As we close the decade, we wanted to give an in-depth view of our collective impact beyond the numbers. When we started in 2013, there was a wave of businesses embarking on the "buy one-give one model". We knew right away that we didn't want to do this because simply giving soap away is not impactful. How can we guarantee children are actually using the soap properly? How can we constantly replenish the supply of soap? How can we ensure that we're still helping stimulate the local economy if we're giving an essential away for free?

So this year, instead of providing the number of children who received a bar of soap, or the number of women who we employ, or the number of hotel bars recycled, we wanted to show you how true impact is defined by working collectively in a greater eco-system. This means ensuring that our outcomes are sustainable, measurable, and fits into other local non-profits' initiative to achieve the same outcome- lifting a community out of poverty in a sustainable manner.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR 2020?

In 2019, we further defined our company values and decided to center it completely around sustainability. We plan to further execute this in 2020. For us, this means:

• Operating as a "sustainable first" business: Ensuring that anything from ingredient sourcing to packaging to shipping (and everything in between) is thoughtfully carried out to minimize our carbon footprint. 
   
• Supporting "sustainable first" non-profit initiatives: As noted in our video, we define impact by its sustainability or its ability to generate a long-lasting, positive impact. Another priority is to fund initiatives that incorporate an earth-friendly sustainability element too. We are working with our partners in Uganda to do this in 2020. 

We personally feel that there's still alot of improvement that we as a small business can do to be a more "sustainable first" company in our business operations. To be completely transparent, this will increase our business costs and we plan to divert some funds that would otherwise go towards non-profit initiatives to achieve this. However, we have been consistently donating more than 20% of our profits to the non-profit vision, so we expect to still achieve the 20% threshold. Note that since b.a.r.e. soaps is a part-time passion project, nobody needs to be paid a salary, so when we say profit, we mean revenue less business operating expenses that mostly include cost of goods, light advertising costs during the holidays, and shipping/warehousing costs. 

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much again for your support this year. We continue to be humbled by the support our little business generates every year. 

Finally, a HUGE thank you to our non-profit partners - Point Community Church who helps support the Carepoint in Kaberamaido, Uganda and Sundara Fund who helps coordinate the effort in Kalwa, India. So much of achieving sustainable impact is working with a great non-profit partner who has the vision and ability to execute on that vision!

Here's to an even more impactful 2020!

Jessie

2018 was a year of transition and in short reflected a few years of hard work that led to the fruition of our original vision- to create a sustainable business that could produce cashflow with the primary objective of supporting non-profit initiatives that we believe in. 

As some of you may know, b.a.r.e. soaps is a part time effort and we volunteer our time because we believe in the cause and product. In 2018, founder Jessie moved to Berlin for 10 months. This meant that our production and fulfillment would both be outsourced together for the first time and we would be operating the business remotely. We were able to still grow our sales and contribute more than 2017 to non-profit initiatives. 

To be honest, there were some growing pains. Shipping times were longer than what we believe to be acceptable and we focused less on new products but more on profitability, given the additional fees associated with outsourcing. With 2019 now underway, we are looking to rectify the shipping times (back to 2-3 business days) and expanding our scents and flavors. 

We partner with Sundara Fund in India to fund a soap recycling workshop. This initiative is the poster-child of everything that we strive to look for when supporting a non-profit initiative because we are able to achieve the following:

• Empowering women through fair wages. We have always been a proponent of empowering rather than just "giving". Many of these women are sole bread winners and the wages that they receive enable them to make meaningful decisions for the family including investing in a house or sending their children to school. This year, we were also able to fund giving raises to a few of the women. Read more about the impact of a raise & fair wages here. 
• Reducing waste by recycling used hotel soap. Despite the tiny soap bar sizes offered at hotels, very rarely are the bars used up and it all adds up to significant waste. We love how Sundara is able to take what would be sent to landfills to repurpose it and save lives. Being sustainable is something that is really important to us.

To quantify what this all means, if you bought soap in 2018, you helped fund the following:

10% reduction in school absentees 

195 hygiene lessons taught 

9600 bars recycled and distributed 

1810 towels donated from hospitality partners, so that the children can dry their hands clean versus wiping them on their clothes

38 women employed time plus receiving heath benefits for themselves and their children

We are super excited to reveal a new initiative that we will be undertaking with Sundara in 2019. Some of you may remember plans to expand to Bangalore with a new soap recycling workshop. Unfortunately, there were a quite a few logistical hurdles that have put this project on hold, but that means that we can focus our efforts elsewhere. We will be announcing in 1Q19 what this new initiative looks like, so stay tuned.

Our partnership with Carepoint 68|5 through Point Community Church is really the genesis of why b.a.r.e. soaps started. We remain committed to helping the Carepoint on an as-needed basis. The Carepoint is in a rural village called Kaberamaido and supports around 150 children with a guaranteed meal a day in addition to tuition assistance and other essentials. While this type of support is funded by individuals who contribute $35 a month, we try to supplement when other "projects" come up. Some examples from the past include helping fund Hep B vaccines, shoes for the children, bringing solar to a local library, etc...

If you bought soap in 2018, your contribution helped raise money for the following:

• Multivitamins and soap. We normally try to provide a few months supply when possible. This year we were able to do so in January.
• "Village Savings & Loan": There's actually no bank in Kaberamaido. This program has been established through Hopechest, the nonprofit organization that helps set up the Carepoints through the support of local US churches, and they've set up such savings & loan programs in other Carepoints in Uganda with great success. Hopechest has worked out all of the details of this project, including an established system that involves training a committee to oversee the project. Note that we are only one party that is helping funding this project.
• Begin fundraising for a maize milling machine. Years ago, our partners at Point Community Church purchased 10 acres of land which enabled them to not only feed the children but also subsidize school costs through selling the crops to other Carepoints. This year, we saw the largest crop yet- 110 bags of maize, weighing a minimum of 100 kilos (220 pounds) per bag. That's at least 24,000 pounds of food! Currently they need to hire someone to remove the maize from the husk, but having their own machine would save money for the Carepoint. Furthermore, that machine could generate income by being rented out to others. This is an expensive project but one that will have long term impact, and your purchases began to help fund it.

As many of you know, every purchase gives back. One of our favorite non profit initiatives is supporting Sundara by helping fund a portion of the operations behind the Kalwa Soap Recycling Site. We met Sundara on Instagram (hello 21st century!) and really loved their vision, enthusiasm and grit. It's the main reason why we love working with them. They do alot, and we wanted to give you a peek into what it takes (efforts, partners, funds) to run just a single soap recycling workshop.

Below is a Q&A session with Michelle and Audrey of Sundara:

It takes a lot of people and resources to fund just one soap recycling site. How many partners are needed to run just one workshop?

It really takes a village. Here's brief snapshot of what needs to be done to run a single soap recycling site successfully:

Finding strong local NGOs to partner with is crucial to our success. This helps ensure we are invited into the community and that we're never imposing ourselves or our assumptions. It allows us to better understand the best ways to adapt our operations based on the specific needs of that community. It gives us a controlled distribution area, which is critical to our success. For example, we need to know that 50 bars will be going to X school on Y date. Our partner NGOs are often already working with women/have connections to women in need of employment for us to hire.

Hotels to partner with and form long lasting relationships with. Without soap we cannot operate. This is harder than it sounds because there's usually always initial enthusiasm and support, but it wanes after the first meeting or when management changes.

Reliable drivers to help us collect the soap. Ola is a local transportation service (similar to Uber) that our Project Officer uses to book transportation for soap collections. We hire the drivers for a few hours at a time to drive around central Mumbai, picking up soap from all our hotel partners.

Funding partners in India and the USA to sustain all overhead and operational expenses. This includes local hotels in India, foundations and socially conscious businesses such as b.a.r.e. soaps

We recently discussed expanding our initiatives to a new site in Bangalore. In fact, you even sent someone on the ground to get things started but it's taking longer than expected. Can you explain what are the steps that are needed to open up a soap recycling workshop?

We first need to ensure that we have enough hotel partners to generate a steady and sufficient supply of used soap. Early on, we had an incident where we had all of the women in place ready to recycle soap but there wasn't enough soap from the hotels!

Connections are more effective when made in person. Hotel partnerships require a thorough follow-up. The initial response may be positive but we often experience delays in getting them to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as the whole hotel management team need to be consulted, and we need to make sure their concerns and questions are answered. Plus, hotel staff have other priorities and may need a few reminders before getting the MOU signed (which needs to be signed before initiating collections). Hotels sometimes require certificates of registration of the organization + lab certificates certifying that are soaps are tested and are pathogen-free.

Then, we need to setup a space that is clean and has proper water access and drainage. There needs to be sufficient ventilation and lighting and with latrine access for the staff (spaces often require repairs before the actual set-up). We need to coordinate the logistics necessary for the collection of used soaps and their transportation to the centre. On top of that, we need to ensure that they are cost-effective and feasible. In addition to preparing the physical space, we need to locally purchase materials and furniture for the initial setup

The next step is to find local staff to hire, most often found by local connections or recommendations from other local organizations. The staff needs approximately one month of training to get familiar with the soap recycling process (for work centre staff) or delivering the hygiene education sessions (for hygiene angels).

The Kalwa site is flourishing and there is no turnover. What is needed to maintain a "well-oiled machine?"

A good way to limit the turnover is by a good candidate-selection process. The candidate-selection process usually involves 6-10 women who come and "try out" the soap-recycling process. This way, our office staff can informally interview candidates, see if they enjoy the soap recycling process, observe if they get along, and discuss if they would see themselves doing this 5 days a week.

It’s also important to:

Provide constant feedback. Our local Director is constantly in communication via telephone in addition to scheduled and un-scheduled site visits. The unscheduled visits are important as it allows how our operation runs on a daily basis when not visitors are expected. Providing regular feedback allows our employees to constantly improve themselves and continue to learn new skills/ways of becoming more efficient.

Ensure our workshops are close to where our Hygiene Ambassadors (HAs) live. We rent our workshop space right within the communities in which they live. Most Indians push through a 2-3 hour commute each day by train, which is completely exhausting, dangerous, and takes time away from them caring for their families.

Provide new and exciting opportunities for development. In order to ensure that our HAs are constantly engaged and developing their literacy and confidence, we like to engage them with our hotel partners as often as we can doing things like picking up soap, or conducting presentations, receiving awards etc. 

Team appreciation nights & events. For example, our Director Kenneth planned an appreciation day on a beach in Palghar this past February, where HA’s from all our locations gathered to celebrate their hard work and all that they do for their communities. This is important in creating a sense of unity across Pune, Mumbai, Ashte, and Palghar. It allows the women to remember they are part of a large Sundara family.

What is the most common problem that you face when it comes to running a soap recycling workshop?

Securing steady funds to cover the recurring costs required to pay for the overhead expenses within the US and India. It’s also challenging to maintain continuous engagement from hotel partners to ensure steady collections. One other challenge arises when a hotel HR management team changes, which sometimes leads to decreased soap collections

Do you have any stories of "things gone wrong"?

Regular supervisions and reinforcement are crucial. One time, the newly trained Hygiene Angels had just finished giving their education session, where they reinforce the importance of hand washing before eating. We have the practice of giving out chikki snacks (local nutritious snacks) to children along with the soap distributions. They used to be individually wrapped but we have recently switched to multiple snacks in one big bag. The regular sequence is normally the initial hand hygiene education session, distribution of soaps + snacks, then finally the children go out of the classroom to practice washing their hands. Out of habit, the Hygiene Angels distributed the chikki snacks along with the soaps, without noticing that the children would touch the snacks directly with their unwashed hands. Thankfully, feedback was provided by the coordination team and the sequence was adapted (soaps given before hand washing practice, but snacks to be given only after hands are washed). This points out the importance of reflecting and adapting to make sure that we really reinforce the proper messages at all times. 

