Marina Cottage Soap Opens in BSL

3/12/2019

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This popular Ocean Springs-based business will open a new location in Old Town Bay St. Louis later this month.
- story by Lisa Monti, Lisa Monti's Notebook

The Marina Cottage Soap store in Ocean Springs. Photos courtesy MCS Facebook page

Marina Cottage Soap Company of Ocean Springs is expanding to Bay St. Louis. Its second store will open at 111 Main St., in the former Bay Life spot, on March 23 just in time for the Arts Alive weekend.

Owner Vanessa Mueller, a registered nurse, started creating skin care products to help her young daughter’s eczema. She opened the business in December 2012 and sales have increased ever since. Marina Cottage products have even been included in swag bags at the Oscars, Golden Globes and MTV Movie Award shows.

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Mueller said she’s toyed with the idea of expanding for about a year and thought Bay St. Louis would be “a perfect spot.” Now, she says, the two Marina Cottage Soap stores will be like bookends on the Coast.

The Bay St. Louis location will have a full retail store in front plus a large space in back to host events where you can learn how to make lotions and other bath products while enjoying live music. Think date night, birthdays or girls night out. “We can’t do that in Ocean Springs because of limited space,” she said.

Mueller has chosen two local nonprofits - Ruth’s Roots and Starfish Cafe - as beneficiaries as a way of paying back for Marina Cottage's good fortune. “They are two very special places and we want to do fundraising for them,” she said.

Marina Cottage Soap on Main Street will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Follow the new Bay St. Louis location progress on Facebook and Instagram.

Lisa Monti is a veteran journalist who writes and edits for the Shoofly Magazine. She also publishes her own blog, Lisa Monti's Notebook, with Bay St. Louis building reports, agendas and more. You can subscribe for free.