“Too Expensive” or Honestly Priced?
Why the frustration isn’t really about soap
We’ve had some pretty rough customer service days here at the ANSC. Our team has copped a few sprays lately — people really losing it at our customer service rep over the price of our soap. And honestly? It stings. We’re human. We care. We’re not a faceless company — we’re a small group of people doing our best.
But instead of being upset at the individuals on the other end, I find myself wondering if the real frustration isn’t about us at all. Maybe it’s something bigger.
The bigger picture
Life is expensive right now. Groceries, rent, mortgages, power bills — all climbing. When you’re stretched thin, paying more for something as everyday as soap feels unfair. I get that.
At the same time, I can’t help but notice the other side of the economy: people lining up for hours at cosmetic mega-stores, maxing out their credit cards on products made with fillers, wrapped in plastic, with questionable supply chains. They’re not paying for quality. They’re paying for status or being told that buying that thing is going to make them happier. And somehow, that’s celebrated — while small, honest businesses like ours are told we’re “too expensive.”
The squeeze in the middle
Economist Thomas Piketty talks about how the middle class is being hollowed out. And you can feel it in Australia now: households under pressure, more debt, less breathing space. Post-COVID, the eco and small business movement that once felt so alive is struggling — not because the work matters less, but because customers themselves are carrying more.
And what happens? The extremes thrive: cheap and disposable at one end, status-priced “luxury” at the other. The middle — the honest, fairly priced space — gets squeezed.
Why we charge what we do
When someone says our soaps are too expensive, what I hear is:
“I’m stretched.” And that’s completely real.
“Why should I pay more for soap?” And that’s a fair question.
Here’s my answer: you’re not paying for just soap.
You’re paying for the difference that real ingredients make on your skin — pure Australian plant oils that nourish instead of strip. You’re paying for what’s not in our bars too: no fillers, no detergents, no hidden nasties.
And you’re paying for things that don’t always make it into the marketing gloss but matter just as much:
-
Australian plant oils and local supply chains. Sourcing here costs more than a tanker of anonymous base overseas. That’s the point — we’re backing growers and jobs here.
-
Fair wages and safe, skilled work. We don’t race wages to the bottom to shave cents.
-
Plastic-free, low-waste packaging. It’s not the cheapest way to package a product; it’s the right way.
-
Regulatory compliance, insurance, energy, freight in a huge country, and taxes. The boring, necessary stuff that keeps a business honest. (Fun fact: we probably pay more taxes in this country than businesses much bigger than ours!)
-
A margin that lets a small Australian company exist next year. Not a yacht. A future.
If you’ve ever wondered why big multinational body wash can be so cheap, it’s because scale, fillers, water, plastic, cheap labour and global logistics smooth the cost curve. Our reality is different — by design.
It’s not a status product dressed up to justify a price tag. It’s not a cheap filler that leaves your skin worse off. It’s something real, made honestly, that you can feel the difference in every time you use it.
Where the anger belongs
So when a customer takes their frustration out on us, I try to remember: it’s not really about soap. It’s about the pressure people are under, the feeling that everything costs more while they’re working harder than ever. That anger is real — but it shouldn’t be small businesses that carry the brunt of it.
Because in the end, this isn’t about a bar of soap being “too expensive.” It’s about the kind of economy we want to live in — one where honest, decent businesses can keep going.
A personal note
If you’ve had a rough day, I hope our soap can be a bright spot — the way it feels on your skin, the calming scent of the essential oils, and the simple knowledge that the bar in your hand is real. Made with care, made to last, made to give back a little comfort when you need it most.
We’ll keep doing our best to make products that are worth your hard-earned dollars — real, simple, honest.
Soapy hugs,
Emma xx