What is your favorite part about what you do?

Seeing the excitement of the children when they wash their hands (and how they can't stop smelling their hands afterwards!). Hearing the amazing testimonials from members of the community and our local partners (medical clinics, teachers, local NGOs) about the impact Sundara has made on health and livelihood in their community. Plus, seeing how proudly the women we hire talk about their work and seeing them gain confidence and skills. Many of the women have gained leadership and public speaking skills.

It's also amazing to know that we are making a long lasting, sustainable impact that actually changes habits. I love that aside from solely distributing soap, we are educating and changing mindsets on best practices for them to follow that will ensure they promote good hygiene for years to come. 

Maduri, on the right, transporting used hotel soap to be recycled

We work with Sundara to employ women with fair wages in Kalwa, India to take used hotel soap and recycle and repurpose it into new soap to be redistributed to children in the slums.

Life before & after soap recycling

On Sundara’s first day of operations in India, in 2014, one of our first employees was Madhuri. Prior to her work with soap-making and recycling, Madhuri would commute over 4 hours daily by train to central Mumbai, where she worked on the cleaning staff of an upscale mall. Her income was the only means of financial support for herself and her mother, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Working for Sundara has allowed Madhuri to be close to her home. Her commute is now a five-minute walk through her community. She is able to work decent hours, make a sustainable wage, and quickly get home in case of an emergency. As her mother’s only caregiver, she is also able to spend more hours at home, providing for the family.

The power of a raise

When the discussion of acknowledging Madhuri's stellar work arose, b.a.r.e. soaps agreed with Sundara that it was time to give Madhuri a 1000 INR monthly raise, bringing her total income to 10,000 INR per month. Madhuri is elated.

“With the extra money, I feel even more comfortable financially. I can buy important items...like vessels to hold clean water for cooking and drinking. This means that water I would normally use for laundry a few times a week can be used for cooking and drinking instead. Also, my husband is unemployed right now. He is a rickshaw driver but struggles to find work. That means it is only my income supporting our entire family… I feel proud that I am able to do this.”

Madhuri says that where she is from, in Kalwa, “I can buy one meal for 15-20 INR.” She is excited to be able to provide her entire family with food. This raise matters- it not only provides financial security, but a sense of relief that she can comfortably provide water, food, and healthcare to the people she loves the most.

What real female empowerment looks like

In the four years Madhuri has been employed with Sundara, she has been promoted to workshop manager, and her fierce and bold spirit has made her a natural at training all of our new employees. She has greatly improved her English literacy and travels to new locations including Pune, Palghar, and Ashte to provide training to women in their communities.

“Since I started with Sundara, I’ve gained incredible skills, independence and leadership..I feel the other women come to me for guidance and advice, which I love being able to give.”

Madhuri states she feels “very confident” since starting with Sundara four years ago. “I’m thankful for what Sundara has brought to the community: health, employment and pride. The community is proud of the Sundara work centre.” The community also has told Madhuri that they love the soaps and how great they smell. It’s one more point of pride that puts a smile on this working woman’s face.

We are even more proud that there had been zero turnover at the Kalwa operation since we started in 2014. This is a testament to 1) the new opportunity these women have been given, 2) the positive contribution they feel they are making to their communities, and 3) the amazing lean team behind Sundara that is able to make this work!

2017 was another extraordinary year under our belt and it couldn't have been done without each and every one of you. Your ongoing support and purchases have enabled us to expand our efforts in Uganda for 2018. The intent of this email is to let you know where your proceeds have gone or will be going.

As some of you may know, b.a.r.e. soaps is a part time effort and we volunteer our time because we believe in the cause and product. We started b.a.r.e. soaps as a vehicle to fund economic development initiatives and we are proud to share the impact all of us have collectively made in 2017. However, some changes are a comin' in 2018, so please read all the way to the end of the post. 

UGANDA

1. We continued to fund immediate needs, including vitamins and soaps. In January 2018, a team will be headed to Kaberamaido where they will bring soap and vitamins, funded by b.a.r.e. soaps.
    
2. A significant portion of 2017 holiday proceeds will fully fund an initiative to bring power to a library resource center via solar for our ~150 children. This is significant because there is currently no reliable form of energy or electricity at our Carepoint. Students who excel in grade school and who are therefore afforded the rare opportunity of taking an entrance exam for higher education must do so on a computer in a nearby city. Having never even seen a computer, these students often are unable to complete the exam for obvious reasons. We hope this resource center will help bridge the gap among many other benefits.
    
3. We began to sell Ugandan, hand-spun paper beaded necklaces from Florence, a mother of one of our Carepoint kids. Florence is widowed and without land, which means that she has a monthly outflow of rent each month. Her current job is unable to support this outflow and her two children’s education, so we are hoping that helping her sell her jewelry abroad will enable her to save enough money to buy her own land and get out of this “debt trap”. You can read more about the effort here and some of the necklaces are still available!

INDIA

Last year, we were able to expand into the Kalwa Slum in India, via a new partnership with Sundara Fund to employ 3 women with fair wages. These women not onlyrepurpose used hotel soap and redistribute them in the slums, but they also act as ambassadors in sharing good hygiene practices with their communities.

In 2017, we were able to expand the initiative to bring some of those repurposed hotel soaps to sell in the US in the form of 360 repurposed bars. Barring a few logistical challenges, we were able to sell two batches of these soaps. We have now encountered some additional challenges but will continue to work with Sundara on this initiative.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR 2018?

As a small, part-time business, one of the challenges is scaling. In 2018, we will be outsourcing fulfillment as the main fulfiller (Jessie) is moving abroad to Berlin for a short term assignment for her full time job. We contemplated a few options but determine that this was the best route as it will allow us to scale further to pursue more non-profit initiatives.

We understand that the primary disadvantage of outsourcing fulfillment will mean a less personal touch when folks receive their packages. However, should you experience any issues, please do not hesitate to contact jessie@bare-soaps.com. Jessie will still be able to run the overall operations from abroad!

THANK YOU

Thank you so much again for your support this year. We continued to gain momentum in the press, being featured in Woman's Day, Mashable, and a lovely callout from Jen Hatmaker in addition to many award winning blogs/publications. One easy way that you can help us is by leaving a review if you haven’t yet- it helps everyone make a more informed purchase!

Hoping everyone has a healthy and amazing 2018 filled with meaning and hope!

Jessie

Since last year, we've been partnering with Sundara in an initiative that cuts down on hotel soap waste while providing access to soap for hundreds of children in the Kalwa slum of Mumbai, India. Using our proceeds, Sundara employs women with fair wages to collect, repurpose and distribute the soap. So far, our Kalwa Hygiene Ambassadors have distributed over 4,465 bars of recycled soap to children and their families. We continuously strive to expand and be able to reach more children and their families. 

Sundara recently had the opportunity to meet with Baburam Dudhnaeh Yadav Sir, the Headmaster of Kalwa Hindi High School. They're in the process of planning to start soap deliveries in his school. “Children are often sent home for fever and diarrhea and at least five to ten students per class have noticeable lack of hygiene. Unfortunately, we do not have soap at school. Some children have soap at home, but a large number do not.” he tells us.

“We teach children about hand washing from the 5th standard forward and I think that most children know and understand it, but simply do not have soap to do it and therefore, the practice is not reinforced.” Mr. Yadav Sir. adds. The Sundara Team also asked a few questions to students at the school and, while they were able to list some of the important handwashing moments, they admitted to often forgetting to wash their hands before having their snack and after going to the washroom.

We're optimistic that this initiative will help because we've already started seeing improvements in Kalwa:

• Dr. Kamlesh Vishvkarma at the Shravam Health Center in Kalwa slum noted, “Before, 70-80% of the patients who were coming to the clinic had gastro-intestinal problems. Now, day by day, the number is decreasing. I can really see the impact of the soap.”
• Alok, one of our Kalwa beneficiaries tells us: “After using the soap to wash my hands, I don’t fall sick so often, I feel better and I get to play more!”
• Suman, our Sundara Hygiene Education team leader in Kalwa, tells us how proud she feels about making a difference in her community: “I’m helping children have access to soap, gain knowledge and ultimately be less sick.”

242 million school days are missed per year because of diarrhea, which water and sanitation initiatives can prevent. Good handwashing habits can help keep students healthy and ready to learn. Thanks to your support, we're able to collectively create a solution to the problem.

Have you ever thought about what happens to paper and trash in slums? It's an easy answer- it typically accumulates into stockpiles of waste.

In Mumbai (and many parts of India), the slums are so densely populated that it's not uncommon to see these stockpiles close where people eat/live and in the rivers. So it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that recycling is not a common practice. As we continue to think about evolving our packaging to reflect our eco-friendly objectives, we discovered the Naya Initiative through our partners at the Sundara Fund. 

Simply put, the Naya Initiative employs women in the Kalwa slum (the very same place where we employ women with fair wages to recycle used hotel soap) to take paper waste from hotels and companies and recycle it into new and beautiful paper. Kalwa is home to 200,000 people where work is scarce. Despite being close to Mumbai, most women are unable to commute into the city, leading to high employment.  This means women have little control over their own income and being reliant on their husbands or other male family members grants them lower power within the home. 

Our repurposed bars are now being packaged with this recycled paper. When you touch it, you can feel bumps and ridges- hallmarks of handpressed paper. When you see it, you may notice specs of letters from the paper's prior life. Overall, each package is unique and we're proud to not only help this initiative in employing more women by using their paper, but we're proud to be a part of the answer in addressing the waste situation. 

To learn more about the Naya Initiative and how they make the paper, check out the video below. 

"WHEN HELPING HURTS"

THINKING LONG TERM

The tricky part with this approach is that we can't always tell you in advance where your proceeds are going towards. Two years ago, a part of our proceeds went towards buying one goat for every child at our Carepoint in Uganda. This project is one of our favorites, and not just because goats are extremely cute creatures. Viral videos of goats frolicking about don’t do the creatures justice. The communities who are gifted goats benefit from their milk production as a source of nutrition and as a good to sell. Goat waste is also a very rich fertilizer with which the community can enrich their vegetation. And the best part? Goats reproduce fairly quickly. More goats, more benefits for the town! Or, goats can be sold for other farming animals to help till the land.

We also look at long term investments in education. Last year, a portion of proceeds were allocated to building a library for the same Carepoint in Uganda. When one of our students was looking to take the entrance exam for the equivalent of university, she was at a loss when she arrived at the test center to find that she had to take the test on a computer. She had never seen a computer before. We work with our partners at Point Community Church and Hopechest to determine the needs of the Carepoint. Money is then deployed to meet those needs.

Our other efforts focus on employment, growth, and sustainability- like Sundara Fund’s soap repurposing project. These projects are typically more consistent- each year we have a good idea of how much we need to allocate to employ the women with fair wages, but sometimes needs also change depending on the environment. We're also always looking for ways to expand that partnership, whether its to hold sanitation workshops or handwashing clinics for children.

THOUGHTFULLY TEACHING A (WO)MAN HOW TO FISH

The point is, while in our day to day lives, we may have budgets to account for recurring costs (such as rent, insurance, groceries, etc), we may still encounter random "needs" that we may not have accounted for. The same is true for non-profit initiatives. While the buy-one-give-one model alleviates pain in the short term and makes it simple for you, as the consumer to know where your money is going to at the time of purchase, when not done properly, it is a simple hand-out. There's an old saying, usually attributed to Confucius, that goes something like "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime."

