JAMESTOWN, N.C. (WGHP) — The first thing you notice is the aroma.
Before you see the shelves lined with soaps and lotions, before you meet Susan Stringer, before you learn the story behind the business, the fragrance stops you in your tracks.
It is warm, familiar and difficult to identify. Lavender mingles with citrus. Vanilla competes with peppermint. Something floral drifts in from another corner of the shop.
The natural response is a simple question: Why does it smell so good in here?
“Probably the essential oils,” Susan Stringer says with a laugh.
Stringer is the owner of The Soap Lady, a Jamestown, shop that has spent decades helping customers find scents they love and products gentle enough for the skin they live in.
But The Soap Lady is not simply a soap store.
It is a sensory experience.
Shelves are filled with handcrafted soaps, sugar scrubs, body creams, lotions, shower gels and oils. There are products designed for men, gifts for special occasions and countless scents inspired by everything from fresh fruit to seasonal favorites.
“If you can dream it, we’ve probably made it,” Stringer said.
Every shelf reflects a commitment to craftsmanship. The products are made with high-quality ingredients and essential oils. Others come from local artisans whose work is featured throughout the store.
Supporting local creators has become an important part of the store’s identity.
“We want people to find unique things,” she said. “And we want to support our neighbors.”
That philosophy extends beyond what customers can see.
Among the colorful displays and fragrant products are shelves dedicated to something much less noticeable: unscented items.
For many shoppers, those products are essential.
Through years of serving customers undergoing cancer treatment and others with skin sensitivities, Stringer learned how important fragrance-free options can be.
“When you go through treatment, they tell you to use everything unscented,” she said. “They want to know any changes are from your treatment and not from something else.”
The emphasis on inclusivity has become a defining feature of the business. Stringer wants everyone who walks through the door to find something that works for them.
Her journey began nearly three decades ago.
On Aug. 1, 1998, Stringer started making soaps from her home, driven by a simple goal: stay close to her children while building a business of her own.
Working alongside her friend Lisa, she sold products at Christmas bazaars and local events. The operation steadily expanded until supplies and inventory began taking over the family home.
“Our dining room table was full,” Stringer recalled. “My husband said, ‘You’ve got to get out of my house.'”
She laughs at the memory now.
Finding a dedicated storefront was a leap of faith.
The space she eventually moved into had previously housed a Bible ministry. It felt different from the moment she walked in.
“It feels good in here,” she said.
The gamble paid off.
Customers told friends. Those friends brought family members. Word traveled throughout the community.
What began as a mother’s effort to balance work and family gradually evolved into a destination.
On a typical day, customers browse slowly through the aisles, chatting with employees, sampling products and sharing stories. Some arrive searching for a favorite scent they have purchased for years. Others discover the shop for the first time.
Nearly all leave carrying more than a bag of soap.
They leave with a connection.
“It isn’t just shopping,” one customer said while browsing. “It’s coming in and seeing people who know you.”
That sense of familiarity is something Stringer has worked to cultivate since the beginning.
She talks proudly about watching families grow up alongside the business. Children who once accompanied parents into the store now return as adults.
“We catch you when you’re young,” Stringer said with a smile. “Hopefully we keep you when you’re older.”
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In an era dominated by online shopping and national brands, The Soap Lady offers something increasingly rare: a place built on relationships.
The fragrances may bring people through the door.
But it is the warmth, the community and the sense of belonging that keeps them coming back.