A Conversation with Natalie Aresta-Katz From Saponify
About a month ago, I shared this pretty popular DIY post all about how to make some botanically colored + biodegradable glitter soap. In preparation for that post, I need to admit something. I searched and searched to find a responsibly curated soap base—and it was (surprisingly) crazy hard to find.
But then, I eventually stumbled across a brand called Saponfiy, and I was beyond, thrilled. It’s a melt-and-pour base that’s actually 100% sustainable, vegetarian and made from lovingly curated (and oh-so-cruelty-free) ingredients.
I usually try to do some pretty thorough research about the products I post about (specifically I try to learn a lot more about a company’s ethics/sourcing/green-initiatives) and the more I delved into the Saponify’s story, the more determined I was to try and interview Saponify’s founder, Natalie Aresta-Katz.
Luckily, the stars aligned and I ended up calling a phone number that happened to be her direct line! We were able to chat and set up this interview and I am oh-so-excited to share it with you.
Happy reading.
THE Q&A
HH: Right now, you’re balancing quite the load. You’re a student at NYU Stern and you are the founder of a sustainable melt-and-pour soap company. How did you get started? Why did you get started?
NA-K: Wow, what a loaded question! At NYU, I study Sustainable Business and Data Science.
As a student entrepreneur, I get asked about balance a lot. The truth is that I have never felt like I balance more than any other student. In high school, I was a rower and honor roll student. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get good grades and get into college.
I always like crafting, but I never had time for an art class at school. I think I started making soap as a sort of stress relief tactic during the off-season for crew. Once my hobby became a business, a lot of people started asking how I can “do it all,” but since I love what I do, it’s never felt like an unusual burden.
Soap is my passion, and getting to study sustainable business at a school like NYU is a dream come true! Many of my essays and class projects end up being soap-related, and I’ve learned a lot that has helped me with Saponify from my professors and classmates. I got started making soap in high school after taking a chemistry class. We learned about saponification and I thought it might be fun to make soap from scratch. I got a bottle of Lye from the hardware store and some coconut oil we had around the house, and made my first batch of soap. I quickly got hooked on soap making and started selling my soaps. My classmates and family helped me start selling my soap at farmers markets, craft shows and holiday markets. The rest is history!
Once my business picked up, I realized that the materials I was using weren’t always from the best sources, and I started making my own soap base from scratch. I had tried a number of different soap bases, but found that they left something to be desired. At the time there were no sustainable brands on the market. Eventually, I traveled to factories with my recipe and found one that could produce it and was able to work with me to find sustainable ingredients.
My original order for soap base was intended to be for my small company. However, another soap making friend tried the base and convinced me to list it online. To my surprise, Saponify became the best selling new soap base on Amazon that year!
HH: Your soap bases are uniquely sustainable. My sister and I love it! Which ingredients were the hardest to source sustainably?
NA-K: With soap, it can be difficult to produce a product that is sustainable in every way. Many companies use lard or animal shortening in their recipes. From the very beginning that was not an option for me as I am a vegetarian. The best alternative to those animal products is palm oil, since it creates a smooth and reliable lather.
Palm oil is an incredibly difficult ingredient to source sustainably since there is such a high demand for it, and the easiest way to obtain it is through deforestation. Faced with this problem, we decided very early on that we needed to work with a palm farm directly, rather than buy palm oil on the open market.
Today, we work with a small family palm farm. This helps us ensure that we are not contributing to deforestation or human rights abuses, and allows us to support the family business of the farmers. Although it is more expensive to source our palm oil in this way, we believe the extra cost to be well worth it in the long run.
HH: Do you have any killer soap recipes that you love to make? Any melt-and-pour influencers we should follow for soap inspiration?
NA-K: I absolutely love the new charcoal soap base! I introduced the charcoal soap base after realizing what a pain it is to dissolve and mix your own charcoal. The formula makes it super easy to play with black in different soap recipes and designs. I love making black layers in my soaps or even black swirls in my pastel designs. My favorite cupcake soaps have little black charcoal raspberries on top!
As for influencers, there are so many amazing people on Youtube and Instagram that have inspired me. My favorite melt-and-pour tutorial is the watermelon soap DIY by makoccino on Youtube. As for instagram, @bubblesandthingssoaps has some really cool ideas. Of course, you can also follow us @saponify.supplies for new bases and discounts!
HH: What about any tips/tricks for the melt-and-pour soap novice?
NA-K: The first few times I made M&P, I didn’t use any rubbing alcohol. I include the suggestion in my instructions: once you’ve poured your soap into molds, take a spray bottle and spritz the top of your soap. It removes bubbles and makes the bars look nice and smooth. You don’t have to use alcohol, but it makes bars look almost perfect.
Another thing I wish I knew as a beginner is not to use too much fragrance. Using a lot of fragrance can lead to “sweating” or glycerin dew, which makes the soap look and feel wet. It’s no big deal, and the soap is still safe to use, but it can make colors run.
HH: How has your journey owning and starting Saponify shaped you? What has surprised you most so far about the business world?
NA-K: When I started Saponify, I was only 16 years old. It was at times difficult to convince the adults around me to take me seriously. Thank God I didn’t give up!
As a teenager going around the world to find ingredient suppliers and manufacturers, I was oftentimes out of my league. Sitting in business meetings with people more than twice my age was both intimidating and exhilarating. Often times upon arriving at a meeting, suppliers would assume that my father, (who generally insisted on traveling with me), was my boss and shake his hand. It was always a bit funny and embarrassing when they realized that I was the one calling the shots.
Being a young business owner has taught me to dream big, and act now. A lot of times, people have an idea and think to themselves that they should try it some day. Starting a business is always a risk, but without trying a product or idea out, there is no possibility of success. Sure, there is always a chance of failure, but why not try?
I think that starting Saponify at such a young age gave me the chance to be fearless and chase my dreams of owning a company, but also the pressure to be meticulous and do well since I was young enough to have to prove myself.
HH: If you met someone who wanted to live a more sustainable, nature-enriched life—what insight would you share with her?
NA-K: Sometimes the only way to do something right is to do it yourself. If you see something you don’t like, fix it! Lots of sustainability issues are simply a matter of convenience.
For example, an increasing number of people use liquid soap because its neater and you don’t have to clean a soap dish. However, this creates a lot of waste in the form of plastic bottles. Making a change is as simple as putting out a bar of soap in place of a pump bottle.
Finally, I would share that not every decision we make can be sustainable. Sustainable living isn’t about completely eliminating your trace, but rather making small changes that have a real impact. For some people, that’s carrying a reusable bottle. For others, it means buying used clothing. For me, it means making soap, walking to class and being vegetarian. Living a more sustainable life can look different for different people and it is always important to find a balance. I find it inspiring that so many people are striving to reduce their footprints!
HH: What sustainable DIY brands do you use and swear by? What about sustainable beauty products?
NA-K: I absolutely love the biodegradable glitter that Nurture Soap sells. They were one of the first companies to have cosmetic bio glitter, and their product (literally) shines! I use it in my own products. The purple is my favorite.
I don’t use a huge number of beauty products, although I’m always tempted to try and make them myself. That being said, I’ve always admired Lush for their packaging-free products. They come out with new things every month, but right now my favorite product is their Saving Grace facial serum! It comes in a solid little bar, so no packaging, and it helps keep my skin clear and soft.