For the last 3 years, we've been working with Sundara Foundation to employ women with fair wages to 1) take used hotel soap and repurpose it into new soap and 2) distribute that soap to slum children and health clinics. This initiative aims not only to help reduce waste, but to also allow these women to earn a fair wage to support themselves and their families. 

Meet Nita, Parvati and Yogita (left to right), our Sundara Hygiene Ambassadors Soap Production team from the Ashte village. These three ladies do everything from collecting the used hotel soaps to processing the soaps into new bars, and even helping distributing them to those in need.

How does this soap recycling initiative work?

While it’s a very hands on and manual process, our partners at Sundara have taken careful steps to ensure that the soap is safe to use. Upon collecting the used soap from hotel partners, the outer layer is scraped off before the inner layer is washed in a sanitizing solution. This mixture is then dried and shredded into fine pieces which creates the raw soap base. For the 360 Repurposed Bars, herbs are added to color and scent the soap. Even after the bars are made, the soaps regularly undergo vigorous lab testing to ensure safe use.

How do we turn used hotel soap into a Repurposed Bar?

Today, we wanted to document how these women turn the used hotel soap into a repurposed Bar. For these bars, our Hygiene Ambassadors incorporate neem, turmeric, and eucalyptus into the recycled bars of soap.

All ingredients for these therapeutic bars are sourced 100% locally and organically. In fact, our Hygiene Ambassadors extract the spices and herbs from trees and gardens that are all within 2 minutes walking distance from the Sundara Workshop.

A step by step walkthrough

STEP 1: Extract essence from the plants and herbs, crushing with a mortar and gradually adding a small quantity of water. Then, use a filter to remove clumps. It takes roughly 4 hours to extract enough essence to produce 300 bars of herbal soaps.

STEP 2: Measure 350g of disinfected shredded, recycled soap.

STEP 3: Add 9 soda bottle caps of extract to the recycled soap base (about 100 ml of extract).

STEP 4: Mix well and transfer the soap paste to the soap press mold.

STEP 5: Compress the soap paste using the press to obtain a solid block of herbal soap.

STEP 6: Cut into smaller bars and voilà!

"In Ashte, we commonly use these three plants to treat many conditions such as stomach pain and skin rashes. They have medicinal properties that are excellent for treating different skin conditions. I am happy that we will also be distributing these bars of soap to our community and surrounding communities as they will not only benefit from hand washing but also from the added benefits of the extract of those plants. Our Neem bar soap is my favourite because I love its scent and because I personally use neem a lot in my daily life" -Yogita Jadhav

Every purchase helps support this initiative. Help support us by shopping sustainably.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." -- Chinese Proverb

The way that we as a society have approached aid has significantly changed over time. We have learned that giving in the form of money and supplies is not only ineffective, but it can also be devastating by crippling local economies. As such, many non-profits are moving towards models that encourage employment, growth, and sustainability.

Sundara Fund sets up the infrastructure to repurpose used hotel soap by coordinating the logistics/materials and employing local women to resanitize/rebatch the soap and act as Hygiene Ambassadors in their communities. Proceeds from our sales are used to help pay for three women to receive fair wages and leftover money is used to hold free hygiene workshops or other related initiatives.

Today, we profile the three women who have been able to lift themselves out of poverty through hard work and through your support. 

Madhuri's Story

Age: 38
Hometown: Chiplun village in the Ratnagirl distrcit of Maharashtra
Prior Work: Could not find work after coming to Mumbai
Background: Madhuri came to Mumbai 5 years ago with her parents in hopes of finding work for her father who was a repairman. Not long after the move, Madhuri came home to find her father having a seizure on the floor. He passed away. Afterwards, Madhuri's mother became depressed and reclusive and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Suddenly, Madhuri became the sole bread-winner.

Life after Sundara: Madhuri became Sundara's first employee over 2 years ago. She is bold, fierce and loud. The rest of the hygiene ambassadors call her "Mama Madhuri" because she looks after them they way she does with her young sisters- congratulating them on their acheivements and scolding them when they do something wrong. 

Last year, Madhuri was promoted to be the workshop manager of Sundara's Kalwa center (the initiative which b.a.r.e. soaps supports). She came home and told her mom the good news and they both cried out of happiness. It was a great day.

Shushma's Story

Age: 32
Hometown: Podapur, a small village of just over 200 people
Prior Work: Servant in a household in the city
Prior Pay: $30 a month for 6 days a week, nearly 15 hours a day
Background: Sushma came to Mumbai on her own when she was 20. She was scared and illiterate when she got to the city. Her mother had forced her to drop out of school when she was 7. The work as a servant was exhausting. She never saw her children and worst of all, her boss beat her regularly. She developed back problems that forced her to quit.

Life after Sundara: Sundara found Sushma 2 years ago – she lives 2 blocks away from the Kalwa workshop. She’s usually quiet and reserved, but when visitors come to the workshop, she laughs as she gets to teach them how to recycle soap. She loves that she doesn’t have to pay for someone to look after her children now – she can bring her children to work when they are out of school and watch over them as they do homework in the corner. The other women will check on her children when she can’t and will take turns walking each other’s children to school so the others can work early.

Sushma never thought of herself as smart, because she dropped out of school but it occurred to her a few months ago, as she was teaching the US embassy staff how to recycle soap, that maybe she is an expert in something after all.

Kanchan's Story

Age: 36
Hometown: State of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India
Prior Work: Making small pieces of jewelry and selling them door-too-door 
Background: Kanchan came to Mumbai to find better work for her husband and afford to send their two children to school. Like many migrants, Kanchan's husband struggled to find work. Though he now works as a painter on a Bollywood film set, his work is often irregular and goes weeks, sometimes months, without a work assignment. 

Life after Sundara: Kanchan is illiterate so it has been difficult communicating in the local language (Marathi). However, Sundara has been able to employ Kanchan as a soap recycler and hygiene ambassador. Two years into her job and Kanchan is now bringing home a higher salary than her husband. This is something completely unheard of back in her hometown in Uttar Pradesh – and something she never dreamed of for herself.

Now she has the money to pay for her son’s school fees – and she plans to send her daughter to school next year too. 

Meet Sheetal, Sundara's India Program Assistant

Sheetal was hired as Sundara’s India program assistant. She works 4 days a week, managing soap collections, calling hotels and arranging for the pick up of soap waste from nearly 2 dozen hotels. Most importantly, she makes sure the soap is distributed to local schools and medical clinics on time.

Sheetal grew up with in a village near Palghar district as the daughter of an onion and rice farmer.  With just one plot of land - that her family didn’t even own - life was challenging for Sheetal and her brother and sister. There wasn’t enough food, especially during the droughts that happened nearly every year. 

At 17, Sheetal left home and went to Mumbai to look for work. She didn’t want to farm like her parents. So she found a job working as a maid in an upscale part of town. Her salary? Just $30 per month. She worked 6 days a week, with a long commute on an overcrowded railcar each way to her rented room in a slum outside of the city.

How did Sheetal get to Sundara?

Her sister, who was also a maid in Palghar, phoned her this spring and asked her if she would ever consider another job. Sundara’s program director, Kenneth, had spoke to a women’s organization that Sheetal’s sister was a part of, about a job position as a program assistant. 

Sheetal wasn’t sure if she was qualified but she jumped at the chance to be something other than a maid. She met Kenneth, who was impressed by her hard work ethic and passion for villagers (like herself) to improve their health and opportunities. He called her the next week: she was hired!

We interviewed Sheetal at the Sundara team lunch in May and she was beaming. Her new commute is only a 5-minute walk from her house. She makes over 3 times her old salary.

The best part? She believes in the cause. “Two weeks ago, I had the chance to visit Sundara’s operation in the Ashte village. I felt so happy to see the children using the soap in class— it gives me a newfound sense of purpose for the work I do every day.”

“I love how I can physically see Sundara’s immediate impact from teaching them how to use soap and wash regularly—you don’t have to wait to see the results.”

We asked her if there was anything she wanted to add when we introduced her on our website: “I’d like to thank everyone in the USA for supporting the soap recycling work we do. Thank you for believing in people like me!”

Why India and why a slum?

In February 2016, I took a week long trip to India to attend a wedding in Mumbai. To be frank, I've done quite a bit of first world traveling, but this was my first foray into a developing country (outside of my ethical homeland of China). When I arrived, I couldn't have been more shocked.

In most developing countries, there are pockets of poverty especially when one wanders to the more rural areas. However, in these places, it's clear that everyone is poor and that conditions are similar across most families. In other words, your standard of living is somewhat close to your neighbors, even in the big cities. While Mumbai displayed very similar characteristics to those in other booming cities in developing countries (the juxtaposition of luxury high rises against the neighboring slums, poor living and working conditions for laborers, etc) there is one thing about Mumbai and India that is significant- the number of people everywhere. It is really difficult to imagine +1 billion people living in one single country, especially in a place where the infrastructure for trash, sewage, and transportation is still being developed.

I am not here to tell you that slum life is terrible. In fact, many slums have their own businesses, and some generate an astounding GDP. Some who travel to the cities only to end up in a slum fare better compared to their previous rural lives. In fact, many slums have television- they rig their televisions to the electric grid and somehow acquire a satellite dish.  But, there are many people who end up in a slum worse off than before and are devastated by the expensive living standards of the city. I was fascinated by the entrepreneurial nature of slums and I left wondering how b.a.r.e. soaps could help economically empower those who needed it most in the slums. 

How we met our partner, Sundara Fund

Enter Erin Zaikis, founder of Sundara Fund. She contacted us via Instagram and a conversation began to emerge. We met in person, exchanged a few stories, and decided to continue speaking after each of us had returned from our respective trips to India and Uganda.

I cannot stress how difficult it is to find the right non-profit partner. As a for-profit business, we have no trouble finding interested non profits to work with us. Despite what you may think, it is extremely difficult to have complete oversight into what a non-profit is doing. Even companies who give back in the form of a "buy one, give one" model typically have no way of fully tracking their non-profit partners. So many times, choosing the right partner is a gut feeling. For us, it's about choosing someone who we trust from the getgo and have aligning visions. It also means finding an organization who we can grow together with.

Sundara Fund's model is quite simple but brilliant. They approach local hotels to acquire used soap that would otherwise be thrown away in order to reprocess them into new bars to be distributed. Then, Sundara employs local women to shred the soap to rebatch them. These women are paid 3x the local wage (with benefits) and are given a real chance to break out of the poverty cycle.

This may sound easy, but it's no easy feat to get a hotel on board. Sometimes maids may forget to set aside the used soap, as recycling soap may not be a top priority. Hotels are also subject to the cyclical nature of tourism, so there are periods when this soap supply is constrained. Add in cultural barriers and you've got quite the challenge.

What does this partnership entail?

This program intends to support a soap recycling initiative in a slum area and give women fair wage livelihood through soap reprocessing work. The soap will be distributed every month to 500 migrant school children living in the surrounding slums, along with a basic health care and hygiene training aspect. Similarly, 500 migrant slum women will receive the recycled soap when they come to the local Shravan health clinic for free health care services. This will be done along with awareness training on the use of soap in good hand and body hygiene practices. Together, these activities will help improve the health and wellbeing of children and women of Kalwa East and reduce the occurrence of frequent hygiene related illness that currently plagues this slum community.

