Maker of the Month – Kelly from Small Kindness

Meet Kelly, the soap maker behind ‘Small Kindness’

Get to know all about her creative processes, inspirations and her life outside the Fold!

What inspired you to start making natural soap?
I started making natural soap after being made redundant during the pandemic. At the same time, I was dealing with chronic migraines and really rethinking how I wanted to live and work. I wanted to create something meaningful, practical, and kind — to people and to the planet. Soap felt like the perfect place to start because it’s something we all use every day, and switching to a natural, plastic-free bar is one small change that can make a genuinely big difference.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about you?

I have a PhD in Biochemistry. People are often surprised to learn that there’s a strong science background behind Small Kindness as a natural soap business but I feel that it is really important to truly understand the natural ingredients I use, why an ingredient behaves the way it does and how their components benefit your skin, and then using that knowledge to craft products that are truly kind to your skin.

What is your bestselling scent, and what do you think makes people love it?

My bestselling soap is Mindful Meadow, the scent is a blend of organic lavender and rose geranium essential oils. I think people love it because it’s soft, floral, and comforting — a scent that feels like a little moment of calm in a busy day.

Do you have a favourite product?

I love my 2:1 shampoo bars, I spent an incredible amount of time formulating them to ensure I created a shampoo bar that gently cleanses, nourishes and protects your hair but doesn’t contain any palm oil (or it’s derivatives), SLS,  sulphates, parabens, silicone or preservatives. Our shampoo bars are pretty special as they contain an naturally derived upcycled conditioner meaning you don’t need a separate conditioner.

What is one ingredient you will never use, and why?

Palm oil. The palm oil industry is closely linked to deforestation and habitat destruction, climate change and human rights violations. Although responsibly sourced palm oil is available, it is heavily criticised by both environmental and human rights groups.  For me, it’s an ingredient I choose to avoid entirely so I can be confident that my products aren’t contributing to those issues.

Walk us through a typical “soap-making day.”

A typical soap-making day usually starts with preparing the lye solution and then weighing out all the other ingredients including the organic oils, butters, botanicals, and essential oils. I’ll gently melt the plant butters in a pan and then blend these with the oils. Then once everything is at the correct temperature, I carefully add the lye solution to the butters and oils and blend. Then the natural colourants and essential oils are added depending on which soap I am making and then the soap batter is gently poured into moulds – this is when you can swirl the different coloured soap batters together to create your design. It is then covered and left to saponify. And then it’s time for the washing up! I think as a soap maker you probably spend more time washing up then you do actually making soap!

A couple of days later the soaps are unmoulded and cut into bars and left to cure for 4 weeks.

Soap making isn’t a quick process, it takes time and care but there is something incredibly beautiful about taking raw butters and oils and transforming them into a soap that is nourishing and kind to the skin.

What’s your favourite part of the making process?

The soap making process as a whole is a joyous mix of science and creativity which I love. But if I had to pick my favourite part I really love cutting the soap loaves as you never really know how a design has come out until you cut it into individual bars. Even though I have made thousands of bars of soap this moment always feels really special as every single bar is unique. 

What three words describe your brand’s vibe?

Calm, thoughtful, kind

What does “natural” or “organic” mean to you personally?

I started Small Kindness as a sustainable business so I knew I wanted to use natural ingredients in my products. For me Natural means that I use ingredients from natural sources (plants, minerals, microbes) that are processed minimally (unrefined butters, extra virgin oils), that I do not use chemicals like parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances/colours. It means choosing ingredients with sustainable practises, such as responsible resource use, respect of biodiversity (grown organically), respect of Human rights and development of green chemistry (like my upcycled conditioner in my shampoo bars). And when I say organic I mean ingredients that are COSMOS certified organic. At its heart my definition of Natural is all about being kind to people and the planet.

How do sustainability and ethics influence your work?

They influence every single decision I make — from ingredient choice, sourcing and formulation, to packaging, the manufacturing process, and even how orders are posted. Small Kindness is built around the idea that business can be gentle, considered, and responsible without compromising on quality.

Where do you hope to see your business in the next 5 years?

I’d love Small Kindness to be a sustainable, well-established brand that continues to grow thoughtfully, offering more products while staying true to its values, and reaching more people who care about what they use and how it’s made. 

If your business could make one positive change in the world, what would it be?

Helping people realise that small changes really do make a big difference. Living more sustainably doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, and it definitely doesn’t have to be perfect. Just make small sustainable changes that work for you and your family. Just imagine the impact if everyone did that!

What’s your go-to self-care ritual after a busy week of making?

I find switching off and relaxing quite difficult but a walk in nature with my gorgeous dog followed by curling up on the sofa (usually with the dog too) with a cup of tea really helps me to ground and reset after a busy week.

What’s your favourite place in the world and why?

Knepp Rewilding Project. I am obsessed with rewilding and this is an incredible site in Sussex It’s a place of hope that champions how nature can bounce back when given the chance.

To find out more about Kelly check out her website HERE, where you can also find details of all her soapmaking courses!