By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
Imagine strolling through Washington Mall in Cape May. With beautiful church bells ringing and families strolling with coffees and ice cream cones in hand, you stumble upon a quaint little shop with a simple name: Shore Soaps.
Corrinne Rietheimer envisioned her storefront here, in this old-fashioned Victorian shopping district. She grew up in Cape May and has always loved the slow living beach town complete with horse-drawn carriages and classic, colorful mansions.
In 2013, Rietheimer was drawn to natural skincare when she moved to Philadelphia to manage a restaurant and her skin started breaking out. “My friends would tell me that the air and water in Philly was dirtier than Cape May, but when I started experimenting with making my own soap, my skin transformed,” said Rietheimer.
She spent her free time studying YouTube videos, learning the ins and outs of natural, homemade products. When her friends and family became interested in her soaps, Rietheimer opened an Etsy shop, and when business boomed, she took a chance and moved into her first storefront in Cape May.
The twenty-two-year-old worked hard to expand, and in 2022, Rietheimer took on a business partner and managed a staff of six. She has two warehouses in Rio Grande, a second storefront in Stone Harbor, and booths in West End Garage in Cape May and Stainton’s in Ocean City.
Shore Soaps are inspired by Rietheimer’s love of shore communities. There’s a sunburn soap with aloe vera and healing essential oils, mojito and margarita scrubs, and an SPF 30 sun stick made with coconut oil and Shea B. Rietheimer’s favorite product is the rosewater and aloe facial mist, which brightens, tones and refreshes skin (Rietheimer says she uses it multiple times per day).
This year, Rietheimer is excited to start another business: Shore Candles and Home. Shore Soap already sells some home and beauty products (as well as candles), but Rietheimer hopes to connect with women-owned crafters in India and sell their products in her stores. Today, you’ll find candles with scents like “Stone Harbor,” “Beach House,” and “Cape May” in stores and on Shore Soap’s website.
When asked what makes you stand out, Rietheimer said that Shore Soaps always uses ten ingredients or less in their products. Customers should be able to recognize all ingredients in each soap, and the company uses essential oils, naturally-sourced colors, botanicals, and herbal infusions without artificial preservatives or dyes.
“We do not use any parabens, or harmful chemicals or preservatives in the making of our products. Our soaps are hand-cut, and cured for 4-6 weeks before shrink wrapping at peak-perfection and then distributed to our 20+ stockists, and our own store shelves,” said Rietheimer via her website.
“I started this business because I didn’t want to work for anyone else, which I think is why most people start businesses,” said Rietheimer. “If you start a business, expect to work really hard and grow slow, but we know that we earned every little bit.”
For more information on Shore Soaps, visit their website here: https://www.shoresoapscapemay.com/shop.