Number of Beneficiaries: 500 Migrant slum children +  500 Migrant slum women

Location of Program: Bhaskhar Nagar, Kalwa East, Thane, Maharashtra

Program Rationale 


• The beneficiaries of this program are primarily migrant populations from the northern states of India. 
Living within an underserved slum area, there is a tremendous struggle for these people to get access to the basic health care facilities. 
 When they do require healthcare, they are forced to travel outside the slum area to get services they often can’t afford and are thus driven deeper into the cycle of debt. 

• Women here are most often employed as servants or vegetable sellers and would greatly benefit with an opportunity to supplement their small family incomes. Sundara pays these women a rate that is 3x the local wage, plus provides them with benefits. 

• Children and women alike need awareness about hand and body hygiene (unfortunately not taught at school or even informally) that will prevent the occurrence of frequent hygiene related illnesses (primarily diarrhea and pneumonia) and skin related diseases. 

• There is a high mortality rate of young children (especially under 5) in the slum of Kalwa East due to the lack of access to basic health care facilities.

How do you deploy your proceeds in Uganda? 

What is a Carepoint?

A Carepoint is not an orphanage- rather it is a place where children are able to aggregate for a full nourishing meal each day. We have two full time staff members on the ground that run the Carepoint and ensure that each child is taken care of (ie medical issues).  

Where is our Carepoint located?

So what is baresoaps' role? 

Your skin is constantly absorbing everything that it comes into contact with- dirt, grime, lotion, soap etc. Did you know that you don’t just breathe through your nose but you breathe through your skin as well? What you put on your skin is inhaled and absorbed into your bloodstream. One thing that we have full control over is the soap we choose to wash the dirt and grime away with everyday. So what exactly is in a bar of soap?

We’re going to take a look at a normal commercial bar you would find in any store and compare that to our b.a.r.e. soaps bar. Below you’ll see the list of ingredients for b.a.r.e. soaps and the list of ingredients for a Dove Sensitive Unscented Beauty Bar. Now, I’ve used this Dove Sensitive Soap Bar before and it’s never irritated my skin. From my point it did the job by clearing off all the dirt and debris. But upon closer inspection, you’ll realize that the ingredients are a bit of a mystery and do not sound natural at all.

How is soap defined by the FDA?

The FDA defines soap as a simple combination of oils and fats with a strong alkaline solution. True soap is created through a chemical process known as saponification, which forms a natural byproduct called glycerin. Glycerin actually forms the base for the hydrating characteristics of lotions and creams. It is so valuable that commercial manufacturers sell it to make lotions and creams. The question is, does a Dove bar adhere to this definition of soap?

What does Dove say about its soap?

Dove states on its website that:

“Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar pampers sensitive skin with Dove ¼ moisturizing cream, and a truly mild formula that's fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and unscented. Dove is the #1 cleansing bar recommended by dermatologists and pediatricians.”

Notice that Dove never states the word soap in its bar. It says “moisturizing cream” or “beauty bar”. I’m sure there is some marketing research to back up their wording, but what they’re trying to do is avoid using the word "soap". In reality, they are detergents. By law, commercial brands cannot use the label, "bar soap" if it’s considered a detergent. The word “soap” is heavily regulated by the FDA.

You know that dry feeling you get after taking a shower? You might feel clean but that’s a byproduct of the detergent, which is meant to wash off all your oils, including the good oils that protect your skin. So after you’ve washed, you reach for the brand’s lotion to moisturize. This obviously starts a cycle of using soap to dry out your skin and moisturizing it with lotion. Detergent makes sense if you need to wash clothes or dishes, but it’s definitely not something that should be put onto your skin.

What is in the Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar?

There is huge debate with the synthetic chemical additives listed in a typical “cleansing” bar. Let’s take a look at the list of ingredients for Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar. We found the details of each ingredient from Ethereal Aura Spa. Check out what each ingredient means:

Sodium lauroyl isethionate is a surfactant/detergent used as a cleansing agent and to help lather onto your skin. You’ll find this in shampoos, body washes, facial care, and toothpastes. This chemical can irritate your skin depending on how sensitive your skin is, but for most people it shouldn't cause an issue.

Sodium Tallowate or Sodium Palmitate are both very different ingredients. Sodium Tallowate is actually derived from the saponification of tallow (such as fat from cattle or sheep) whereas Sodium Palmitate is created from the saponification of vegetable oils . The use of "or" in the ingredient description is interesting because it is the difference between a vegan or non-vegan bar. Nevertheless, tallow has an important history in traditional soapmaking and is responsible for how the first soaps are thought to have been created. 

Lauric Acid is derived from whole oils and is typically used to add hardness and a big fluffy lather. However, it is void of glycerin, which is a property that helps moisturize the skin.

Sodium Isethionate helps water cling to the dirt and oil on your skin, allowing it to be washed away. It's considered a mild cleansing agent.

Sodium Stearate is another traditional soap ingredient that is derived from coconut and palm oils. It is the sodium salt of stearic acid and acts as an emulsifier. This ingredient does have a long history of safe use.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a synthetic surfactant that helps remove oils from your skin. Because it originates from coconut oil, even some personal care products labeled as natural still contain it. Of all the ingredients listed thus far, this one is mostly likely to be associated with irritation (ie rashes) if used in high concentrations.

Sodium Cocoate is derived from the fatty acids of coconut oil. It is one of the most common ingredients in making soap as it helps cleanse the skin while helping to maintain a "hard" bar.

Sodium Chloride is common table salt, which is used as a binding agent.

Tetrasodium EDTA and Tetrasodium Etidronate are chelating agents used primarily to improve lather and foaming action while preventing changes in color, texture and fragrance. In the last decade, more research has come out that says it appears to be a lower risk ingredient. Depending on who you ask, they are either safe or carcinogenic. However, we feel that real soap should be expected to have a shelf life and discoloring or texture changes should be expected (similar to fresh food), so there is no real need to use this agent. 

Titanium Dioxide is typically used to lighten the color of soaps, particularly in creating a pristine white bar. The mineral is processed to remove impurities and it's commonly used in commercial sunscreen products because of its ability to absorb UV light. It's generally considered to be a safe ingredient. 

What’s in b.a.r.e. soap’s Black Tie Affair Bar?

Let’s take a look at b.a.r.e. soaps' black tie affair. At first glance, you'll notice that our list is significantly shorter compared to Dove’s Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar. While both bars clean, there are many "unnecessary" ingredients within the Dove bar that are not found in our bar. The difference can be attributed to cost (we are using higher percentages of vegan oils) and shelf life (the shelf life of our soaps are generally 1 year).

Sodium Palmate comes from the saponification of palm oil (natural chemical reaction that occurs when making any kind of soap). We use only sustainable palm oil that is Rainforest Alliance certified, which adheres to strict rules to prevent deforestation.

Sodium Cocoate is derived from the fatty acids of coconut oil. It is one of the most common ingredients in making soap as it helps cleanse the skin while helping to maintain a "hard" bar.

Water is water.

Glycerin is a moisturizer formed from vegetable oils. It actually forms the base for the hydrating characteristics of lotions and creams.

Sodium Chloride is common table salt, which is used as a binding agent.

Sodium Gluconate is a natural preservative, derived from corn or beet. It helps prevent the growth of microbes in soap. 

Eucalyptus Essential Oil is extracted from dry leaves and is a pure essential oil. You can check out more about Eucalyptus essential oil here.

Goat Milk is milk from goats

Activated Charcoal is a natural absorbent that is produced by heating wood. Want to learn more about activated charcoal? Check out our blog post here.

What’s Next

Something as simple as Googling your beauty products can save your skin from long term health not only externally but internally. You’ll find resources you need to choose the best skin care products for your skin. How do you choose the best soap bar for your skin? Is there a checklist you go by to choose the best skin care for yourself?

When we first started b.a.r.e. soaps, we were naïve on so many levels. We had a simplistic idea on the non-profit front, but didn’t anticipate how difficult executing the non-profit portion would be. We thought it would be as easy as doing a buy one, give one model. However, after careful thought, we realized we wanted to go beyond an immediate short-term impact.  We’re in for the long-haul and we want to invest in long term self-sustainable efforts. Not many current social enterprises do this.

Why the Buy One Give One Model Hurts

You see it everywhere now, "Buy One Give One".  It provides immediate gratification to the consumer for doing something good, yet consumers do not realize how detrimentally harmful the buy one give one model is. The model, if not carefully thought out (including detailed research on the area where the donation is being provided), can potentially take away economic and job opportunities locally. It also creates an expectation of hand outs.

Our end goal is to support the local economy and truly invest in economic development. We want to equip and train individuals there to live sustainably without our help. Our hope is that they'll be able to learn the skills they need to live freely and train children to live sustainably for the next generation. Additionally, think about the consumable buy one give one products you can choose from. Unless they can be donated on a consistent basis, their impact can be fleeting (especially soap, which lasts for only so long). 

The Solution to the Buy One Give One Model

To do this is no easy task, which is why for the first three years since our inception, b.a.r.e. soaps has specifically focused on Kaberamaido, Uganda. We want to support one location sustainably and won't move on until we are confident they can be self sufficient or have enough resources to continue to support their efforts.

Recently, we've moved onto supporting a slum in India. Why? Because Kaberamaido, once a village that was desperately seeking support, has had a few fortunate events in the past couple of years. Two additional non-profit organizations have now focused on the village, which means that sanitation efforts are being multiplied. We are still heavily focused and invested in Kaberamaido, but it also means we can think about other places to support.

When Helping Hurts quotes, "It is important to understand that development is not done to people or for people but with people".  Through Children’s Hopechest, we have been able to form and build relationships which is crucial for long-term success. Our relationship with Children's Hopechest allows us the better understand the people in Kaberamaido, Uganda so that we can assess their needs and work with them to figure out how we can invest the proceeds. It means that when we visit, we can talk directly to families and to people of influence.

Do you work with people on the ground in Kaberamaido, Uganda?

Yes! There are several people on the ground who we are indirectly in contact with on a consistent basis through our direct partners at Point Community Church. There are two "disciples", Phillip and Sarah, and they take care of the children. They make home visits, ensure that immediate attention is given due to any medical emergencies, and nurture the children when they're at the Carepoint. Additionally, we work with the local pastor and the head of Hopechest Uganda to assess changing needs. 

Disciple Sarah poses with Elvis, a child at the Carepoint

Anna Grace
Anna Grace is the leader of the group of local women we work with.  Through her, we're looking into various trades to make self-sustainability a possibility. 

The Difficulties

The difficulties of focusing on self-sustainable efforts makes the non-profit portion extremely difficult to execute.  We run into logistical challenges and lack of resources in that specific area. The distance between our location and theirs is another.  The list goes on, however, we don't allow logistics to deter our efforts.

In a joint speech given by Bill & Melinda Gates to the Stanford Class of 2014, Melinda sums it best:

We wanted to profile a socially conscious series of brands that are truly making a social impact across the globe.

We wanted to do these socially conscious brands justice by helping spread their message to you. As a result, we've compiled "mini-interviews" from each socially conscious brand to give you an idea of just how impactful our purchasing decisions as consumers can be. A socially conscious brand that we had the privilege to talk to is Soko, a brand that employs artisans to made handmade jewelry. They developed a mobile platform for artisans in less developed countries.

How Soko Uses Their Mobile Platform to Employ Artisans Developing Countries

Soko connects consumers to artisans in underserved communities through a mobile platform. A mobile platform makes employing artisans in developing countries possible anywhere in the world. In Africa, the main source of technology is a cell phone. While most people in less developed countries don’t have computers, many of them do have cell phones. Soko saw this as an opportunity to connect online consumers with artisans who made handcrafted jewelry in less developed countries.

