When Little Soap Company first began, we were kind of ‘out there’ on our own for a while. The absence of natural soap for the masses was the very reason why Little Soap needed to be created in the first place, and no other brand was really doing what we did at the time. Back then, there were significantly fewer brands being run by females too- let alone gay females! So in this post, we’re celebrating Pride Month at Little Soap with a shout-out to some other really amazing LGBTQ+ businesses that deserve a louder voice. Yes- it really is possible to be gay and run a successful business!
Proud Beer
Self-proclaimed as the original queer beer for good, Proud Beer is a small team with a big vision: ‘to redefine the way our LGBTQI+ community is supported.”- and we LOVE them for it!
Proud Beer truly aligns with our own values here at Little Soap- they’re keen to encourage recycling (even offering tips for re-purposing their beer cans!) and responsible drinking. They support local charities too, with a percentage of profits from their amazing LGBTQIA being donated directly to the organisations they support. You can find out more about Diversity Role Models, LGBT Foundation and Terrence Higgins Trust on their charity page here.
So how can you get your hands on some Proud Beer this Pride Month? Check out this map to find a list of venues that serve it up throughout the UK, or head to their shop to buy direct.
Proud Beer is fiercely passionate about supporting its community, and this is summed up perfectly in a recent Instagram post: “50 years on from the first pride parade in the UK, our fight for equality has not been easy and especially today, we remember just how far there is left to go. But we believe that despite the challenges we face, love will always win. We will never stop being who we are, and loving who we love. We are a strong community, with shared challenges, shared values and a common goal.” Amazing.
Wilton London
Moving on to Wilton London, an amazing little eco-friendly cleaning brand we just know you’re going to love. A fellow B-Corp brand, Wilton London’s products are all made in the UK, plus they’re vegan, cruelty-free, natural and completely carbon neutral too!
The brand’s founders, Sam & Mike have such a lovely backstory, born of a passion for essential oils and a strong dislike of the usual chemically smell that cleaning products have. As they say themselves: ‘You don’t need nasty ingredients to make effective cleaning products. So we’ve ditched the nasty stuff and swapped them with naturally derived alternatives. We’re committed doing our bit for people, planet and nature – that’s why we’re a certified BCorp, Vegan Society registered and Carbon Neutral.”
We’re huge fans of anything that has us actually looking forward to cleaning during Pride Month, and trust us when we tell you Wilton London’s range will do just that!
Vieve Water
Seeing as so many of us actually under-eat protein on a regular basis, Vieve Water has to be one of the more clever products on the market right now. Water, with protein that actually tastes good! Honestly- try it for yourself! A single bottle of Vieve Water will bring you an impressive 20g of protein, making it easy to boost your intake every day, plus did we mention it tastes amazing?!
Aside from creating amazing tasting drinks, Vieve Water is also fully dedicated to supporting our planet and it’s one of the reasons why we love them so much. As founder, Rafael, says:
“At Vieve, although our bottles are 100% recyclable, we are constantly looking for a more sustainable solution for our packaging. Until we find a suitable alternative, we are committed to looking at innovative solutions to offset our carbon footprint, as well as ideas to ensure our bottles are truly being recycled from end to end.”
Through the brand’s new flavour, Orange & Mango, they’ve pledged to plant a tree for every five packs that are sold through their website with an aim to replace forest areas in Kenya that have been devastated. They’re also planting mango trees, with an overall aim to “provide a sustainable source of income and help to improve the economic conditions of families and farmers in Kenya. Our goal is to plant 25,000 trees in the next year, or roughly the equivalent of a small village.” Amazing, huh?
The Spark Company
Proudly female-funded and female-run, The Spark Company are self-confessed ‘feminist killjoys’ “creating apparel and accessories that scream feminism + equality while whispering quality + sustainability seductively (and consensually) in your ear at the same time.” We just LOVE them!
The Spark Company has a strong focus on ethical shopping and is committed to paying it forward and supporting causes that matter. They donate a percentage of profits to Bloody Good Period – an organisation that fights for menstrual equality – and akt, a charity that supports lgbtq+ young people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment. Read more about their commitments here.
All of that aside, the Spark Company’s products are pretty awesome too. If you’re looking for a slogan t-shirt that’s going to stand out and make a point, then you’re very much in the right place!
Dr Botanicals
With a slogan advising us not to be afraid to show our true colours, Dr. Botanicals is another brand we’re head over heels for this Pride Month. They’re a clean beauty brand founded by CEO, Richard, in 2011 and they have a pretty impressive mission too.
“As a loud and proud LGBTQ+ owned brand, Dr Botanicals champions diversity. We want every person that loves our products to feel good about themselves and feel part of our family. Being a small business, it’s easy to celebrate every unique member of our team; members that help to create the most relevant products for every type of skin out there. We have always and will always support movements for equality like Black Lives Matter, True Colors Fund, and Stonewall, because there’s still work to be done.”
Check out the gorgeous Dr. Botanicals range- we’re more than a little bit in love with their Pride Edition lemon superfood all-in-one body butter. This stuff smells amazing, and each purchase raises money for LGBTQ+ charities too.
