About Simply Soap by Dr. Soaper
Physician. Formulator. Soapmaker. Lifelong learner.
I'm Anita Montes, the woman behind Simply Soap by Dr. Soaper.
I'm a retired OB/GYN, a mother of twins, a second-generation Mexican American, and a lifelong learner who has always been curious about how things work.
I was born in California and grew up as one of 11 children. In a family that large, you learned to share, but you also learned to be self-sufficient. We didn't automatically replace things when they broke. We fixed them. I learned to sew and knit, patch walls, repair broken windows, change washers in leaking faucets, and fix electrical outlets. Back then, even a broken television might be repaired by changing a tube. Being resourceful wasn't a special skill. It was simply how we lived.
That mindset has stayed with me.
From Medicine to Making
After 45 years as a physician, I've learned a lot about asking questions, looking at evidence, and being thoughtful about what I recommend to others. I've always been practical and frugal. Not about buying the cheapest thing, but about finding something that is useful, effective, and worth what it costs.
So when I became interested in making soap, I did what I've always done when something catches my attention: I learned how it worked. One thing led to another. Soapmaking became years of studying ingredients, experimenting with formulations, learning the craft and becoming certified. Eventually, I began developing skincare and haircare, too.
My medical background influences the way I formulate, but so does the way I was raised. I want to understand an ingredient before I use it. I want every ingredient to have a purpose. And I don't believe a product is better simply because it has a longer ingredient list or a higher price.
Simple doesn't mean simplistic. It means intentional.
Why Beauty Without Plastic?
My commitment to reducing waste is also rooted in how I grew up.
I've lived through the rise of the plastic industry. When plastic first became part of everyday life, I embraced the convenience just like most of America did. But over my lifetime, I've watched that convenience become an enormous source of waste.
Eventually, I had to look at my own habits. As a physician and a woman who had spent decades using hair and skincare products, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of bottles, tubes, pumps, and other packaging that went into the trash. I couldn't continue in that direction with a clear conscience. So when I began creating my own products, reducing unnecessary packaging, especially plastic, became part of the process from the beginning.
I'm not perfect, and I don't claim to eliminate all waste. But I can make better choices. I can question whether packaging is necessary, look for alternatives, and keep improving.
Beauty without plastic isn't about perfection. It's about making better choices.
Made with Purpose
Today, Simply Soap by Dr. Soaper brings together the things that have been part of my life for as long as I can remember:
Curiosity.
Resourcefulness.
Science.
Creativity.
Practicality.
And a desire to make things better.
I make small-batch soap, skincare, and haircare with thoughtfully selected ingredients and carefully developed formulations. I'm still learning. I'm still experimenting. And I'm still making things by hand. Because after all these years, I still believe that when you understand how something works, you can make it better.
Rooted in Craft. Inspired by Science. Made with Purpose.
Simple ingredients. Thoughtful formulations. Beauty without plastic.
— Anita Montes, MD
Founder, Simply Soap by Dr. Soaper
Simply Soap is a DBA of amontescreation LLC.