Let’s hear how they come up with the idea to develop a mobile platform and why it’s so important to purchase from a social good e-commerce store.

How did you come up with the word “Soko”?

Soko means marketplace in Swahili, the national language of Kenya.

What’s Soko’s mission?

At Soko, our mission is to create an online marketplace so that small­-scale producers in the developing world can participate in global trade.

What makes Soko so unique as an e-commerce site?

Soko has developed the first e-­commerce marketplace that enables talented artisans to post and sell their products online, even if they do not have access to a computer or a bank account. Our innovation leverages existing communication technology and provide a completely new marketplace. This new marketplace grants artisans direct access to the web economy. International consumers have direct access to a new marketplace of high quality, handmade goods.

How did Soko start?

We co-founded Soko in 2011 after recognizing a global need, as well as global economic opportunity to disrupt the patterns of poverty found across the less developed world’s creative economy. Working in bottom of the pyramid communities around the world, we were inspired to develop a solution to answer the disconnect between the incredible cultural value of the goods artisans make and the disproportionality small amount of money they can earn from these goods.

Let’s talk about Soko’s mobile platform. How has it brought economic opportunity to less developed countries?

By leveraging technology and existing infrastructure in an innovative way, we could create a platform to enable any talented artisan to participate in international trade. The Soko solution transforms the ubiquitous mobile phone into a tool that expands access to economic opportunity for artisans in underserved communities, disrupting the traditional export supply chain to revolutionize the way money and goods are transacted into a peer-to-peer exchange. We've been working on Soko for 2.5 years. We spent the first year developing our first prototypes and have since then have been rolling out successively improving iterations with our artisan and online consumer communities!

What does the craft artisan industry look like in the developing world?

Behind agriculture, the artisan craft industry is the second largest employer in the developing world. This industry creates jobs, fosters economic communities, sustains traditions and heritage and is an important component of healthy and sustainable development. This sector is labor intensive and involves a significant number of poor people, especially women, and those less able to enter gainful employment. Despite the developing world’s share of production, individual craftspeople have no direct access to this worldwide consumer demand.

What does employment look like in developing countries?

A large percentage of the population in Sub-­Saharan Africa is self-­employed in the informal economy. They turn to the production of crafts and handmade goods, a skill that roots them deeply in culture and community. Handmade goods help them supplement their meager incomes. However, the sale of their crafts are limited to the local economy with it’s inconsistent demand. Meanwhile, international consumers pay on average up to 10 times the cost of production. Vendors receive just a fraction of the potential profit that could be earned if the tools and opportunity existed for artisans to competitively enter the global marketplace as independent entrepreneurs.

There are hundreds of millions of small-­scale producers making valuable goods in emerging economies around the world. However, these producers cannot access the worldwide consumer demand for their unique and low cost products because they, like over 70% of the world’s population, are living and working on the other side of the digital divide, unable to benefit from the innovation and economic opportunity the Internet provides.

Where do you see Soko in 10 years?

Success for Soko would see us reaching global scale to impact the lives of tens of thousands of small-scale producers. This competitive, successful marketplace would provide livelihood and entrepreneurial growth opportunities in emerging economies. It would protect cultural heritage and promote environmentally friendly, small scale production as a viable and profitable model of trading.  fairly between technologically and geographically distant communities as well.

How do you measure success at Soko?

Success would mean that Soko successfully changes the dialogue around international trade, proving that mobile technology and agile, innovative business models can disrupt traditional “ways of doing business” in the developing world to create life changing opportunity for stakeholders that have been excluded from economic participation in national and global economies until now. Success would mean globalizing (and normalizing!) a model of international direct trade that is fair, transparent, environmentally friendly, and massively distributed.  

About Soko

Because the response to our plantable packaging has been outstanding, we reached out to founder Heidi Reimer Epp of Botanical Paperworks. So many of you had questions about our environmentally friendly, plantable packaging (as did we), and we wanted to see if we can actually answer them! Heidi was super generous to agree to an online interview. We hope you enjoy learning about their plantable packaging process as much as we did!

Botanical Paperworks Background

Botanical Paperworks is a Canadian based company. They sell plantable paper in the form of thank you cards, calendars, wedding invitations, and even coasters! Their sleeves are quite easy to plant. Just wet the paper, plant in some soil, and give it tender, love & care! It'll yield into a wonderful wildflower.

How Our Green Packaging Idea Started

When Clare and I started thinking about packaging during the initial startup phase (circa January 2013), we had thought that we could dedicate a weekend or two to finalize it. How naive! The entire process took a good 4 months to get to a stage where we experienced a lightbulb moment and another 2 more months where we finalized the look and feel of the packaging. Here are the top 3 takeaways from our packaging and design experience:

1. People tend to forget about you. Packaging is hard stuff, really. You may think that the information you put on your packaging is relevant and noticeable. Think again. Most people, even those who frequently use your product, ever pay any attention. Few people could tell us where our website was located on our sleeves, even though we thought it was super apparent at the top of the bar! The hardest part about a startup is figuring out how to find ways people will remember you.
2. There are too many different types and uses of paper. Even if you can nail down the design and messages that go onto the packaging, there are other packaging challenges. There's huge differences between using thin paper, thick paper, textured paper, etc... In addition, there are so many ways to package soap. There are too many uses of paper. You can use sleeves, boxes, tags, or wrapped paper. You need to balance the aesthetics along with practicality of scale.
3. Making a memorable first impression of your brand isn’t easy. Packaging is the first impression and it really tests your understanding of your brand. Just saying that you want your brand to represent a simple, back to roots, and a playful lifestyle is easy. Getting your packaging to convey that is difficult.

One of the wrapping ideas we considered for two months was shipping our soaps in nice gift boxes (I mean, it's funny now, but somehow we thought we wanted to replicate the "Apple experience" to make a good first impression). Our light bulb moment came when we realized just how much paper is wasted each year through such boxes. Would people reuse them? We thought, “Yea right.” And that's when we started thinking beyond just recyclable paper. We definitely wanted to use recycled paper that was more environmentally friendly. That's when we thought about plantable paper. Luckily, a company already existed to serve our need- Botanical Paperworks.

Since we discovered Botanical Paperworks, we've packaged all of our full bar soaps in plantable sleeves. We buy 8 x 11 sheets of plantable seed paper and do all of the printing in-house. Each sheet fits about 4 sleeves. At $1.45 a piece, that comes down to about $0.50/bar for packaging when accounting for ink and printer wear & tear. From a business perspective, that's not cheap, but we think going greener was totally worth it. For us, it means that your purchase goes beyond a bar of soap. It can provide the means for a parent to teach their kids the meaning of sustainability and what we can do to be more environmentally friendly. It gives parents an opportunity to interact with their kids in planting the paper, slowly nurturing the plant, and reaping the fruits of their labor.

Our Cupid's Love & Sunshine Bar: Craft fair buyers always do a double take when they hear our packaging is plantable. 

Interview with Heidi Reimer Epp of Botanical Paperworks

Q: We know that Botanical Paperworks started when Mary Reimer wrote a book on projects made using paper. How did your team start making paper in the beginning? Did you make it at home? Was it outsourced?

A: It all started with the programs for my wedding, actually. My mom, Mary, was a teacher who used papermaking in her elementary school classroom to teach her kids about recycling and sustainability. They made sheets of handmade paper from discarded paper and then turned the sheets into handbound books filled with their creative writing projects. When I was planning my wedding, I knew that her handmade sheets would be gorgeous for a wedding program. She willingly designed and produced over 150 programs for the wedding!

The programs received rave reviews from the wedding guests and that got us thinking about whether we could start a business making handmade paper. We designed a product line, created prototypes and visited stores. When 100% of the stores that we visited placed orders, we knew had a viable business concept.

Fast forward a few years when Mary and I were writing our first book, 300 Papermaking Recipes, and we stumbled on the plantable seed paper concept. We loved the idea of an eco-friendly paper that composted itself into flowers. So we spent several years testing and developing seed packaging production methods. Initially, we launched a product line of wedding favors and invitations printed on the seed paper. As demand grew, we expanded into stationery and promotional products, special event stationery and sheets for printers. Eventually the sales of plantable seed paper outstripped our other handmade papers and we made the decision to rebrand as a plantable seed paper company.

We have always produced all of our plantable seed paper in-house and in those early days. It was me and Mary working in her basement! Now we have a large facility filled with equipment and talented staff who make our business what it is today.

Q: If production wasn’t immediately outsourced, at what point did it become outsourced? Where is the paper made today?

A: Botanical Paperworks is vertically integrated, meaning that we do it all. We manufacture the paper, create the designs and produce the finished products. It's great for our customers because we can offer them complete customization and fast turn-around.

Q: How has Botanical Paperworks grown since its start in 1997?  (i.e. employee growth, additional warehouses?)

A: We've grown from just the two of us to a staff of 25 wonderful people. At the beginning, we divided our work between my Mom's basement and my home office. Now we're all together in a large warehouse space in the historic Exchange District of Winnipeg.

Q: How were you able to promote your products in the beginning? What products did you initially roll out?

A: Our first products were wedding invitations and wedding stationery. Funny story - we've been selling online since the very beginning when our graphic designer encouraged us to put three pages on a website. I remember him telling us that "they say the Internet will be big", which is the hugest understatement now!

Q: Can you give a brief overview on how the plantable paper is actually made? How long does the entire process take (and each major step)?

A: We start with a slurry of post-consumer material paper, paper that we've gathered from local businesses and schools (check out this inforgraphic on our eco-commitment). The seeds are added and sheets are formed. The sheets are dried under pressure to keep them flat and smooth.

Q: How many sheets of paper does Botanical Paperworks make each day?

A: Lots! Our production is very scalable so we produce what is needed for the orders we have on-hand. We work with customer big and small, from Fortune 500 companies like Starbucks and Pepsi to brides ordering their wedding invitations and kids buying Mother's Day cards.

Q: We know that the pulp base of the paper is made from 100% post-consumer materials. Where do the seeds come from? How are the plantable papers colored?

A: The seeds in Botanical Paperworks' seed paper are sourced from different seed suppliers across the US and Canada. All of the seeds are tested and approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture. The testing confirms that the seeds are free of invasive species and noxious weeds. We're the only plantable seed paper producers with this special certification.

For coloring the papers, we use pigments that are specially formulated for papermaking.

Q: How do we know what seeds are in each sheet of paper?

A: Products will state whether the seeds will grow wildflowers or edible herbs. Check out this resource for the seed names and planting instructions

Q: What is the greatest challenge in hand papermaking?

A: With plantable seed paper, we're always working to get a flat, even surface. The seeds create a bumpy texture but our equipment has evolved to the point where the paper is extremely smooth, given that it's embedded with lots of seed.

Q: What does your consumer demographic look like?

A: It's fun for our customer service team because they get to talk to so many different customers. On any given day, they'll help brides choosing their invitations, a client planning a funeral and ordering memorial cards, a corporate customer buying promotional products for a business event and someone calling to buy a gift for a friend.

Herb Rustic Wedding Favor

Q: What is your most popular product?

A: On the wedding side, the Herb Rustic Wedding Favor is really popular. For promotional products, the Large Matchstick Garden, Double-Sided is popular for Earth Day and the sheets of Seed Paper are great for crafting and graphic design.

Check out their Botantical Paperwork's website for their complete product listing! We love them because they're a small business doing giant things and stimulating consumers to think how individual buying actions can make an enviromental impact! And if you've had experience with plantable paper, let us know in the comment box below. We'd also love to hear from anyone who has tried planting our sleeves and your experience!!

