Harini And Soapworks Is Social Entrepreneurship And Luxury In Its Truest Form

Fast facts about Soapworks

Date of launch – 16th May, 2015

How many soaps produced so far – approximately 45,000 to 50,000 soaps

Product range - cold process soaps; lotion bars; shampoo bars; lip scrubs; lip balms; massage bars; liquid body wash; diaper rash cream; body butter; mosquito repellent bars; sun screen bars; body scrubs

Main ingredients used – luxury oils such as almond oil, argan oil, avocado oil and beeswax

Best sellers – Baby olive soaps, kiddie soaps in various shapes and lotion bars

Price range – rupees 300 to 999

Where do we buy Soapworks? On our online website, www.soapworksindia.com

How do we pay? We offer online payment facility on the website. You can also choose to pay via NEFT. Recently we have started the cash on delivery too.

Where do you deliver to? We deliver all over India and select international locations. For international orders, we ask customers to write to us with the order and once we confirm the shipping cost to their location, the invoice is made.

I pick up a natural soap in a shop, I pick up a commercial soap in a shop. How do I know which is which by just looking at it?

You can’t. Take a moment to read the label, pay attention to what goes into the product.

The most common mistake that most people make is to judge a bath or body product by its smell and the attractiveness of packaging. This carelessness, can be costly.

But mostly watch out for sulphates, carcinogenic triclosan, chemicals used for fragrance, and parabens.

Where do you get these crazy, creative ideas for the soaps?

I had to quit my corporate job after my son’s birth because he was born a "little different" (like how I always say it). He was born with a genetic disorder called Down syndrome.

It was during January 2015 that my mom, a pillar of support to me all through my life suddenly passed away at a young age of 50 and the reason was cancer. My life came to a standstill and I could not cope with it. I had sleepless nights and that is when I decided to divert my mind and spend those sleepless nights in a much effective way.

Soaping was my passion and a hobby. I started working extensively on formulating recipes on natural soaps majorly because research says that it is only the constant chemical exposure that we are subjected to in the days leading to cancer.

I had learnt the art of soap making on a holiday trip and decided to experiment on it. I read a lot of books and did extensive research on soap making and made several batches of soaps. After about 3 weeks I had made about 200 to 300 soaps and I did not know what to do with them. That’s when I created my social media profile for soapworks and decided to sell them.

To my utter disbelief, all my soaps were sold out in a week’s time and I had more and more people asking me for the same. Today Soapworks is reaching greater heights and everyone is starting to dig more on my campaign "READ THE LABEL".

Today, in a short span of 1.5 years, soapworks has formally become a private limited company and caters to a lot of international bulk purchases.

Where do you get the moulds? (Soapworks has soaps in the most radical shapes)

I get my moulds custom made from a vendor in the US.

Do you use dyes on the soaps for the colors?

We use 100 percent natural colorants in our soaps. We use botanicals like spirulina, indigo, Turmeric, charcoal, madder root powder, safflower powder, French pink clay, and French green clay. We also use Micas which is naturally derived and is coloured using food grade colours approved by the FDA.

Would you never have become an entrepreneur if it hadn’t been for your son’s needs?

Yes, most probably.

It was my dream to work in the corporate industry and like many others was so ambitious and fancied the 7 digit salary very much. However, I am glad my son brought this change in me which I otherwise would have never tried to make.

Could you please explain to us why your son couldn’t use commercial personal care products?

Children with special needs have various sensory issues that maybe related to touch, feel, smell or the texture. Every child is different and reacts differently for the same product. For example, my son was averse to smell or fragrance. So, I made soaps for him with no fragrance or essential oil in it. It helped him immensely and also, I have various other clients who specifically discuss their child’s skin issues and I custom make a soap for them based on the child’s requirement.

Is it true that the Soapworks products agree with any type of skin? Is this tested?

At Soapworks, we make soaps for different skin types, from oily to extremely dry skin. So it is advised that you choose the right soap for yourself for best results and ofcourse we are there to help you understand which is best suited for you. Our soaps are sent to a government laboratory for testing and we get a certificate for the same.

How do you see Soapworks – as a social initiative to raise awareness of Down syndrome or as a business?

Soapworks is an initiative to educate people about the harmful effects of the commercial products that are mass manufactured with no benefits but only harmful side effects from them.

I work very hard to participate in every show, fair etc so that I meet more and more people and talk to them about using natural products. For example, I make soaps from besan (gram flour) and milk which are traditional ingredients used for babies while bathing.

How many of us actually know the true benefits of these ingredients? Hibiscus is a natural colorant. It helps to keep your hair black and avoid greying. Fenugreek helps us to keep our body cool and is a natural coolant.

So I use this platform to speak to as many people as I can about these natural ingredients and help them make the switch. I also collaborate with bloggers and write articles and run a campaign called “READ THE LABEL” for the same purpose.

I also conduct workshops for women self-help groups to help them gain a business skill.

My long term idea is utilize the skills of the people with special ability and help them gain a skill too.

What do you see happening with Soapworks in the future?

I wish to make soapworks into a brand that stands for its promise to provide people with luxury in its truest sense. When I say truest, it means that it is luxury for the skin and soul. I plan to make it available easily all over India and plan to involve women from self-help groups to achieve this. My primary idea was and is never to make a commercial business out of it and it shall remain the same.

A big company wants to buy Soapworks. Do you sell? If yes or no under what conditions?

At the moment Soapworks is still at its budding stage and I have received various offers to buy Soapworks and many who wanted to invest in the business to take it to the next level.

But when I sat with them and brainstormed the idea, I felt the core objective of Soapworks was being altered and that did not go well with me. At the moment, I wish to only reach out and help people understand the existence of this brand and its aim. Maybe once I feel I have achieved this, I would think about expanding or selling it.