Under The Hood: Avi From Iron Lion Soap

Forget fluffy body washes and overly perfumed bars—Iron Lion Soap is here to shake up your shower routine. With roots in JiuJitsu mats and a no-BS approach to clean, founder Avi turned a personal skin problem into a soap movement. What started in a garage with a few gritty experiments has grown into a performance-first, community-powered brand redefining what clean feels like. We caught up with Avi to talk about the hustle, the healing power of tea tree oil, and what’s next for these slow-cured, hand-cut bars that last longer than your playlist.

What sparked the idea for Iron Lion Soap—and what made you want to turn it into a business?

This is a LONG story—but in short, what started with the immediate need to kill some Ringworm from JiuJitsu, pops and I discovered Tea Tree Oil after a few weeks of zero luck with traditional western remedies for that funk...

How long did it take to go from idea to launch—and what did those early days look like?

Four months of experiments, locker room hustle, and a garage that looked like a mad-scientist lab. We pivoted once, from novelty scents to performance formulas, and won our first 500 true fans before the website even existed.

Did you start by selling direct-to-consumer or in retail? Why’d you go that route?

We launched DTC first because I wanted unfiltered feedback and full margins. Retail followed when Whole Foods shoppers started DM’ing us asking, “Why aren’t you on our shelves yet?” Today we’re 60% online, 40% boutique doors, and both channels feed each other real-time intel.

What’s one behind-the-scenes detail most people don’t see—but is key to your success?

Every bar cures for 6 weeks on redwood racks. It’s slow, inefficient, and the secret to a harder, longer-lasting bar. We pair that old-school patience with nerd-level data using best practice tools, and the right Shopify apps to keep inventory and storytelling tight.

What’s one thing about building a DTC brand that totally caught you off guard?

“Build it and they will come.” Nah. Build it, then ship, iterate, and talk to customers until your throat’s raw. Product is chapter one; logistics and psychology write the rest.

What’s the feedback you hear most often from customers—and how have you acted on it?

Fans rave about how long the bars last and how the scent outlives their playlist. So we launched “Build-Your-Box” bundles and a subscription that drops fresh bars before the old ones tap out. Retention lifted 28% overnight.

Anything exciting on the horizon for Iron Lion Soap?

SkinSentials: lip paste, solid perfume, and our community-voted deodorant line.

White-Label Division: supplying big-box chains that want real soap without fake stories.

Founder-Led Content: raw, face-to-camera doses of why clean matters—scaling authenticity at speed.

What's the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Be stubborn about the vision, flexible about the path.” My dad, over burnt coffee at 5 AM.

What tools or platforms do you rely on to keep things running?

Shopify, Seguno, Ship Station, PostPilot, Basecamp, and a good sawn-off spreadsheet.

Do you currently have an affiliate program?

Nope—and no "real" intentions. We like the idea of doing hard things easily... WOM for the win.