This series chronicles your impact on the children of the Hopechest Carepoint in Kaberamaido, Uganda.

Thank you for doing your part in buying a soap bar between January 2013 and January 2014. A portion of the proceeds from your purchase enabled us to provide vitamins, conduct preliminary soapmaking research, donate soap, and conduct a handwashing workshop during Clare’s trip in late January 2014. In this series, Clare talks about her experience teaching women how to make soap bars. This is the first time the women are taught how to make soap. The soap-making trial run helped us better evaluate whether women would be able to build a business making soap.

It was a beautiful African day when Clare had her first meeting with a group of women from Kaberamaido, Uganda. The group of women sat together and talked for 45 minutes about the what challenges they faced bringing the trade of soap into the village. Later in the week, Clare tried her first trial run of making soap from wood ashes herself. It didn’t turn out very too well, but she decided to give it a second chance and taught the women how to make soap. Still, no go. For us, this was still valuable information. It enabled us to better understand where to focus our soapmaking research efforts on. Our vision is to not only provide antiseptic resources to the people there but to empower women to work and live sustainably.

How many women attended this meeting?

About 15 women attended this initial meeting. It was really more of a meeting for us to find common ground and get to know each other. Not only did we talk about soapmaking and the possibility of having a soapmaking business in the village, but we also talked about cultural differences in Uganda and America.

What were some of the the cultural differences you found?

 Our core values as women are the same in both countries. As women, we all want to provide for our families. But in Uganda, the cultural identity for women was to actually farm to feed their family. In fact, I was asked, “Do you dig?” which is another way of asking, “Do you farm?” When I replied no, the women were so confused. They had no idea what a supermarket was. I had to explain what a supermarket was and how we’re able to obtain our food here.

Seeing how different your life is from theirs, did the women have any other questions for you?

The women really wanted to understand what it was like to live in America. They asked if there were any poor people. I told them, “Of course there are poor people in America.” As surprising as this answer was, they were even more incredulous to hear that many of the poor in America live in urban areas. In Kaberamaido, the only people who make it into the cities are those with money.

When did you start talking about soap?

Our initial meet and greet was on a Sunday, and we agreed to meet later that Wednesday for a more official “Soap Conference.” In the meantime, I conducted some field research and my own trial run of soap making. As mentioned above, this didn’t turn out very well.

What specifically did you learn from this trial run?

It’s incredibly difficult to make soap using colonial methods. Using this method, there’s no consistency, so the end product is always different. Making soap in their village would mean that they needed much more advanced resources.

Tell me more about this colonial process.

When we make soap in the states, we purchase sodium hydroxide, which is the key ingredient that reacts with oil to create soap. It is conveniently shipped in the form of tiny pellets or beads within plastic bottles. In Kaberamaido, Uganda, you can’t find sodium hydroxide, which is why we had to resort to old-fashioned soap making. In this process, you use water to leech chemicals from wood ash. In other words, you soak wood ash to extract potassium chloride (the main ingredient in liquid soap) or potash. Potash is generally used as a fertilizer in the US, but when reacted with oils, it can also create soap. The challenge is understanding the concentration of potassium chloride within the soap. You can test it by seeing whether an egg sinks or floats (if it sinks, then the solution is not strong enough). This is obviously a very crude way to estimate, unlike our precise predetermined calculations at home. Making soap out of water and wood ash wasn’t going to be a sustainable method for the women to replicate.

What oils did you use in this trial run?

We went to the local store and purchased a 3-liter gallon of palm oil for 16,000 shillings (6USD). Palm oil is really the only oil that was available, and it’s the type that the villagers use for cooking.

 

So what exactly went “wrong”?

Leeching wood ash takes a really long time and you also need rain water. But because it was dry season, we had to resort to well water. Well water contains minerals, which reacts with the potash, hence resulting in gritty material. In the US, we use distilled water to avoid this. Plus, wood ash is quite dirty, and we couldn’t strain the impurities from it.

Was it the soap that you made with the women still useable?

The result was a brown paste-like gunk that looked like tar. It still worked and functioned like soap. Because we used 100% palm oil, the soap didn’t lather. Baresoaps bars are made with a combination of different oils, each giving different properties to the soap. For instance, our inclusion of coconut and castor oil both give our bars a silky lather. But using 100% palm oil creates a hard bar with minimal lather. However, in the most functional sense, the bar still does its job of pulling dirt from the skin. Unfortunately, in practicality, we wouldn’t be able to market this product as is in Kaberamaido, Uganda.

Soap Making in Uganda: Trial Run

What were the womens’ reaction to this trial run?

It was funny and intriguing at the same time. Let’s put it this way, the paste wasn’t what they envisioned it to be (they’ve seen bar soap), but they were surprised that the paste still worked as a cleaning agent.

Seeing as how the trial run wasn’t successful, what happened afterwards?

Well, after the women saw the paste, we discussed different options of soapmaking. We could either attempt to perfect the colonial method of soapmaking. It is possible. We’ve seen it done online.  Another option is to figure out how to obtain sodium hydroxide to make soap the cold process way (or with packaged sodium hydroxide).  The women were more interested in making soap using sodium hydroxide. Seeing their interest in making cold-pressed soap bars, our hope is that we would be able to find ways we can make this happen.

We need figure out whether soap making is even a possibility in Kaberamaido, Uganda from a cost perspective. The goal is to sell soap in Kaberamaido, Uganda for 2,500 shillings (1USD), but costs for the cold process method may be too high for this to be a practical option. From Baresoaps’ perspective, we can provide loans to the women and help subsidize the costs, but this wouldn’t be a long-term, sustainable solution. The immediate next step is to figure out where we can source the sodium hydroxide and how feasible it would be to obtain the raw materials for soapmaking on a consistent basis. We’re still not giving up on the colonial method, as this would definitely put local resources to good use.

What are some challenges that you anticipate?

Beyond the cost issue, safety is a primary concern for us. When we make soap, we always wear goggles, aprons, and long rubber gloves. Sodium hydroxide is a caustic substance that can burn the skin upon exposure. Our concern is whether the women would adhere to similar safety standards and have a safe place to store the supplies.

What was the most touching part of the experience?

The women actually pulled together some money to buy us a hand-beaded bag. We plan on framing this in our future office!

Your continued purchased allows us figure out how we can help women in Kabermaido, Uganda to live sustainably. Our hope is that the women can eventually make their own soap to sell and use.

We’d love to hear your ideas on how we can make this happen. Based on the resources that they have and low operational costs we want this to be do-able. Feel free to share your ideas and thoughts on this. Take a look at more images below!

What is activated charcoal?

Charcoal is actually carbon, which is created when wood is heated at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Activated charcoal is simply charcoal that has been treated with oxygen to open up all the millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. This is important because these pores enable liquids or gases to pass through the charcoal to interact with the exposed carbon. The carbon then absorbs impurities and contaminants.

How does activated charcoal help with blackheads?

Think of activated charcoal as a magnet to draw dirt out of pores. There are a ton of products that you can use that include activated charcoal. These include bar soaps to face scrubs to face masks. They all perform the same function to a certain degree. 

 Is activated charcoal safe to use on my face?

The simple answer is yes. Beauty enthusiasts include activated charcoal in their daily regimen to whiten teeth, treat acne, and reduce blackheads. Free People Blog has an excellent post on two ways to use activated charcoal in your beauty routine.

What type of skin is best suited for activated charcoal?

Oily skin! This is because charcoal absorbs any excess oil in addition to the dirt from your skin. It's said to therefore help "balance" oily skin.

Can activated charcoals shrink my pore size?

Unfortunately no- nothing can shrink pore size. But the good news is that you can make your pores appear smaller. That's because the size of your pores are amplified when there's dirt and gunk. That #1 thing you can do is keep your pores clean. Thoroughly wash your face everyday and exfoliate frequently! Activated charcoal soap just does a more efficient job at it (and naturally too). 

So, what exactly are blackheads?

Blackheads are pores that get clogged, typically due to the overproduction of oil. Medically speaking, they’re actually the first stage of acne, and some of you may have had experience with a blackhead developing into a pimple. The use of topical oils and makeup can make blackheads worse.

Is it true that I have blackheads due to poor hygiene?

No! This is actually a myth. In fact, the National Health Service in the UK explains that most biological reactions that trigger acne actually occur beneath the surface of the skin.

What else can you use activated charcoal for?

You’d be surprised, but activated charcoal can be used for many, many purposes. While you may recognize activated charcoal as an ingredient in water filters, it's also commonly used in hospitals to treat poisonings, reduce intestinal gas, lower cholesterol levels, and even prevent hangovers!

What are recommended products?

From day one, Starry Night has been our best seller. We were selling activated charcoal soap in late 2012 before activated charcoal became a trend.

Our Starry Night is made with a premium blend of oils and scented with eucalyptus essential oil. Of course, the main ingredient is activated charcoal. More importantly though, it's made through the traditional cold process method which means that the soap retains its naturally produced glycerin. This means that this bar is much less likely to dry out your face, which is why most people who buy this bar use it as a facial bar. 

One customer used Starry Night for just two weeks before raving about it. By lightly rubbing the Starry Night soap into her nose with a scrublet, she was able to drastically reduce the accumulation of blackheads!

Why should I choose bare soaps and not an established brand that has been making facial products for decades?

With so many beauty products to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming. For those of you who are looking for all natural products, we encourage you to read the ingredient list, even if the established brand is claiming to be “all natural”. Because let’s face it, many corporations are driven by their bottom line to please shareholders, which means they're willing to sacrifice quality by using synthetics to drive down the cost of their product.

While such brands may tout the use of activated charcoal, this doesn't mean that the rest of their ingredients are all natural. Specifically, pay attention to how the product is scented. You’ll want to steer clear of any perfume oils, which are synthetically created, and instead look for essential oils. And here’s another tip- soap in a solid form has a longer shelf life than in liquid form, which means that it’s less likely to have preservatives.

What is the impact of my choice to purchase a bare soap bar over another alternative?

Beyond the all natural aspect, switching to a bar soap alternative over facial liquid wash makes a significant impact on the eco-system. Think about all the plastic that we consume through the countless facial/body washes, makeup containers, and just about anything else that holds liquid. Some of these products are unavoidable, but by switching to a bar soap, you can take an additional step in going eco-friendly. Bare soaps goes one step further by wrapping its bars in plantable packaging! This means you can either plant our packaging to grow a beautiful wildflower or rest assured that the sleeve you throw away will quickly decompose in a landfill.

Scroll to the end to download the pre-made label!

I have naturally dry, sensitive skin. So finding products that won’t make my skin break out is somewhat difficult when moisturizers tend to be filled with tons of ingredients I can barely pronounce. As much as I’d like to spend time Googling each ingredient, I’d rather just make my own. My skin gets especially dry during the winter months and instead of lathering my skin with lotions, I’ve been using this homemade all-natural peppermint scrub that’s easy to use and inexpensive. A peppermint sugar scrub is the perfect way to keep your skin moisturized and hydrated without the added chemicals. If it doesn’t work for you, at least you’ll know you’re minimizing the amount of chemicals being put on your skin.

If you already know the benefits of using a peppermint sugar scrub and how to use it, feel free to scroll down for the actual recipe. Not everyone knows a lot about sugar scrubs. Feel free to read on as I talk about some the benefits of using a sugar scrub.

