THE PUNCH PEOPLE
Meet John Marciano:
Founder of Republic of Soap
Republic of Soap® began with the vision of turning simple, everyday rituals into meaningful moments of care. What started with a passion for natural, handmade soaps has grown into a full range of skincare and wellness products that embody craftsmanship, sustainability, and conscious luxury.
At the heart of Republic of Soap® is the belief that true quality cannot be mass-produced. Every product is handcrafted in small batches, allowing for meticulous attention to detail while minimizing waste and environmental impact. This slower, more intentional way of working reflects the brand’s philosophy that real luxury is not about excess, but about care and responsibility.
INTERVIEW
“The journey was born from a combination of historical curiosity and a personal passion for natural, plant-based products."
Can you take us back to the beginning—what inspired you to start Republic of Soap over 20 years ago?
The journey was born from a combination of historical curiosity and a personal passion for natural, plant-based products. The initial concept took root when I moved to Bali with the intention of crafting candles. I became fascinated by the historical role of the village chandler, who was traditionally responsible for making both candles and soap. This connection intrigued me, and I felt compelled to explore the craft of soap making.
What does “100% goodness,” the phrase inside your logo, mean to you personally?
For me, '100% Goodness' is the concise expression of our entire brand promise. Besides the obvious - being wholesome and luxurious, it's a rejection of the complex, chemical-filled products that dominate the market and a return to something simple, honest, and genuinely good. It's my philosophical North Star; a constant reminder that everything I do must be guided by a principle of pure, uncompromising goodness for our customers, our community and our planet.
Why did you commit to small-batch manufacturing from day one, and what difference does it make?
Well, to be honest, my intention was to remain creative and add value to everyday life. Because of this approach, everything started in my kitchen - at home.
Our commitment to small-batch manufacturing was born in my kitchen, which dictated the practical limit of what I could personally lift and handle. Rather than scaling up and automating, I decided to preserve that method because it is our greatest guarantee of quality. It ensures every batch is mixed by hand for quality assurance and, more importantly, it allows us to imbue each product with a level of meticulous care and human energy. I believe that intention resonates, offering our customers not just a superior natural product, but a tangible sense of our crafted goodness.
"For us, sustainability means building a business that is not just about being 'less bad,' but actively good for our community and the planet."
How do your B2C and B2B operations complement each other in sharing the same philosophy?
While we operate through both B2B and B2C channels, they serve a unified strategy to amplify our core message. Our retail stores are the immersive, physical embodiment of our brand - a place where customers can directly experience the craftsmanship and goodness born in our small-batch manufacturing. Our B2B partnerships, in turn, act as strategic extensions, placing that same authentic product and story into like-minded establishments, allowing us to democratize our message and introduce Republic of Soap to new audiences at scale. Ultimately, both channels work in concert to broaden the reach of our mission without ever diluting its authenticity.
Can you describe how sustainability guides your daily decisions at Republic of Soap?
Sustainability is the filter through which every operational decision passes, not an add-on. It begins at the source with our plant-based, responsibly sourced ingredients and our small-batch production, which inherently minimizes waste. This mindset extends to daily choices, from prioritizing minimising single-use plastics for operational use to optimizing local distribution to reduce our carbon footprint. For us, sustainability means building a business that is not just about being 'less bad,' but actively good for our community and the planet.
What role do ingredients play in your philosophy—how do you source them and why?
Ingredients are the core of our philosophy, serving as the bridge between our commitment to natural wellness and our clients' commercial needs. While our default and preference is to source premium, local, and plant-based ingredients that reflect our values, we operate with flexibility. We understand that our B2B clients serve diverse markets with varying price points. Therefore, we collaborate closely with them to formulate solutions that prioritize ingredient integrity and safety, while also meeting their specific cost and market demands. This might mean offering a range of formulations - from 100% natural lines to products that balance natural ingredients with cost-effective components. Our role is to be a knowledgeable partner, ensuring that even when adjustments are made, the final product is still effective, safe, and retains a core of our quality ethos.
Packaging is a major environmental challenge—how have you declared “war on plastic”?
I absolutely agree that the misuse of plastic is a critical global issue, and we are deeply committed to being part of the solution. At Republic of Soap, we approach this not with a sense of 'war,' but with a pragmatic and dedicated commitment to reduction and innovation by actively minimizing reliance on virgin plastic through our refill programs. We are constantly exploring alternative, sustainable materials. However, for certain applications, particularly where product integrity and travel-friendly practicality are paramount, plastic remains, for now, a necessary material due to its resilience and lightweight nature.
Our strategy is therefore one of mindful use: ensuring any plastic we do use is recycled and recyclable, while relentlessly researching and investing in better solutions. It's a journey of continuous improvement, not a single battle, and we are focused on making meaningful progress.
For you, what does real “luxury” mean in skincare and body care?
To me, real luxury isn't grandeur when it comes to skin and body care. It's the humble confidence of using something made with integrity. It's the care behind small batches, the purity of ingredients you can trust, and the simple pleasure of a product that truly respects your skin as well as the world we share. It’s honesty, made tangible.
What has been the biggest challenge of running a sustainable, small-batch brand in today’s market?
Perhaps the biggest challenge has been scaling our commitment to small-batch, handcrafted quality while meeting the growing demand from our clients. Many brands grow by automating and compromising, but for us, integrity is non-negotiable.
Our solution hasn't been to change our process, but to perfect it. We've meticulously scaled the different facets of our operations, not our batch sizes. This means replicating our hands-on approach across dedicated teams, ensuring every product still receives the same personal attention and embodies the 'human energy' that defines what is Republic of Soap. It’s a more complex way to grow, but it’s the only way to guarantee that the quality and soul of the product our clients love remains completely unchanged.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of Republic of Soap and its community of mindful makers and consumers?
My vision is to grow Republic of Soap into a global proof point that business can be a force for good. I envision deepening our roots in Indonesia, fostering even more partnerships with local farmers and suppliers, and investing in the people who handcraft our products. For our community, I see us not just selling products, but facilitating a movement towards conscious consumption - offering education, transparency, and a true sense of belonging. So I see us building a circular community - empowering mindful makers in Indonesia and deeply connecting with conscious consumers, wherever in the world they may be. We will lead by example, demonstrating that you can in fact scale with soul, without sacrificing the handcrafted quality, human energy, and principled ethos we were built upon.
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