Make Nice Company Shares the Local Love in Vancouver

Vancouver has many great local brands that make sustainable bar soap for hand washing. But what about bar soap to wash the dishes? Enter: Make Nice Soap Company. The brand offers plastic-free, solid dish soap and sudsy accessories for post-meal cleanup.

“After I had a kid, I became even more aware of not just what we’re putting on our plates, but what we’re cleaning them with,” says Kathryn Kingsland, who took over the company from founder Bonnie Yang last fall.

“I love that we have only all-natural ingredients,” says Kingsland. “This is one of the things that drew me to the business to begin with.” Along with adding new scents, Kingsland is looking to evolve the materials Make Nice uses to make its accessories.

What’s the philosophy behind Make Nice Soap Company?

We provide simple but effective, sustainable swaps. Our whole line is completely plastic-free, from our dish soap to our soap trays, to our brushes and cloths, to our loofahs. What we use in our households, and then what goes down the drain and into our water systems, our soil, our environment—it’s a circle.

The idea of sustainable living, or eco-conscious purchasing, can become overwhelming. There are so many options, and sometimes it feels like we have to make these huge life changes. But our goal at Make Nice is to offer simple, effective changes to our daily habits that, over time, can have a big impact on the environment.

Who inspires you and your work?

My friend Chenoa is a big inspiration to me. She has a hair salon called Field Trip Hair Salon on Broadway between Fraser and Main Street. She’s an amazing business owner with amazing ideas. She’s been a huge support for me and a great person to go to for advice on running a business. She’s also just very creative. Even if it’s a brand new concept, she’ll still just dive right in, and I find that very admirable—she does it in a way that creates space for other people to be creative.

Make Nice’s focus is solid dish soap. Is there a product line or a specific scent you recommend?

We came out with some really fun seasonal scents this past year. I’m excited to keep that going, and we’re hoping to come out with a new scent for spring.

As for favourites, mine is probably the scrap soap. For that one, we use the leftovers from all the other soaps. I love the way they look and all of the colours. Each one is a little bit different, so they’re all unique.

What about an accessory from Make Nice?

I love our loofahs. They’re the ones that I tried last but ended up loving the most. They’re so versatile and simple. We did a craft show at the beginning of December, and it’s fun to talk to customers about how the loofah is a plant—it’s just a squash that grows in gardens. It’s cool to see that it comes from a plant, and it can also go back in the garden, and you can basically use it for anything.

Are there any all-natural, sustainable shops in Vancouver that you frequent?

The Soap Dispensary and Kitchen Staples on Main Street. They have anything you could ever think of that’s renewable or eco-conscious and local. They also sell a lot of bulk foods. That store is amazing—you can get lost in there for sure.

Also, Sisters Sage makes bath and body soaps on Kingsway in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood. She has lots of really nice-smelling, all-natural, solid body soaps that I’m loving right now.

If you’re purchasing a gift for somebody, where are you shopping locally?

I love Massy Books. I also really like taking my little kiddo there. They have an amazing kids’ section. I’ve been going to Massy Books for a long time, and I never knew about their kids’ section until I went in there with my kiddo, and it’s awesome. It’s a great woman-owned, Indigenous-owned business to support. They can help you find anything for anyone. It’s also just a great place to browse on a rainy day.

Is there a sustainable, eco-conscious spot you shop for kids’ items?

The number one thing for kids is just to buy used stuff. Kids go through things so fast, and the items last far longer than how long the kids will use them.

We have a neighbourhood “free stuff” group where I live in Kensington-Cedar Cottage, and it’s amazing. I get most of my kid’s toys, books, clothes and shoes from the neighbourhood free group. And, often, the people I get it from have gotten it from somebody else. To me, that is one of the best ways to keep it sustainable. It’s also a great way to give back to your community.

What’s a cafe near you that you love?

Focacciaza is a food cart parked at Cordova and Raymur. That’s what’s been keeping me going in the studio for months now—they have the best sandwiches in the city. Turk’s Coffee Bar on the Drive has been helping me through our studio move with coffee, for sure.

Closer to home, anytime we have people visiting, we’re always going to Knight Street Cafe. They have an amazing breakfast, and the staff and the service are outstanding (it’s definitely our go-to brunch spot).

Do you have a favourite place you like to visit to get some fresh air or unwind outdoors?

Any playground recently with my kiddo has been very popular. When we have time to plan a little bit more, Locarno Beach is one of my favourite beaches to visit. I also love the Endowment Lands in the forest. It’s often pretty quiet and rainy, but the paths are beautiful. If I could bottle that rainy Endowment Lands smell, that’d be amazing. I’d also say Lynn Valley. Pretty much anywhere in Lynn Valley would be amazing, or any forested area.