The Benefits of Homemade Sugar Scrub

It’s Good for Your Skin

The great part about using a peppermint sugar scrub is that it’s tough enough to remove oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. When my skin is extra dry during the winter months, I love to add this to my routine after I shower. With the heater running all day, I find it helps clear out my patchy, itchy skin. You may not know this, but the actual sugar compound itself helps keep your skin smooth and silky.

1. Compounds in milk sugar help balance the skin’s natural oils and allows skin to new skin cells to grow

2. The fine texture of sugar exfoliates your skin without leaving a harmful residue that can clog pores

3. It sheds dead skin cells to reveal healthier skin

4. Rubbing sugar on your skin boosts circulation and drains your lymph nodes, which increases blood flow to the skin’s surface.

It’s Inexpensive

Admit it. We love sales and cheap things. I have to confess that there were one or two items that I knew I would probably never use but bought it anyway because it was cheap. This homemade peppermint sugar scrub isn’t just cheap to make, but it works! Using a sugar scrub at least once a month is a pocket friendly beauty routine you can do to pamper your skin. I generally use a body scrub at least once a week since I don’t use lotion on my skin. Because lotions tend to have chemicals that aren’t good for my skin I try to limit the use of lotions as much as possible.

How to Use a Sugar Scrub

I’m not sure about you, but I use to scroll through sugar scrub recipes on Pinterest only to realize that I actually didn’t know how to use a sugar scrub. So how exactly do you use a sugar scrub? It’s actually quite simple. The first thing you do once you make a sugar scrub is to stir it. The oils can move to the top, so you want to stir it well until the oil is fully coated with sugar. Stir the sugar scrub thoroughly before you use it every time.

Make sure to use the scrub on wet skin. I recommend doing this after you’ve finished your normal shower. Our Frosted Alpine soap bar is a great way to soothe and exfoliate your dry skin with its organic ground coffee and peppermint oil before using the peppermint scrub. After you’re done showering as you normally do, scoop a quarter size amount into your hand. Rub the sugar scrub until you feel the sugar melt onto your skin. Lastly, rinse off with warm water. After using the sugar scrub you don’t have to put on any lotion. Your skin is already moisturized and hydrated.

Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub Recipe

Serving Size: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups sugar

• 1/2-1 cup coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil (You pick!)

• 4-6 drops peppermint essential oil

• ½ tsp. Vitamin E oil

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil for 30 seconds unless you’re using another type of oil that’s already in liquid form. Mix in 4-6 drops of peppermint essential oil. Feel free to add more or less if you’d like. Add the oil into the sugar while stirring until you’ve reached the consistency you’d like it to be. Fill the contents in any type of airtight container.

Label it!

A peppermint sugar scrub is also a perfect and affordable gift for anyone during the holiday season. Fill a mason jar with the peppermint sugar scrub, tie a holiday ribbon on it and you’re done! Here’s a small label you can print out for a finished look. You can download the jpeg or photoshop files. This label fits on a standard 3 1/3 by 4 inch Avery shipping label. My hope is that this will help you save time during the stressful holiday season.

“...we believe food has the power to bring many together, and together, we have the power to bring food to many.”

-Le Pain Quotidien

This past month, b.a.r.e soaps had the opportunity to partner with Le Pain Quotidien to support the (delicious and generous) FEED Supper campaign. This campaign is comprised of 24 dinners through one month across Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Every ticket sold contributes 465 free meals to help meet the campaign’s goal of gifting 2 million meals for those in need by World Food Day!

Attendees got to enjoy a spectacular Le Pain Quotidien inspired three-course meal with complimentary cocktails, wine, and beer along side one another at a communal table. The family style served dishes were nothing short of delicious. Guested were treated to a couple delicate desserts, guest hosts, and limited-edition LPQxFEED gift bag stashed with amazing goodies. We were excited to contribute 600 bars of some of our favorite b.a.r.e soaps to the cause and make it into the gift bags.  

Our marketing intern, Megane, was able to attend the dinner that took place at Le Pain Quotidien in Georgetown (and our co-founder Jessie attended one of the dinners in NYC). The cute and quirky blogger The College Prepster guest hosted the dinner for the DC location and brought in an excited young crowd. It was incredible to see so many young adults grasp the message behind the dinner and celebrate with scrumptious healthy dishes. The chef and servers were especially delighted to discuss the dishes and the cause with everyone. Regardless of the food allergies at the table, everyone had multiple options to choose from for every course. We hope to see another function like this next year.

Thank you to everyone to continue to make contributions like this possible! We're super thrilled that many of these meals will make it to families here in America too!

Do multivitamins work? The short answer is a definite "YES!" Believe it or not, not everyone has easy access to multivitamins. The benefits of vitamins as we know is clearly effective. Doctors, dermatologists, and nutritionist all recommend some sort of vitamin for us. With the health craze going on, we forget that there are people in the world that lack just the simplest resources like food and water.

So how do multivitamins work in Kabermaido, Uganda? How often are children in Kabermaido, Uganda given access to those sweet, chewy multivitamins? At this time, the Carepoint relies on donors to fill their supply of vitamins. Even then, the supply is limited, so the children are only able to take multivitamins at least once a week. Still, the results have been meaningful, and we interviewed Dr. Terri to better understand how the role of multivitamins work on children in developing countries. Dr. Terri has embarked on a few trips to Kaberamaido, Uganda (some along with other medical professionals) to check on the children.

Q: How common is malnutrition in Kaberamaido, Uganda? And how do the benefits of vitamins help?

Malnutrition is a significant problem in Uganda. In a vitamin study by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 30% of children up to age 5 years have “stunted” growth in Uganda.  Another vitamin study from American Journal Clinical Nutrition finds that 52.5% of all deaths in young children worldwide can be attributed to undernutrition (Caulfield 2004, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition). Being malnourished and/or ill makes it difficult for these children to attend school and meet their learning goals, let alone live a reasonably healthy life.

Q: What is the role of the Hopechest CarePoint in combating malnutrition?

Because the benefits of vitamins make a significant difference in children’s growth, the feeding program at the Hopechest CarePoint in Kaberamaido, Uganda does tremendous good to combat malnutrition in the children. This one meal each day at the CarePoint, however, is often the only consistent meal many of these children receive. Because we want to give the children as much support as possible to survive, thrive, and achieve, we have started providing children’s multivitamins on a regular basis in addition to the typical feeding program.

Q: How do you know if the multivitamins are working?

The benefits of vitamins include a noticeable difference in the overall look of health for the children. Their skin and eyes appear healthier, and they complain of fewer significant health problems with each visit since the vitamin program began. This vitamin study indicates that providing access to vitamins to children can prevent the simplest diseases that lead to death.

It is our hope that the vitamins, in conjunction with their daily meal, will help them remain as healthy and strong as possible. We aim to give the children a strong foundation, enabling them to succeed in school and life.

Q: How did the idea of providing vitamins for the children come about?

The idea for the vitamin program started when one of the service teams traveling to Kaberamaido brainstormed ideas about how we could impact the children’s health in real and lasting ways. We knew we could not cure or prevent every case of pneumonia or infectious diarrhea for the children in Kaberamaido. We knew we could not eradicate malaria or HIV in all of Uganda. And we knew we could not quickly increase the number of physicians and other healthcare workers to improve access to medical care for the children and their families. What we could do, however, was to give these children the best nutritional foundation possible so that their bodies are better equipped to fight off illness and disease. We are hopeful that improving their nutritional health will also allow some of the children in the Kaberamaido Hopechest CarePoint to do so well in school that they can pursue careers as physicians or other healthcare providers.

Q: What are some common ailments that the children face and what type of care is provided as a result?

Children under the age of 5 years in Uganda are almost twice as likely to die compared to the global average (WHO 2011 data). The main conditions that cause death to children under the age of 5 years in Uganda include pneumonia (lung infection), premature birth, malaria, diarrhea, and HIV/AIDS (WHO 2010 data).

In Uganda, the number of people with HIV in the population is 8 times higher than the global average, and the number of malaria infections each year is 7 times higher than the global average (WHO 2011 data).

These illnesses do affect the children at the Kaberamaido, Uganda Hopechest CarePoint. Each visit I make I see children affected by malaria, pneumonia, HIV, typhoid, and diarrheal illness. Even so, I am very glad to report that none of our CarePoint children have been lost due to illness. The children do sometimes have what we consider severe health problems, but they also deal with health issues like colds and flus, allergies, sore throat, headaches, and stomach aches. 

Q: How do the medical teams deal with the health issues in Kaberamaido, Uganda?

When our medical teams travel to Kaberamaido, Uganda, we deal with the health issues in three main ways. First, we provide education and information about a variety of health topics. We feel this is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve the overall health of the children and their caregivers. So far, we have focued on oral health (brushing teeth), hand-washing to prevent spread of infection, and menstrual hygeine and health. Second, we support recovery from and treat the minor illnesses that we can when they are simple and isolated health problems. Finally, we help the children and their caregivers make connections with the existing health care systems in the area for health issues that are more chronic or serious. We want to support primary care in Uganda and promote good use of the existing system rather than creating an alternative system or avenue for care.

Thank you Dr. Terri for taking the time to share your experience with the children in Kabermaido, Uganda! We appreciate you telling us about the benefits of vitamins for the children and answering our questions. What are your thoughts on this? We’d love to hear it!

 The kids were so excited to receive soap!!

It's been awhile since we've given an update on Carepoint 68|5 in Kaberamaido, Uganda. During the last trip in early February, b.a.r.e. soaps sent over 150 bars of soap, in addition to shredded soap for laundry use. The bars of soap were used for a "hygiene care" package along with a toothbrush and toothpaste to promote oral hygiene. We still have significant funds set aside for some bigger projects we have in mind, and we hope to be able to reveal to you all soon what that will entail!

That being said, the Point Community Church, which primarily sponsors the Carepoint and who we partner with, has achieved some significant milestones since it first set up the Carepoint over 4 years ago. These include: 

1. Growing from sponsoring 50 kids to +150 kids
2. The land that the Carepoint purchased is already growing a crop of maize for the children to eat. Food is historically the Carepoint's largest expense, and less money being spent on food means more money that can be spent on other immediate needs
3. The Carepoint has gone from feeding the children 3 days a week to now 6 days a week

Check out all that maize!!

It is our hope that in the coming months and years, b.a.r.e. soaps will be able to further contribute to the cause and watch the community take off into something none of us can imagine. We are already planning on making some giant vitamin contributions for your August trip. Thank you all for your continued support! It's through your purchases that such impact can be created.  

This series chronicles your impact on the children of the Hopechest Carepoint in Kaberamaido, Uganda. 

Thank you for buying soap from January 2013 to January 2014. A portion of the proceeds from your purchase enabled us to provide vitamins for kids, conduct preliminary soapmaking research, donate free soap, and lead a handwashing workshop

We are unbelievable grateful for your support. You made it possible for the kids to live healthier and better lives. Hear Clare’s update on her visit to Kaberamaido, Uganda. Clare shares her experience leading a handwashing workshop. We sat down with Clare to talk about her experience with the kids in Uganda. Hear her thoughts below!

Kids Hear Why Handwashing is Important

We all know how important it is to have good hygiene practices. We’re taught in school that we should wash our hands after using the restroom, cover our mouths when we sneeze, and wear clean clothes everyday. We might forget to this, but we know how germs are spread. The kids in Kaibermaido, Uganda don’t know the effects of what poor sanitation can to do their overall health. During Clare’s visit, the kids were educated on the importance of sanitation and how to have good hygiene. The handwashing workshop consisted of a 10-15 minute lecture, a coloring session, and then finally a handwashing demonstration. Baresoaps provided 104, 2.5oz bars of Lemondrop and Home Sweet Home for this demonstration.

