Prior to my diagnosis, I was a typical consumer, purchasing items off shelves without thinking much about their ingredients or how they were manufactured. If a product had pretty packaging, I assumed it had been vetted for safety and efficacy. I was shocked when I learned that this was not the case and that personal care products were subject to almost no regulatory oversight. In the early 2000s, truly natural personal care products were few and far between. I eventually realized that if I wanted safe skincare for my compromised immune system and sensitive skin, I would have to learn to make it myself.
Because I don’t do anything halfway, I committed myself to mastering chemistry, herbology, aromatherapy and formulation in order to craft the products that I needed to function on a daily basis. As my passion for skincare grew, so did my thirst for knowledge. Over the course of seven years, I continued studying and perfected a line of face and body products—at first for myself, family and friends. Once I started speaking with people about skin health, I realized that there were others like me who also craved safe and effective skincare. Soapwalla premiered in December 2009.
From day one, I have been committed to building a brand for all humans—no exclusions. Soapwalla’s ethos is one of optimism and care. Our skin is our largest organ; we must nourish it, love it and support it, no matter what.
Beyond the products, I wanted everything about our brand to reflect my values.
using natural, vegan, organic, food-grade ingredients, lovingly mixed by hand in small batches in our Brooklyn studio
reflecting our position as a queer-woman-owned, all-woman-run company that believes access to safe skincare is a universal health issue—not simply a cosmetic one
protecting our planet however we can, from sustainable sourcing to responsible packaging and distribution
participating in the world around us through philanthropic efforts and social action
I cherish this opportunity to create clean, safe and trustworthy products I can proudly say are helping to make skin a bit healthier and the world a bit better...for all humans. Thank you for sticking with me and with Soapwalla for the last 10 years. I hope you’ll stick around for the next 10.
Soapwalla is ten. Ten! Can you believe it?! It’s still mind-boggling to me. This kernel of an idea that was radical when I started over a decade ago – crafting quality skincare from ingredients you can eat; that is for all humans regardless of age or gender or cultural background; that is mad...
