Lombok Eco Flea Market Spotlight: Koa Soap

Soap Star

Nadia Anjanis, owner of KOA, doesn’t just make soap. She crafts delightful bars of bubbles full of sustainable ingredients, all-natural fragrances and a lot of heart. MyLombok Magazine recently spoke with Nadia to learn more about her unique product and how we can all live a more sustainable life.

Where did your inspiration come from?

I started thinking about making natural soap when I was on holiday in Sumbawa. My cousins own beach front bungalows and, one morning, I was walking on the beach and saw so much plastic waste. I started to think about how to do my part to help the environment and that’s when I thought, “Why not try to make my own natural soap bar?” At this point, I didn’t even know that natural soap even existed – or that it could look so beautiful. I just thought, how could I make a difference with something that didn’t require a lot of ingredients, that is actually better for us to use and also would help our environment by using sustainable packaging.

How did you get started?

A little over a year ago, I began to seriously think about making my move and started doing research about natural soap. I watched a lot of YouTube videos about how to make homemade body care and I thought, why don’t I create unique soap bars that are natural, beautiful and actually good for us and for the environment? I wasn’t originally going to start a business until I joined the first Lombok Eco Flea Market in Kuta. I was selling a few varieties of natural soap bars I had made and other reusable products. But Paula, the market organizer, approached me and suggested I really expand my soap offering as it was a perfect blend of Lombok creativity and sustainability.

What happened next?

I didn’t have a loan, so I used my own savings to start – to buy the tools and ingredients. Then I searched for online classes to make basic natural body care, especially soap bars. On my luck, I found Kelas Formulasi on Instagram, a cosmetician in Bali who offers natural skin care products and private courses to learn how to make natural products from scratch. Then I also found a girl who makes amazing natural soap bars – that I’ve never thought would look so fun – on a YouTube channel called Royalty Soaps; she inspired me the most. She shares ideas and I thought, if she can do it, I can do it too! Nobody is making these kinds of soaps in Lombok. Not only is it something people can use, but I can also do it sustainably. My first batch of high-top soaps I gave away to friends and relatives to try. Their feedback was great, and their support keeps me going!

Your soaps are so creative. What materials do you use?

To make the soap, I use all-natural coconut oil that I buy from local sellers plus other oils – such as olive, castor and essential oils – and additional materials I get from Bali and Java, as some are not available in Lombok. To make the shapes, I use silicone molds, pipes to make round soaps and cake decorating tools to decorate my high top natural soap bars. When people ask me what I do, I don’t say I’m a soap maker. I introduce myself as a soap artist! I want to promote natural soap bars as a new option for gifts for birthdays or maybe souvenirs for wedding events. Instead of giving items wrapped in a couple layers of plastic, receive an eco-friendly, cute or funky natural soap bar.

How has COVID affected your business?

I’m glad the Lombok Eco Flea Market is happening again, and I also have repeat orders from some villas in Kuta and Gerupuk, and also online orders nationwide from Shopee and Tokopedia. COVID hasn’t hurt me too much as I know my own capacity and I like to keep my products more ‘boutique’ at the moment while experimenting with more recipes. I want my customers to have the best product. I’m more interested in expanding the artistry of the product through new molds, oils and good quality fragrance and essential oils. Overall, COVID has taught me to make a better product by putting more attention to detail and adding new soaps with better ingredients for different types of skin.

Have you always cared about the planet?

I don’t really live in a circle where people care about the environment. When I was a kid, adults around me weren’t so conscious about the trash problem in our neighborhood and didn’t do much to change it. But I had my own way of thinking as I grew up. I wanted to live a simple life, without waste, so I started bringing my own bag and reusable bottle everywhere I went. I started to think twice before buying things such as clothes and electronics – wondering if I can borrow from a friend or repair something that’s broken. And over time I realized, I don’t have to be shy to live this sustainable life. I can talk more about it and help others who want to learn too.

How are you helping others think differently?

In other countries, being eco-aware is more normal. That’s not how it is in Lombok. My friends didn’t even really understand what the Lombok Eco Flea Market was and what we sell or what our purpose is. I was able to introduce some of my friends that buying goods at LEFM, you’re actually supporting real people, not big corporations that just mass produce their products. You can request to watch exactly how a product is made and see the good quality. You’re buying products that make your life healthier and better. And you’re supporting our island economy and our community.

How are you changing minds?

When I started, I’d always have five or so pieces of soap in my bag wherever I go to give to people. Or sometimes I’d just put one in a random area with a little note explaining how to use it – as an example of how to live low waste, as well as a marketing strategy. With my friends, for example, I also told them how wasteful coffee cups are, so now we always bring our own coffee cups. I even have my Father and Cousins thinking about sustainability by refusing plastic bags when shopping and bringing their own food containers to the market. Now, they say things like, “Yeah, if we all do our bit, we can at least help reduce the plastic waste problem in our neighborhood.” It’s been easier to influence them because I try to make it approachable and fun.

What advice can you give to others who are interested in starting their own sustainable business?

I have a friend who wanted to sell new clothes. Unfortunately, this often means cheap, fast fashion that comes from factories which are not eco-friendly at all! My friend also has a small budget to start, so I suggested that he collects used clothes from our friends, recreate new styles by hiring young tailors to sew, get some models to pose for the style and resell for a profit. He said, “But this won’t make me rich!” I said, “Don’t you look at the internet?!” I showed him some websites that recreate and sell secondhand clothes, of how others are making money from things that otherwise end up in the trash. I explained to him that yes, it can be hard to start a new sustainable business, especially in a world where we have to compete with big companies and factories that make their products through mass production. But if we, as small business owners, collaborate with each other, I believe we can make sustainable living a lifestyle. My life coach always told me “Where there is a will, there is a way.” We have to realize there is no “Planet B” and if we can help our own island, at least that’s a start!

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Next Market: Find KOA at the next Lombok Eco Flea Market – see market schedule at www.lombokecofleamarket.com