We know that the Carepoint was able to obtain its own well. What’s so important about this well?

Here in the US, we don’t think twice about using water. We leave the faucet on while brushing our teeth. We take 30 minute showers. We overwater the lawn without much thought into it. So for us, we forget how important having clean water is.

 When I first came to Kabermaido, Uganda in May 2012, the children had to carry the water from another well. The lack of water in their village meant that the kids had to walk for miles just to get clean water from a water well. The Carepoint has about 150 kids. Imagine how many times the kids have to walk back and forth to get water from another water well.  When the kids have to walk long distances to get water, they have to limit how much water to drink so that they don’t have to spend their time traveling. Having access to the water well has made a huge difference. Instead of spending time carrying water, the kids are able to focus on their studies. The well also enables the kids to stay hydrated. They’re able to drink water all the time. Something as simple as having a water well that provides clean water for 150 kids makes a difference in ending poverty.

How did the idea of putting together a handwashing workshop for the kids happen?

Well, many of the kids have actually had exposure to soap. A typical bar of soap sells for about 2,500 shillings, which is roughly equivalent to 1 USD.  As a frame of reference, a live chicken is about 8,000 shillings. Unfortunately, many of these kids come from very poor families, so buying soap is out of the question. We wanted to make sure that the kids- with or without soap- could still understand the value in maintaining good hygiene practices. You have to understand- these kids play in the dirt and they eat with their hands. So for them, even rubbing their hands under running water is better than not washing at all.

Typical soap that you would find in Uganda

 How many kids attended this workshop?

About 100 kids attended the workshop. There was a range of kindergartners to high schoolers, which meant that I had to present the material in an understandable manner for all age groups.

What hygiene topics did you talk about in this lecture?

We covered a variety of easy hygiene topics, such as when to wash your hands. Some of the topics included washing your hands before you eat, after using the bathroom. We also shared how different illnesses can make you feel sick and how washing your hands can prevent germs from spreading. We wanted the kids to realize how hand washing can improve overall health.

Do you think the kids actually understood what germs are?

For the younger kids, it’s conceptually hard to understand. But for the older kids, they’re able to understand this concept. We made the lesson interactive by actively engaging them in conversation.

What were the kids’ reaction to the comic strip and coloring section?

They loved it! They love to color and they love to see things. Even though we told them that they could keep the comic, they tried to give it back to me. We wanted to use the comic as a way to reinforce what they learned. It’s a reminder for them as to what can happen if they don’t do the hygiene activities we taught them. My co-worker, Monica, actually made the comic herself, and we were floored when we saw how awesome it turned out!

It was overwhelming at first because there were so many kids.  You can imagine that with 100 kids and one faucet, it took some time before all the kids were able to wash their hands. But it was incredible to see these kids lather up their hands. Obviously, we didn’t use up all the soap, so remaining bars were left at the well for future use.

Do these kids usually use soap?

Usually no, because there is no soap provided on site. If the kids are lucky, there may be soap at home.

What happens if the kids run out of soap?

We didn’t want this lesson to be demeaning for kids who cannot afford soap. We emphasized that it’s okay if you don’t have access to soap- just washing your hands with water will help get rid of dirt. We’re cognizant that donating these bars is only a temporary solution, so the challenge is figuring out a way to teach the locals to make soap there. Unfortunately, it’s hard to source supplies, so it’s going to take some time before we can figure out logistics.

Thank you so much for making this trip possible for Clare. Your purchase allows us to make an impact for 150 kids. Check out more of the images below! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

For this week, we wanted to focus on what your purchases helped support during last month's trip.  Because of you, we were able to donate 12 bottles of multivitamins, 19 pairs of reading glasses, and 52 bars of scented soap. We used the leftover non-profit funds from 2013 to purchase the multivitamins, and we still have a bulk left to deploy from 2014 proceeds.  We will keep you posted as we deploy these funds in upcoming potential projects:  educational/medical funds and seeds for agriculture.   

READING GLASSES:

These were requested by Pastor Stephen, who is one of the leaders of the Kaberamaido community, due to the lack of availability of such common items.  We started off with 19 pairs in a variety of reading strengths, frames, sizes, and designs to meet various optical needs. While your proceeds typically fund items that directly impact the children of the carepoint, these glasses will help the adults of the community who need them. 

MULTIVITAMINS:

We continued our tradition of donating multivitamins to help combat malnutrition.  Multivitamins are given to the children at least once a week.  See post for more details on vitamins and its importance on childhood development, "Do vitamins really help children?".

SOAP:

Lastly, we were blown away when we realized our hand washing workshopped worked!  This past January, Clare conducted a hand washing workshop that taught the children the importance of sanitation.  Upon soap delivery, the children immediately started to wash their dishes and uniforms without instruction or direction.  And of course, they used soap to hand wash as well.  Our soaps were scented with a natural blend of insect repellant essential oils consisting of citronella, lavender, pine and cedarwood with the hope of warding off malaria-carrying mosquitoes.  We were inspired by Faso soap, check them out here, Faso Soap!

Clockwise from left: washing dishes with our soap, Miria taking the lead with washing, Jane ready to receive and dry dishes

And of course we had to post a few videos that continue to inspire us to do what we do!

Stay Stay tuned as we will candidly share about our non-profit struggles and our hope and vision!

With the holiday season in full swing, most of us are struggling to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Online deals and box store discounts are clogging our inboxes and taking over our TVs. It can be hard to know where to start. So why not make the decision a little easier? Choose a gift that gives.

Luckily, there are many socially conscious companies and organizations that support causes that range from environmental sustainability to social action. Buying gifts from these retailers will help you give back to causes you care about, all while knocking items off your list.

Here are 7 gifts that can help you do just that. All of the sites listed have many more products that also support their chosen cause. So browse around to find gifts for all the people on your list.

• Roving Hills Neck Warmer ($42) This stylish loop scarf gives new meaning to the term “neck warmer.” The colorblocked scarf comes in a variety of colors, from bold to neutral, and it’s just one of many products in Echo Design’s Share the Warmth For each product bought by December 17, Echo Design will donate 2 (yes, 2!) similar products to one of three foster care programs. So help your family and foster children stay warm this winter, and check out Share the Warmth Campaign.
  
  
• Silk Ikat E-reader Cover  ($39) This beautiful silk e-reader is handcrafted in the traditional Cambodian ikat method by artisans from Rehab Craft Cambodia (RCC). RCC is a nonprofit that provides work opportunities to people with disabilities, including the many Cambodians that are injured from land mines left from the war. RCC provides all of the necessary training to their workers, and pays them living wages. Browse Ten Thousand Villages for thousands of other fair trade products from around the world. Each product description includes information about the artisans who make it.
  
  
• FEED Wood Wine Caddy  ($99) This rustic yet chic wine caddy is perfect for the wine lover in your life. For every caddy purchased, West Elm will give 47 meals to families in the U.S. who need them. You read that right: 47! If you want to provide meals to families in need but the wine caddy is not quite right for those on your list, don’t worry. West Elm has numerous products on its site that are part of the FEED partnership, from tote bags to cutting boards. Simply search “feed” in the site’s search bar, and shop away! The description of each product specifies how many meals will be bought with each purchase.
  
  
• Wild Guess ($55 donation) Wild Guess is perfect for the budding conservationist in your life. This educational game includes animal cards, a game board, an animal fact sheet, and a habitat map. The donation goes to World Wildlife Foundation, a conservation organization hard at work in over 100 counties to preserve the biodiversity found on our planet. Check out their Gift Center for gifts ranging from apparel to fine art, and help preserve nature for future generations.
  
  
• Himalayan Salt BBQ Plank ($29.99) Though it’s called a BBQ plank, this beautiful salt block can also be used to chill sushi, cook vegetables over a stovetop, or even present food with a unique and elegant twist. Uncommon Goods is a major source of unique gifts for all price ranges, and for each purchase, they donate $1 to your choice of one of the following charities: RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), American Forests, Women for Women International, or Reach Out & Read. All told, Uncommon Goods has raised over $400,000 for these worthy causes. Learn more about these organizations here.
• Cherry Wood Ear Buds with Mic ($42.49) Each set of ear buds are handcrafted from wood, so they are as appealing to the eyes as they are to the ears! Lstn was featured in our Father’s Day gift guide, but we love them so much, we’re including them in our holiday gift list as well. Lstn was started with a desire to change the world by helping to restore hearing in those who are hearing impaired. So far they have helped over 19,000 people in the U.S. and in countries around the world. Check out their Giving Back Amplified page to see pictures of those they have helped. Their smiles say it all.
  
  
• Adopt a Wild Animal ($39 & up) Let’s be honest: we all have more than we need. For those who have it all, adopt a wild animal from the Sierra Club for as little as $39. There are 17 different species up for “adoption,” ranging from sea otters to tarantulas to polar bears. Proceeds go towards protecting these species’ habitats and pushing legislation that helps these vulnerable animals. In thanks for your adoption, you receive a stuffed animal or puppet of your chosen species, a booklet with an adoption certificate and species facts, and a sticker. Shipping is free.

Buying from companies that support more than just their bottom line can help make this holiday season feel a little less materialistic. So find a company that supports a cause you care about, and feel good about all the gifts you give this year.

Happy holidays, from all of us at B.A.R.E Soaps!

COLALIFE: Leveraging Coca Cola's infrastructure to deliver medicine to the most remote parts of the world

ODON DEVICE: Using a plastic bag and suction to reduce c-sections and safely deliver babies

HARRY'S FATHER & SON SHAVE SET $30 | ONE WORLD FUTBOL PROJECT ADULT SOCCER BALL $39.50 | WEWOOD KAPPA CHOCOLATE $159 | LSTN BEECH WOOD BOWERYS W/MIC $20 | BOGO LIGHT SOLAR LIGHT $15.95 | CHARITY: WATER KOR DELTA BOTTLE $24 

For this Father's Day, we wanted to highlight a few socially conscious gifts that any father could enjoy. 

Harry's: These quality razors are made in Germany and go a long way. Harry's One Plus One program donates 1% of its sales and volunteers 1% of its time to organizations. Harry's current partner is City Year, an organization which prepares people for personal and professional success.

One World Futbol: This is a nearly indestructible soccer ball that never needs a pump nor ever goes flat (yes, even when punctured)! For every One World Futbol you buy, the organization gives a second ball to youth through organizations working in disadvantaged communities, such as refugee camps, war zones, disaster areas and inner cities.

WeWOOD: The brainchild of an Italian watch lover and two eco-smart entrepreneurs, WeWOOD builds wooden watches from scrap-wood. Its goal is to help restore Mother Nature, one watch at a time, by planting a tree for every WeWOOD purchased. Since 2011, WeWOOD has planted 300,000 trees with its partners.

LSTN: For every purchase, LSTN helps restore hearing to a person in need through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The Starkey Hearing Foundation provides 100,000 hearing aids to people in need around the world each year and is committed to over 1,000,000 this decade.

BoGo Light: When you buy one of these solar powered lights, SunNight Solar donates an identical flashlight to someone living in extreme poverty (BoGo stands for "Buy one Give one".) The company is currently developing some new products that will expand their ability to tackle illumination problems for the poor.

Charity: Water: With a mission to bring clean water to people in developing countries, this non-profit has already helped more than three million people since 2006. All of the company's overhead is paid for by private donors, so any public money raised or donated is given straight to the cause. And the cool part? Charity: Water sends emails every few months so that you know exactly where your donation has gone, down to the village.