Marcela Arrieta is proud of her soap company Majestic Bliss Soaps. Not only does it work to help clients relax after stressful days, the company tries to do as much good as possible. According to Arrieta, the soap company’s philanthropic work is just one aspect of what makes the brand so appealing . It doesn’t hurt that the soap is also vegan and cruelty-free. Arrieta spoke with FIERCE about her soap brand and why she believes companies who are doing social good are thriving.
Arrieta is the co-founder and creative director of Majestic Bliss Soap, a vegan and cruelty-free soap line.
“I’ve always loved animals. I remember growing up we had lots of chickens in our backyard. I considered them my friends not food,” Arrieta says about her decision to go vegan. “So when my mom would sacrifice a chicken for caldo de pollo the notion of eating my friend felt incredibly wrong. Later in life, as I began to study alternative medicine, I heard my teacher utter these words, ‘When you show mercy to the animal kingdom, mercy will be shown to you.’ I took this as a sign and immediately became vegan.”
It was her love of animals and commitment to helping others that inspired the soap company.
“The traditional soap that you see on the shelf, like Olay, those commercial brands, they actually use animal fat,” Arrieta says. “If you look at the label it says it there but in a scientific way. It’s there because it’s the cheapest kind of oil you can get. I stay away from any form of animal product and I source from companies who stay away from any form of animal product.”
“I put myself in the shoes of the consumer,” says the entrepreneur.
Arrieta believes that when it comes to choosing between two identical products from different companies, the company that does social good will be the one to get her money. “That’s what I incorporated into our company,” Arrieta says. “We do that on the daily. We donate our products, services, and time to organizations that do that.”
Making a special soap for the furry, four-legged members of families is also a part of what makes Majestic Bliss Soaps so popular.
Her experiences with her own dog, who deals with a rather severe allergy to grass, is what pushed Arrieta to extend her product to cats and dogs as well. To help her dog feel relaxed and soothed, so that the allergy was less intense, Arrieta began to produce a soap for pets. “They deserve the same quality as any human being,” Arrieta says about her Fur Paws soap. “I don’t see them as dogs, or cats, or pets. I see them as furkids.”
Majestic Bliss Soaps also does more than just donate money and time. They also donate to people in need.
After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Texas, Arrieta sent 200 pounds of soap to the people in Houston. She even included bars of soap for the pets that had been displaced alongside their owners. Every month, Majestic Bliss Soaps donates money, products, and time to a list of organizations that benefit both humans and animals including Alleviate Skid Row and the Cesar Millan Foundation.
While the soaps aren’t marked with Mexican names or scents, Arrieta says her culture is very much apart of her product’s creative process.
“I was exposed to a lot of colors growing up. I am from Jalisco the region that is called Los Altos De Jalisco,” Arrieta says. “There’s a lot of music and color surrounding me. The colors really did come from an inspiration from my upbringing but in reality everything came from my mother and my grandmother.”
Arrieta’s biggest piece of advice for any Latina trying to start her own company is not to feel bad about asking for help.
“The biggest lesson that I learned is not to be ashamed or embarrassed to reach out for help. You would be surprised how many people are there, ready and willing to assist you in any capacity they can assist you in,” Arrieta says. “Unfortunately, at least the background I came from, is that we are very orgulloso. Basically, I am too proud to ask for help because people are going to think that I am weak. We need to put that pride aside.”
