Makers Series: Butter + Lye
Location: Brooklyn, NY | Specialty: Skin Care
© Butter + Lye
Abby and I were quite excited this month to be able to speak with Monique Garraud Kofsky, founder of Butter + Lye.
Her skincare products are some of the best sellers in our store—and for good reason! Monique is a biochemist who took her knowledge of chemistry and fused it with her desire to make all-natural products that promote healthy skin.
Monique’s understanding of the ingredients in her soap is nuanced—she did extensive research and testing in order to produce extremely high-quality, effective soaps.
Abby and I found her entrepreneurial spirit especially contagious, and that combined with her focus on producing incredible products makes us especially excited for the future of Butter + Lye.
Without further ado, here is our conversation with Monique!
Abby (Willinglee)
Your story is so unique! A biochemist working in cancer immunotherapy, who then takes her knowledge and uses it to create natural-ingredient, good-for-you skincare!? Amazing. If it's not too personal, what made you want to make the switch in careers?
Monique Garraud Kofsky (Butter & Lye)
Science has always been a passion of mine so it was a very sad day when the funding for our laboratory was pulled and the company was shut down. It was then that I had a choice: look for another laboratory position or follow my other dream, starting my own business. After many sleepless nights and conversations with my husband, I decided on the latter and haven't looked back since! I love how being an entrepreneur allows me to combine both of my passions while also allowing me to be a positive influence through my environmental advocacy.
Abby
Changing the direction of your life is not easy, and it does mostly take some outside influence like the lab shutting down, but we’re glad you found your calling! What emotions did you have in the early stages of Butter + Lye?
Monique
I was formulating and testing soaps for about a year before I felt they were ready for prime time. The early stages of launching B+L were scary to say the least. We launched in March of 2020 and within a couple of weeks we had all of our launch events canceled with no potential of rescheduling in sight. It was a real bummer because one of our events was a shampoo making class for kids at a local middle school's Green Fair. I was really looking forward to that!
Soon after, pretty stiff lock-downs were put in place and that's when I knew I would have to pivot my marketing to an online centered approach.
“I love how being an entrepreneur allows me to combine both of my passions while also allowing me to be a positive influence through my environmental advocacy.”
© Butter + Lye
Abby
Oh my gosh, what a difficult time to launch! The early days of the pandemic were the most uncertain. We’re so glad you pivoted and have been successful nonetheless! Tell us more about the research and development phase for your soaps. What did that look like?
Monique
I find the science of soap fascinating. Early research was spent mainly on my computer, looking up the fatty acid composition of different oils I was interested in using and trying to combine them in a logical way. All oils provide different properties to soap. For example, a soap high in coconut oil will be highly cleansing while one high in olive oil will have great moisturizing properties. It's all about striking a balance.
Abby
We can’t imagine a better person to design soap than a biochemist! You understand the properties of the oils in a very advanced way. We know you're passionate about sustainability. What's been the most challenging part of keeping the business sustainable?
Monique
When I started Butter + Lye, I knew I didn't want it to be a business with some sustainable elements. I wanted sustainability to be its core meaning before every decision we make, the first question asked is how will this affect the community and environment. If the brainstorm leads to a negative effect, the idea gets scratched and we're back to the drawing board. This leads to a lot of ideas that I would of loved to implement being sidelined until the problem of sustainability is solved.
© Butter + Lye
Abby
If only every company operated in that way! Things may cost a little more, but at least we’d be taking care of the planet. What has been the most rewarding thing about being a small business owner?
Monique
Being a business owner is a very creative process. It's not just making soap for me. Over the past 2 years I've learned so much about marketing, accounting, taxes, branding, packaging design, you name it!
© Butter + Lye
“All oils provide different properties to soap. For example, a soap high in coconut oil will be highly cleansing while one high in olive oil will have great moisturizing properties. It's all about striking a balance.”
Abby
Yes! There are so many aspects of business that you don’t even think about when you’re first starting. What’s one weird or unexpected thing you've encountered during your time in business?
Monique
GREENWASHING! I've been shocked to receive products labeled as eco-friendly shipped in plastic packaging or made with less than ideal ingredients. Because I take sustainability so seriously, I have a certain expectation when ordering from companies with a similar mission.
Abby
Agree 100%. It can be quite unethical. Regarding your product, what’s one thing that surprises people about how you manufacture it?
Monique
Most of our soaps are unscented. We're trying to get people to reimagine what clean smells like. Instead of the flowers and fruits that a lot of businesses market to us, clean should smell like nothing! That's not to say that we don't have a few scented products. Those are scented naturally using essential oils or natural ingredients like spices.
Abby
We love the subtle, natural scents that come from your ingredients. No thank you to Bath & Body Works! What advice do you have for someone who might be interested in starting their own business?
Monique
DO IT and try not to be a perfectionist. As much as you plan, something may go wrong so just get your product or service out there.
“We're trying to get people to reimagine what clean smells like. Instead of the flowers and fruits that a lot of businesses market to us, clean should smell like nothing!”
© Butter + Lye
Abby
That’s a generous way of putting it :) Something will definitely go wrong! But you’re right, you just have to get it out there and go with the flow. You learn as you go! Without giving any secrets away, what's next for Butter + Lye?
Monique
We have a new brush style and a couple of new soaps slated for 2022 release that we're super excited about. Stay tuned!
Abby
Can’t wait! One last thing: we’d love it if you could tell us about three small businesses you adore, and why you love them.
Monique
Ethikli created a great space for sustainable shopping. David's Toothpaste has a great product, made domestically that I use every day. La Nature is an amazing zero waste store local to me that offers fantastic products and even has a refill station
Abby
Awesome, we’ll have to check them out. Thank you so much for chatting with us, we loved hearing more about Butter and Lye! Best of luck to you!
If you haven’t purchased Butter + Lye yet, please do check them out!
Find more Makers Series on our blog, or shop Butter + Lye below.
