Optimistic Soap by Molly Lee: Hand-Made Soaps to Fund a More Equal Future for Different Genders and Sexualities

Molly Lee, owner of American small hand-made soap business, Optimistic Soap, is optimistic that if everyone does their part, no matter how small, together they can bring about lasting positive change. She believes that it is not impossible to achieve gender equality, provide equal access to abortions and even achieve equal rights for the LGBTQ+, as long as everyone makes small actions towards those goals. In playing her part, Lee uses the art of soap-making to create artistic soap. They take up the form of pride flags for different identities, or embody a certain goal such as taking down the patriarchy. Lee always makes sure to donate a portion of her profits to relevant organizations, which she supplements by creating cheerful videos to campaign for individual causes. This is why her art of soap-making is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Gender Equality and Reduced Inequalities.

Lee takes great care in making her soaps. She takes the time to educate her audiences on how her soaps are made, sharing that her soaps are made the old fashioned way by saponifying natural oils with sodium hydroxide (lye). This is a technique that dates back to Ancient Roman times, where all the lye used will naturally be processed out of it. Lee’s soaps are also 100 percent palm oil free, showcasing her commitment to the environment since for every metric ton of palm oil produced, 2.5 metric ton of palm oil mill effluent (POME) is generated. POMEs are palm oil wastes that harm aquatic ecosystems, contributing to significant biodiversity loss as it covers the water surface with thick oily goo. 

Still, the core of Optimistic Soap’s practice is their positive attitude to solving the world’s problems, which can come in handy in today’s anxiety ridden world. A report by Harvard Health Publishing shared that people with an optimistic outlook, especially early in life, have been known to have better health and lower death rate between ages 15-40. Meanwhile, a study published on the National Library of Medicine (NLM) found that optimists are significantly more successful than pessimists during aversive events or when important life-goals are impaired. Coming back to Lee’s work, all these statistics prove that she is already on the right path when it comes to achieving seemingly impossible equity goals amongst genders and sexualities.

In March 2023, the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres himself stated that the progress towards gender equality is “vanishing before our eyes.” This statement came after UN Women, the UN body dedicated to fight for gender equality released a statement that at current rates, gender equality will only be a reality in 300 years. This is why, when thinking about small actionable steps, Lee’s principle of beginning with an optimistic attitude does go a long way, acting somewhat as a self-conditioning mental belief that makes the seemingly impossible feel just a little bit more possible.

What’s more is the fact that Lee donates profits from Optimistic Soap to organizations such as The National Center for Trans Equality, The Q Center and also the National Network of Abortion Funds. Here, she is walking the talk, taking matters into her own hands when it comes to showing just how far a positive mindset can take individuals.

Find out more about Optimistic Soap by Molly Lee and their other initiatives by checking her website www.optimisticsoap.com or Instagram @optimisticsoap.