Established in 2019, The Sass Bar brings you a variety of handmade soaps crafted to resemble and scent like mouthwatering desserts. With an initial investment of Rs 25,000, the brand proudly asserts to be moving around 3,000 soaps each month.

Just take a look at Rishika Nayak Shetty's creations – cupcakes, doughnuts, eclairs, macarons, popsicles, and ice lollies. They're so tempting, you can't help but start drooling.

But here's the twist – they're not just any treats, they're all soaps!

Based in Mumbai, The Sass Bar, an online soap business, specializes in crafting handmade soaps that not only have the appearance but also the enticing scents of delectable desserts. Enriched with cocoa and shea butter, these soaps are free from SLS and parabens, featuring skin-friendly colorants and biodegradable glitter. The available fragrances include lilac, rose, black raspberry vanilla, spearmint, Argentina lemon, peony, and more.

Interestingly, soapmaking wasn't initially Rishika's primary focus. Armed with a business degree majoring in finance from Welingkars Institute, she pursued a master's course in brand management at Istituto Marangoni in London. One thing was clear in her mind: the desire to "run my own business."
 

She kicked off her journey by teaming up with another co-founder to run a women's wear brand. Despite her passion for the creative side of things, the excess waste in the industry began to weigh on her mind.

Back then, I used to look into my closet and feel like there was nothing to wear.. But there came a point where I started feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of clothes I owned, even though nothing had really changed except my perspective. That's when I decided I wanted to venture into creating a sustainable brand, though I wasn't quite sure of the path I wanted to take," she explains.

In 2017, I stumbled upon the world of soap suds, sparking my inspiration.

Back in 2017, while I was traveling, I found myself at a farmer's market in Sydney.

There, I discovered a woman selling cold-processed soap bars. These weren't your usual bars; they were infused with captivating scents like key lime pie and chocolate espresso. Until then, handmade soap, in my mind, was rather dull and associated with essential oil fragrances.

After trying the soap and falling in love with it, that marked the start of my journey into soap-making. I began to wonder why similar ones couldn't be created, and that curiosity ultimately led me to delve into dessert soaps and establish The Sass Bar," she explains.

At the beginning, Rishika viewed the venture as a hobby. Towards the end of 2018, I started things off at home with an investment of less than Rs 25,000, sharing pictures on my social media. One of my friends made a purchase, and those she gifted ended up buying more. The buzz started spreading through word of mouth, and within two months, I had to move to a workshop," she recalls. She emphasizes that she officially launched The Sass Bar in full swing in 2019.

The Sass Bar, true to its name, is all about embracing that sassy lifestyle.

"We stand out through our innovations and packaging, striving to bring soaps back in a lively and sassy way," expresses the founder. Typically, handmade soaps are linked with earthy colors and scents... we're challenging that norm with top-notch products and ingredients," explains the founder.

The prices range from Rs 185 to Rs 350 per piece. Additionally, The Sass Bar provides a variety of gift boxes, starting from Rs 1,500 onwards.

"Our French pastry soaps, like the Mille Feuille and eclairs, are quite popular. Recently, our Christmas collection featuring penguin, reindeer, and snowman popsicles was a huge hit," Rishika shares.

The handmade soap brand boasts of serving over 10,000 customers to date. "We have a customer return rate of about 15 percent, and on average, we sell around 3,000 soaps every month," the founder mentions, choosing not to disclose specific profit or revenue details.

The beauty and skincare industry,

the growing awareness of skin health combined with a high demand for chemical-free products is fueling market expansion. The trend towards handmade, chemical-free soaps is expected to continue gaining momentum in the coming years.

According to Rishika, The Sass Bar competes with "all players in the handmade soap and body care industry."

Major competitors in the field include well-established brands such as Forest Essentials and Fab India, as well as newer players like Juicy Chemistry, Vaanya Soap Co, Fiducia Botanicals, and Bon Organics.It's not just the big players; The Sass Bar also goes head-to-head with smaller brands like Bare Essentials, Ruharoma, Soaps by Kadambari, PaNee, Almitra Sustainables, Chennai Soap Company, and Mud and Moon.

Rishika is confident that there's space for nearly everyone, expressing that The Sass Bar's journey has been truly incredible.

She notes, "We're running out of stock quicker than we can make more."While we've reached a point where we're somewhat handling the balance between demand and supply, there's still a long, long way to go."

Rishika shares, "Our growth has been entirely organic. Brands such as Dune London (Reliance), Vero Moda, Face Shop, and Amazon have approached us for their influencer gift boxes."

The Sass Bar did really well with their Christmas collections, and now they're gearing up for the launch of two new boxes.

Rishika is firm in her belief that the key to doing great work is constant improvement of your products. She stresses the importance of establishing a brand identity and staying true to it, especially in the early stages when confusion can set in. According to her, the key is to focus more on what works for your brand.

The soap startup had the exciting opportunity to be part of India's inaugural season of Shark Tank, and Rishika, along with her team, cherished the experience.

"We were fortunate to secure funding from two incredible sharks, and we're eagerly looking forward to the next chapter for The Sass Bar. Our goal is to scale our company in a significant way," Rishika expresses.