Change Maker of the Month: 🫧Soap Distillery🫧

 10.08.24

In 2012, you set out to create product and owner diversity within the natural body care industry.

What were some challenges you overcame when you were first forming your brand's identity, and how have they shaped the brand as we know it today?

Danielle: Oh there were SO many challenges I faced. When I originally launched Soap Distillery, we were solely cocktail focused which is honestly the reason why I think I've made it even this far. Originally I was told by a few people that my idea was silly and too niche; no one would ever buy a soap that smelled like Beer + Cigarettes or Bourbon.

I almost believed them, but knew I had a good idea because I couldn't keep products on the shelf. 

I would have been buried in the sea of all the other soap makers creating the same few fragrances way back in 2012-2014 had I not chosen to really be different.

It's the uniqueness and the creative interpretation that got me here because when you realize that the soap is called Beer + Cigarettes because it smells like tobacco leaf, hops flowers, lavender buds, oakmoss, lime, laurel, etc, you realize that the products might actually smell pretty dang good :)

That shaped the brand because I don't second guess myself when I have a product idea now. I do my research, but I also know that my customers trust me to make something good for them, and the only way I can do it is to trust my process. Now I have all types of scents including the OGs that help make this company really special.

ECOBAGS:

What was the first scent that you crafted under the Soap Distillery name, and what inspired you to create it?

Danielle: The very first scent I ever did make was Absinthe! Because I was focusing on cocktail scents only and felt like I could make this fragrance with only three or four essential oils which made it more affordable to make for someone who only had a budget of $50/wk for supplies.

Plus, I liked absinthe and felt like I could not just use my nose to form the scent, but also the taste. It's how I created most of the original cocktail scents and why they smelled so good.

ECOBAGS:

Eliminating all plastics from the production line can be tough. What has been your favorite sustainable glow up Soap Distillery has taken on so far?

Danielle: Oooh this is a good one. Honestly, it's been the cartons for the solid scrub bars that we make. Most commercial brands package their body scrubs in plastic jars because some consumers are weary of using glass in the shower which I do understand.

We used to do this but I wanted my scrub bars to be more approachable. So I developed a non-oily feeling solid scrub bar which eliminated the "water in the jar" issue that can happen when using a scrub in the shower, AND, because it's a bar, it can sit in a dish and dry off vs sitting in a plastic jar and potentially collect bacteria. 

Plus, it's travel friendly so it also cuts down on the extra stuff you need. 

ECOBAGS:

Your commitment to only sourcing readily available ingredients stands in stark contrast to much of the beauty industry, which continues to value and rely on rare, "exotic" ingredients to appeal to their customer bases.

How did you decide this commitment would be one of your three pillars of sustainability?

Danielle: I love the innovation that comes with utilizing fun and new ingredients, but in order to support that type of development, it requires a significant amount of research and development waste, as well as inventory waste. I decided a long time ago that I wasn't interested in that because as a consumer, I don't shop that way.

I still look for innovation but I'm more interested in data and reviews to know that a product is good. As manufacturers, we have obligations to offer new products as much as it makes sense because consumers do want to see new products, but not in a way that produces a ton of "scrap this old product" waste which large scale manufacturing is infinitely guilty of. 

It helps support a healthier supply chain, and prevents the toxic dependency that manufactures create to have "strong earnings this quarter" which is what their investors want to see. I'd rather my customers not put themselves into debt over my products, but rather that they share us when they are unable to purchase. 

ECOBAGS:

What is your favorite product and scent (if you can choose), and what would you recommend as a fantastic introductory product to Soap Distillery's offerings?

Danielle: Well that's easy. For me, it's Sequoia + Wild Sage. That soap was inspired by my "Future Adventures" soap that I developed at the beginning of the pandemic as an ode to future travel.

I think it's also an amazing intro soap, but I also can't forget Beer + Cigarettes which has been the top selling fragrance for years and Agave + Salted Peel which is so mellow and lovely all year.

ECOBAGS:

What piece of wisdom would you share with others looking to carve their own space into the industry of their choice that you wish you had known starting out?

Danielle: You're going to need significantly more resources to start than you think. Soap Distillery has taken a slower climb because it's never had investors or the resources to hire necessary roles exactly when we needed them.

You can't do it "alone" and your community has so much more value to you than you think! 

ECOBAGS:

Do you have anything exciting in the works that you'd like to share or tease?

Danielle: Oh of COURSE I do. Those who might remember a special release we had last year will be pleasantly surprised to see that one of those fragrances will be making its way to the evergreen, i.e. permanent line this fall :)

💚Learn more about our friends at Soap Distillery