Soapstone by definition is impervious to damage by things like this. My only suggestion is to verify if your stone may have one of those newish sealers that some people put on soapstone because your stone is so shiny compared to all the soapstones I have seen. Typically soapstone is quite dull and doesn't take sealer but some people/companies do it anyway. I think M Tex may sell one of them? Tenax Ager or something?

Otherwise, you can sand the whole counter down so it matches? I sand mine all the time (220) and it all blends.

I started with 120 then did 220 then even did 320 over just the matte area to try and bring the shine back. AllI i really accomplished was taking some of the shine out of the rest of the island but theres still more texture in this area and it feels rougher. I see mention on a search here of using diamond pads rather than regular sandpaper. Might try that? When the piece came it was gray and flat so there couldnt have been a sealer on it could there?? Heres a pic of when I got it (and i oiled a small area) and a couple more shots of the weird area- thanks all for helping me

I think the problem may be the your stone was over polished to start with so you are used to seeing it shiny. Soapstone is typically like your matte area that you are trying to fix not your shiny side. so you either need to have M Tex tell you precisely how they polished it to such a high shine or dull the rest of the island to match using a 220 grit or so all over. It is very pretty stone by the way.

When I first oil/wax my counters, they are very shiny until the oil wears off a bit. After a few days of using I get a non shiny and mottled look. How long have you had your soapstone? It looks really oily in your photos. Did you just oil them? I have a hard time thinking that the bleach damaged the surface of the soapstone. It looks more like the oiled surface was taken off and the mottled areas are more exposed. I've never seen soapstone as oily as yours after it is wiped. BTW. your soapstone is really pretty.

It holds the patina and shine from waxing a long time until this dull area occurred. It does not have the same smooth finish any longer. I think Cleo07 is correct. I had called M Tex and they advised they use 120 and 220 but neither are getting me anywhere close to the original smooth finish. It’s not like I dislike the matte area- I just want it all to be the same. I love it so much.

Did you figure out anything to deal with your soapstone issue, pjw5839? We actually refinished our soaptone after 16 years and I noticed that the finish is not the same as when it came from Texeira. Is there any way to get it smoother and get a more honed finish?

I did just today actually! I pulled out some 320b sandpaper which I had done with a hand sander with little effect. This time I just did it by hand, one tiny spot at a time and brought the shine back . I'm not done yet but in this picture you can see the shine coming back and the rough bit. I know most others have a more textured surface but I loved my gorgeous smooth surface. I was convinced it was the bleach that caused it but it is the area I chop and prep food the most so maybe it was just wear and the bleach simply stripped the patina off. Nevertheless I'm so happy I think I can get it back to its original finish.