Emma Heathcote-James

Emma Heathcote-James founded Little Soap Company in 2008 – a ‘kitchen table to supermarket shelf’ success story that brought the first natural and organic soaps to major retailers, finally giving mainstream consumers a choice on shelf.

Since then Little Soap Company has gone from one bar to four full ranges, with 30 key lines in all the main chemists, supermarkets and online giants. As well as selling kind, quality products, each bar replaces an unnecessary plastic bottle, tub, pot or tube. The company obtained BCorp status in 2020 and all its products are vegan, cruelty free, RSPO Palm, and made in the UK.

Emma intends to use the Women in Innovation award to expand their popular Eco Warrior brand, a range of sustainable and plastic free soaps, shampoo bars, facial bars and shaving bars.

“There is currently no option of truly sustainable, plastic-free products in this category in UK supermarkets or chemists,” she says. “75% of market share is from just 3 major players – all using plastic packaging. Quite simply we will shake up what is currently a very un-sustainable and un-eco category.”

The potential for this market is huge and Emma would like to increase the size of her business by 30%, something which could save 120 billion plastic containers a year.

“I feel passionate that I should be a visible role model for those like me, who are women and gay, and want to run their own business and make a difference in the world. You can’t be what you can’t see.”