The story of Molly’s Suds began in a very unexpected way. On Christmas Eve, 2005, Monica (our CEO and founder) gave birth to her daughter Molly. She never took a breath of air.
Monica was heartbroken and confused. What could have gone so wrong with the pregnancy that it resulted in such a tragic loss?
The doctors provided no real insights. So, as a pediatric nurse, a mother, and a self-propelled researcher, Monica began to investigate possible causes of stillbirths.
What she found changed the trajectory of her life completely.
Dangers in Everyday Homecare Products
Monica found studies that showed links between stillbirths and miscarriages to high chemical-burdens in mothers. Most of the chemicals found were very common in households all across America. The further she dug, the more she found medical studies, animal studies, and mounting scientific evidence that we, as a global community, are being poisoned.
There are over 85,000 chemicals regularly used in manufacturing in the US. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has so far only banned 30. By contrast, the EU has banned more than 1300+ chemicals.
How can the USA be so far behind in ensuring manufactured products meet basic safety requirements?
Part of the problem is that while the EPA has the power to regulate harmful chemicals and toxins under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the ability to use this power is remarkably complicated. The TSCA only empowers the EPA to test a chemical for toxicity if evidence has already been submitted showing that the substance causes harm.
Naturally, most manufacturers aren’t lining up to disclose that the chemicals in their products are dangerous. All they want to do is make a profit, and this often means using cheap and dangerous shortcuts.
An additional complication is that companies are not required to disclose all of their ‘ingredients’. Approximately 20% of the 85,000 chemicals in frequent use are considered ‘trade secrets’, and only about 200 of these have been tested for human safety. The result is too often a hidden chemical cocktail, especially when it comes to products containing synthetic fragrances.
We Live in Toxic Homes
The average American home contains more than 62 toxic chemicals. For perspective, this is more than the average laboratory contained at the turn of the century.
A study conducted by scientists from George Washington University, the Silent Spring Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Harvard University, and the University of California–San Francisco found that phthalates, synthetic fragrance, flame retardants, and phenols are consistently found in 90 percent or more of indoor dust samples across multiple studies.
Most of these chemicals arrive in our homes through personal care products, cleaning supplies, and other general home care products. Ironically, these are the very products that people believe will make their homes a safer and more pleasant place to be!
These chemicals pose serious health risks. Some include:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Endocrine system disruption
- Fertility issues in both men and women, including reduced sperm count
- Lowered metabolism
- Cancer
- Skin irritation
- Eye irritation
- Organ toxicity
- Neurotoxicity
- Allergic reactions
- Suppressed immune system
- Neurological disorders
- Fatigue
- Birth defects
- Loss of muscle control
- Memory loss
- Problems with speech, hearing, and vision
- Liver and kidney damage
- Rashes, dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis
Our Vision – Safe for People & the Planet
Many of us begin our journey and transition to natural products through food. We begin to consider what we’re actively putting into our bodies for nourishment. We learn about the risks and health effects of pesticides, herbicides, sugar, additives, preservatives, processed foods, and more.
As we look for minimally processed foods (ideally made with those ingredients that we can actually pronounce!), we begin to examine what we place on our bodies. We learn that our skin is the largest organ of our body, and that it absorbs what it comes into contact with — whether that’s chemical laden lotions and cleaners, or sunshine, nutritive lotions, or healing balms. Often, an examination of our personal care products, cosmetics, and cleaning products quickly follows.
Monica’s health journey was very much like the anyone else’s. But as she continued to learn more and more about the dangerous chemicals and toxins contained in so many common household cleaners and laundry detergent, she realized that there was one huge area that was missing a natural, effective alternative to the chemical-laden products available.
Effective, safe, natural laundry detergent options were nowhere to be found.
So, she made the decision to find a green chemist and manufacture a safe detergent. She began by creating our Original Laundry Powder, a powerful and gentle detergent powder that remains one of our best sellers.
Over the following years, she added many more products; Oxygen Whitener (a fan-favorite), All-Sport (one of our top sellers since it’s development), SWIM™, and Liquid Laundry Detergent. Each targeting a specific laundry need, and each containing only ingredients that are Always Safe for People & the Planet.
Ingredient Integrity — Always Safe for People & the Planet
Since Day 1, Ingredient Integrity has been our number #1 priority in the formulation of every product we create.
Monica Leonard Founder & CEO of Molly’s Suds
We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that our ingredients are safe, pure, and free from contaminants. We also choose sustainable sourcing, recyclable packing, and eco-responsible manufacturing partners whenever possible. Learn more about our ingredients and sourcing.
Fighting for Social Justice
We’re proud to partner with some truly incredible organizations, such as the Autism Hope Alliance, Women’s Voices for the Earth, MacDonald Training Center, and Current Initiative’s Laundry Project — just to name a few. These organizations, among many others, have made it their mission to make the world a better, kinder, and safer place.
We’ve worked hard to gain certifications by the Environmental Working Group, Leaping Bunny, and ensure that all of our formulated products are Certified Vegan.
We form partnerships with other female-led companies, such as Logan+Lenora, Little Owl, and The Tidy Company, to encourage and champion female entrepreneurship.
We collaborate with visionary programs seeking to protect and empower vulnerable individuals in our communities.
We support non-profit educational resources — because we believe that greater knowledge is key in changing the world, one step at a time, for the better.
We firmly believe that it is our responsibility to protect our environment and planet as fervently as we protect the safety of our communities and our families. So, we partner with organizations and projects that put our communities and planet first.
What’s Next for Molly’s Suds?
We’re not going to lie. We’ve got some pretty exciting things on the horizon. We’ve been hard at work to produce a new line of cleaning products and home care tools that are safe for you and safe for the environment — not to mention stylish!
As we continue to expand our vision of how we can provide our customers with products that they can rely on, we’re excited that we are able to continue to share our knowledge and champion transparency in formulation.
Every change toward a better future starts with one individual, one organization, one community, one movement. We are so honored to be a part of a movement of many businesses that are leading the charge in creating a healthier, safer planet.
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