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This Soap Saves Lives
by Mera McGrew ’06
soapplybox.com
That’s the motto at Soapply, a startup I launched in 2016 aiming to not only deliver better soap directly to your doorstep, but also help get soap in the hands of those who need it around the world. I first had the ideas for Soapply when I was living and working in Africa, and I learned one stark fact: 1.7 million children are dying every year from diseases that could be prevented through the simple act of hand washing with soap.
I started Soapply because I’m optimistic that we can change that. The concept is simple: deliver expertly crafted soap in a minimalistic chic (recycled) glass bottle to your door. But it’s more than luxurious soap, it’s a statement that says you care about the role
products and companies play in the world, and the impact they have on your health. Soapply is crafted using food-grade organic oils, and is made without parabens, sulfates, synthetics, or any other ingredients with questionable health or safety concerns. Besides knowing exactly what you’re lathering up with, when you wash with Soapply you help people across the globe, because each purchase helps fund $10 worth of impact through water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives. (Currently, all impact is focused in Tigray, Ethiopia.)
While living and working in Africa, McGrew was inspired to create Soapply.
Mera McGrew ’06 graduated from Vassar College with a bachelor of arts in political science, neurobiology and behavioral biology. The New York Times featured Soapply on Jan. 3, 2017.
