About Us
Our origins and base are in the picturesque North Cotswold Hills. But our heart lies in the natural beauty and outstanding quality of our products.
At Little Soap Company, the only place you will find us little is in the name.
We’re far from little when it comes to passion. There’s no holding us back when it comes to new ideas. We’re simply bursting at the seams with vision and ambition. And our journey from ‘Little’? It’s been exciting, it’s been incredible, it’s been BIG.
Our Journey
It all started with a big vision…
by Emma Heathcote-James, Little Soap Company owner and founder.
“What does ‘soap’ mean to you? To me, soap takes me back to memories of my Gran, who travelled extensively by boat and seemed to accumulate soaps wherever she went. Back then, soap was a bath-time staple, usually filled with natural goodness. But at some stage, soaps ran out of favour, something I discovered when I combed the supermarket shelves to find some!
The lack of availability of soap, and growth of synthetic and environmentally harmful products in plastic bottles, seemed at odds with global trends. People wanted to be more environmentally friendly and to move away from harsh products and pollutants. I thought… surely if I’m looking for organic and natural soap, then so are others! And this is where it started.
First, as a little business, dreaming and planning at the kitchen table, selling locally and small-scale. But never letting go of my big vision, we developed the brand and range of products, we gained interest from retailers, and we enjoyed love and loyalty from a growing number of customers. We never stand still. Our product range continues to expand as we push boundaries and explore new possibilities.
We produced natural soap. So next we thought, let’s go further and make a truly eco range! Our products worked beautifully for skin. Let’s make them work for hair! We’re loved by people. Now let’s be loved by their pets! This is our attitude, and the reason for our success.
So what does soap mean to me?
It’s a symbol of nature, of cleanliness. But it’s also a revival and celebration of a product we’ve made relevant to the demands of the modern world, to protect our skin and the environment. Who would have thought it? The humble little soap. No longer little. But making a big impact, and with every intention of getting even bigger and better.”
From Farmer’s Markets to Supermarkets, from innovation to awards
When our handmade natural and organic soap bars started gaining popularity at local farmer’s markets, it was clear the products were valued and loved. But this was not enough for founder Emma, who had set her sights on making natural soaps accessible to everyone. The only way to achieve this was to scale up and get her products into UK retailers. And that’s exactly what she did.
At the same time as diversifying the range to provide consumer choice on products, fragrances and skin types, Emma relentlessly promoted the virtues and benefits of Little Soap Company natural soaps.
The result? British made, cruelty-free, vegan and RSPO sustainable soap available at affordable prices in all the main Grocers (Waitrose, Booths, Sainsbury, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons), chemists (Boots, Superdrug and Lloyds Pharmacy) plus online retailers including Ocado, Fetch and Amazon.
And in further recognition of the innovation and passion underlying her success, Emma has enjoyed accolades and industry awards including ‘Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders’, ‘Scale Up Business”, “Best Rural Retail Business” and ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’.
We have always been determined to be ethical. And now we have proved it by becoming a B Corp.
B Corporation status may sound like a corporate thing, but actually, it’s something we know is important to our customers.
It is recognition of our status as an ethical, responsible company, focused not just on profit, but on improving the planet and creating a fairer, inclusive, sustainable society.
It means that we’re part of a movement to lead the way to a better way and that it’s not just our products which are ethical and beneficial, but our business values and practices too.
Watch and find out more about our story…
We are pleased to say we are now a Carbon Negative business.
We are passionate about giving back to the planet and offering our customers a truly sustainable solution on the supermarket shelves, which is why we made the decision to offset our carbon emissions.
We are more than double offsetting our emissions to not only become Carbon Neutral, but Carbon Negative.
We are working with Carbon Neutral Britain to help support woodland projects across the UK.
Where to find us
Little Soap Company is a B Corp Certified, Carbon Neutral Business and all our products are Vegan Society, Cruelty-Free International, RSPO & Made in Britain Accredited. We have also won the Queen’s Award for our Eco Warrior range and are founding members of Buy Women Built.
