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A Mississippi small business recently won an international award for its innovative, sustainable soap.
Bebot Simple Soaps created by Cleveland resident Ruth “Avvy” Capapas won a Green Product Award from White Lobster, a German sustainability company.
The Green Product awards are given to companies for their sustainable product design, innovation and impact. The 2026 awards were presented May 28 in Berlin, with 36 recipients chosen from over 1,200 entries from across the world.
A pharmacist by training, Capapas said her soap is 100% plant-based and helps with skin conditions, such as eczema. She said her patent-pending formula is a sustainable, natural alternative to deodorant and includes plastic-free packaging.
The soap is inspired by her upbringing in the Philippines, where people would pick plants from their yards to eat and use as natural remedies.
Since her teens, Capapas struggled with a chronic skin condition. When she started testing her soaps on herself, she found they helped when nothing else had. She said many of her customers also struggle with chronic skin conditions and have found relief using her soap.
Since starting her company a little over a year ago, Capapas has been asked to audition for the reality TV show “Shark Tank” and was a semifinalist for Whole Foods’ Local and Emerging Accelerator Program that places local products in Whole Foods stores. She said she has been surprised and encouraged by the response she’s gotten along the way, especially from her customers.
“You’ll see soaps that declare themselves all natural, but mine has proven itself,” Capapas told Mississippi Today.
Capapas sells her soaps at a local farmers market and online but thinks there is a growing demand for sustainable products.
A 2025 report by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business found that there continues to be consumer demand for products marketed as sustainable. According to the report, sustainability marketed products made up 25% of the market but were responsible for 44% of the sector’s growth over the last seven years.
Capapas said the connections and advice that she received at the Green Product Awards in Berlin gave her skills as she continues to grow her business.
“I’m so excited because I have not encountered a product like this on the market,” she said.
