Rabbits play a hand in luxury soaps

Founders of RabbitRabbit Mike and Vicki Sanders. Photo / Supplied

There's more than luck behind the success of a Hawke's Bay couple's luxury soap company.

There's also hard work, determination and a vision to create something to make people feel good.

However, Vicki and Mike Sanders' company RabbitRabbit did start with a wish for luck.

"The name 'RabbitRabbit' originates from the superstition of repeating the word 'rabbit' when you wake on the first day of the month to bring good luck," Vicki said.

"But we believe that you should feel lucky all the time. Because luck is what you make of it."

After living in Auckland for 12 years the couple moved back to Vicki's hometown of Hawke's Bay.

In 2017 Vicki finished her job and the couple went on a trip through Europe.

"I knew when we came home I wanted to do something for myself. While we were in Europe everywhere we went we saw rabbits and we enjoyed the beautiful scents we came across along the way including lemons of the Amalfi Coast and the lavender of France.

"I thought maybe it was a sign. Lots of people have superstitions and they can be very personal and I just thought that because bathing is personal and intimate the two went together and RabbitRabbit — a range of 100 per cent pure New Zealand luxury soaps was born."

Launched in September 2020, the soaps and shampoo bar are all made with natural ingredients and unique fragrances.

"We love fragrances. We had some ideas of what would go together but fragrance is a science and we needed an expert. We hired a perfumer and took our ideas to them. They sent us vials of fragrance with different proportions of scents in each.

"We now have four body bars in fragrances such as Basil & Neroli, Gardenia, Lime, Basil & Mandarin and Sandalwood, Bergamot & Cedar, a Green Tea shampoo bar, an organic Goat Milk & Jasmine baby bar and a selection of limited edition accessories."

Vicki loves that they are also doing something for the environment. "It's all I use now. There are no plastic bottles involved at all.

"I've always loved soap. In days gone by people used to put their special soap in a drawer. Our soaps are made to be used. I'm really proud of what we have achieved and of the feedback we have had from customers. We are evolving all the time and have exciting plans for the future."

The soaps are presented beautifully in unique structural, design-led packaging.

They are triple milled, which ensures they have consistent colour, fragrance and texture.

RabbitRabbit is stocked at Birdwoods - Gallery, Cafe, Sweet Shop & Sculpture Garden, Adamo, Arataki Honey, JAK&CO and Hutchinson's Flooring, Furniture & Interiors.
Or go online torabbitrabbit.nz