Two minutes with…Beefcake Boys Soap - Worcester Mag

Austin Alexander and Henno Alter are Beefcake Boys Soap. Both Clark University grads, the two started selling tallow and castile soap on their own in an effort to produce an old-fashioned soap, free of chemicals and preservatives. They’re currently making the soap in Austin’s kitchen, but have hopes of moving into one of the city’s makers’ spaces soon. If you find yourself at a farmer’s market or craft fair anytime soon, keep an eye out for some Beefcake Boys Soap.

Why Soap?

Alexander: Why anything? But in seriousness, the short answer is that we’re worried about everyone’s existential conditions. Modernity has complicated most aspects of human life, and soap is no exception. Mass-produced, commercial soaps are filled with chemicals and preservatives, while a lot of the smallbatch stuff uses unnatural dyes and glitter. We want to bring people simple soap made the old-fashioned way with few ingredients, organic essential oils and nothing artificial so they stay grounded in this crazy world.

How does tallow make good soap?

Alter: Well first off, because tallow is an animal byproduct it’s a lot more sustainable to use than plant-based oils, which can be put toward better uses. Most importantly, though, using tallow simply makes a better bar than something that’s purely a mix of plant oils. Tallow is extremely rich in vitamins A, D and E, and because humans are more closely related to cows than plants, the cell structure of tallow makes a non-drying soap with better regenerative properties. Soap was made primarily from tallow for thousands of years, until about the beginning of the 20th century. The word ‘soap’ actually derives from the Roman word ‘sebum’ which means tallow.

How did you guys get involved in the soap industry?

Alexander: Well, it’s something we’ve always wanted to do and talked about kind of idly. But we actually got started earlier this year, when we began sourcing unwanted tallow from BirchTree Bread Company, where I work, as well as other local restaurants. The owners there are all about making things sustainably from scratch, and it was nice of them to oblige our insatiable desire for beef fat.

Where do you make the soap?

Alexander: Currently, we make the soap in my kitchen because I have very openminded and forgiving roommates. Thanks, Max and Alex. I just want to have my gratitude for them put down in print to hedge off any potential legal challenges from them. And we’ve actually been looking into makers’ spaces around Worcester and hope to set up shop somewhere soon.

How did you learn to make soap?

Henno: We’ve read a few books and we check out soap blogs frequently, but it mostly just took a lot of trial, error and mental anguish. That and lye burns, plenty of lye burns. There’s also a great community of soap makers in Massachusetts, and everyone we met has been very forthcoming with advice.

Do you make anything besides soap?

Alexander: Besides personal fulfillment in the hearts of our customers? We’ve actually been experimenting with candles and pomade, and hope to have some new stuff out soon. But soap will always be our first love.

Do you guys have other jobs?

Austin: I work at BirchTree Bread Company, which is one of the places we source our tallow from.

Henno: I work at an elementary school in Somerville, and I need a constant supply of high quality hand-made soap that wont dry out my skin every time a kid wipes their nose on my arm or spits on me. We also rely on the hard labor of unpaid interns, and my experience with classroom management has taught me to quash many intern uprisings that threatened our iron-fisted control of the company and indeed our very lives.

What’s your most popular soap?

Henno: That would definitely be our Lavender Jasmine and Ground Chamomile bar. It’s bright, floral and has an intense bubbly lather.

How do you sell soap?

Henno: We’re at a strange and irregular constellation of farmers markets and craft fairs between here and Boston, and we’ve shipped soap to such faraway and exotic places as Maryland. If you live in the Worcester area you can contact us right on Instagram (@beefcake_boys_soaps), and if you seem well-adjusted, we’ll bring it right to you in our soapmobile, what we call Austin’s mini-van.

Where did the name come from?

Alexander: It just seemed intuitive. We’re a couple of boys who make soap from beef tallow and they invariably come out as delightful little cakes. We just ask that, please, no one eat them no matter how delicious they appear.

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