Speaker 2:How did you learn all this? How did you find out what products are counteract or neutral for chlorine, and where do you source pink Himalayan salt and charcoal and all the ingredients that you need to make this? Now you mentioned the great thing about the Internet in the last you know 25 years is that you know these communities are accessible from all around the world and you can find a community of people that want to make their own soaps, or you know things like that, so you know that that's really helpful. You know you want to knit a sweater. Join a you know a knitting circle online, right so, but how do you like? How did you find out which products were actually good for you know counteracting chlorine, and then how do you source it?
Speaker 3:yes, so again, a lot of research, um into you know what what helps eliminate the chlorine? And um, I tried a lot of things as well, uh, but one of the items in one of the soaps um I make it is called the charcoal soap. So charcoal absorbs odors and harmful chemicals or harmful items in our body and on our skin. So one of the soaps that I make actually is black because I have charcoal in it just a very small amount, but it's enough to absorb the smell that the chlorine produces in the Himalayan pink salt.
Speaker 3:I have the Himalayan salt, which also has a cleansing property and helps eliminate the chlorine. Both of the soaps also have oatmeal in there and lavender and, of course you know, the shea butter. All of the products that I use have the shea butter and cocoa butter. So it's again it's the combination of the all natural ingredients that eliminate odor, clean the skin and nourish the skin, because the chlorine strips it of a certain protective layer.
Speaker 3:If you like our skin. So to nourish the skin, I have vitamin E oil that I add, castor oil, jojoba oil. Some very vitamin C is in the soaps, so it's all focused on eliminating, cleaning and nourishing and that those are the three basics that I stick to. Now, regarding to the sourcing of my ingredients, is that is actually a very, very important question and I'm so happy you asked that.
Speaker 3:um, I have found that when you work with basic ingredients, not all ingredients are of the same quality and um the products and this is also a point I made, because I give these products also to my daughter. I want the best and because you know it's like with anything if you treat your body, you want to make sure that you know you're healthy.
Speaker 3:you, you know you exercise and so you know whatever you put on your body also should be good. And I have found differences and what I have found in general. Um, for me, what works best is that I work with, with sourcing the ingredients that I use from small, usually individually owned businesses, simply because they pay a lot of attention to the quality themselves and I'm not, you know, sourcing from mass producers. It's all from small businesses and also owned by families.
Speaker 2:Yes, so it's like a cottage industry supporting other small industries that have a common goal. I guess you could say yes, that's great. I noticed you said you make the products to order so you don't keep an inventory. So if I ordered emollient pink salt, do you is it? How long would it take for me to receive it?
Speaker 3:You will have it within two days because the moment, yes, the moment your order comes in, then I make it in the evening, then I make it in the evening, then the soap needs to cure, of course, and I can ship it out the next day or the day after. Wow so your kitchen must be hot for cooking.
Speaker 2:And the other one no, don't eat that, Don't dip the bread in that one.
Speaker 3:Yes, I'm very religious eat that, don't dip the bread in that one. Yes, I'm very religious about that.
Speaker 3:So, of course, because I have a daughter and my three dogs, and yes, and so in the evening the kitchen door closes, everything, of course, is cleaned before I take out the materials that I need to make soap, but then nobody is allowed in because it is, you know, a process that takes a some time, and you know you need to heat things up and mix and then cure. So, yes, but yes, my philosophy is to bring the soaps and the body lotions and magnesium body butter that I have in the freshest way as possible, and that is by not keeping inventory but making it to order.
Speaker 2:Yes, Do you ever go to Goldfish Swim School and say, hey, you guys want to buy some product and keep it on the shelves?
Speaker 3:I have not gone there yet I have received approval to sell my products in West Nyack at the Condors. That is the swim team that my daughter swims at and I am selling at meets, so when they have a meet and other swim teams come and the kids are doing their events. Then I have a little stand there and again I take orders. I have a very small inventory that I take with me and testers, so everybody that would like to test can just ask for testers and I'm happy to give them so um, yeah, yeah so how would people uh, what's your website?
Speaker 3:yes, so the website is wwwswimmersblockbarcom.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And that's pretty simple to remember swimmersblockbar. com, and that's where they would place all their orders. Could they email you or they could subscribe. Yes, they can email me, they can call yes. Okay, 201-362-6155. The email is info at swimmersblockbarcom. Local right Right here in Closter, New Jersey.
Speaker 3:Local in Closter yes, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2:That's great, and you know I think people have to support you know we'll call it a side hustle business. Right, you have a full-time job, you're a mom. But you saw this need and you saw what your daughter's skin, the effects of having a swimming career does.
Speaker 2:And you're like, hey, there's nothing out there that's really helping, I'll figure it out. And I think that's the amazing thing about entrepreneurial spirit is that you see a need, you see that maybe nobody's addressed it yet or addressed it in the way that you think is effective, and you go ahead and do it. And you know, I think a lot of people have ideas. You know there's a saying that necessity is the mother of invention and, um, I think there's the antithesis of that is like the uh, necessity is the mother of invention. And I think there's the antithesis of that is like the necessity is the mother of invention. And how does it go? And I think procrastination is the father.
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of people that come up with the idea but then they never move on it and maybe they feel it's just too difficult. But I applaud you for saying, hey, let's do it, why not? And um, you know, I I think it's great, we got to get the word out and obviously you you're in the right community, or you're bringing it to swim meets and people that are, um, you know, obviously see the need for it. But I'd imagine the casual swimmer in the summer would benefit from this as well, and maybe there's like you have triathletes and and then just have, as a summer season, or people in pools or lifeguards. You know lifeguards are in pools quite a bit. I can imagine there's a market there as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, no, definitely, and I even had a mom last week come up to me and she said that she used the soap that her daughter has. So it's a girl that's on my daughter's swim team and she's using the soap, and the mom was curious and used it too, and, to my surprise, she said that it helped with her psoriasis oh wow I was like oh my goodness, I'm so happy to hear that.
Speaker 3:And yeah, so you know. I think that's a testimony to the fact that the soap is all natural. There's no chemicals in it at all. And yeah, the nourishing elements help, but yeah, so yeah, I hope that people will try it and, you know, see the benefits and find the benefits in it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it and uh you know, see the benefit and find, find the benefit in it. Yeah, well, that's uh, you know, hopefully we'll get the word out there and, uh, you know, and I'll see you on shark tank someday when you're ready to scale yeah, who knows? Literally yeah, so, eileen, thank you so much for joining us today and thank you, that was great, and I'll talk to you offline about the closer magazine because I think it'd be great to share your story oh wonderful neighbors.
Speaker 2:But uh, we'll talk about that right after this message from chuck sounds good, thank you thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast.
Speaker 1:To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergencom. That's gnpbergencom, or call 201-298-8325.