DISCOVER THE STORY BEHIND ELITE NATURAL SOAP FOR MEN
WELCOME TO TETRA ZEBRA!
I'm Matty Riches, founder of Tetra Zebra. Based in Kent, UK, I live with my wife, son, and our dog—and this is where elite soap making takes place.
I discovered a frustrating truth: mainstream men's products fall dangerously short of what your skin deserves. After diving deep into the research, I became obsessed with creating something better—genuine, natural soap built specifically to protect and nourish men's skin.
The mainstream options? They're simply not good enough. When you understand what truly goes into quality skincare, there's no going back. That's why I created Tetra Zebra: to give men a much better option to wash with, everyday.
The problem starts with options...
WHERE'S THE BUZZ IN SCRUBBING?
Walk into any supermarket and try to find a bar of soap that’s 100% natural, smells masculine, and actually lasts. It’s near impossible. We’re getting done over, and it needs to change.
Why I started Tetra Zebra:
- “Natural” doesn’t always mean natural. In the cosmetics world, that word gets twisted. You can slap “natural” on something that’s truly not great for your skin.
- Palm oil is everywhere. It’s cheap, used across multiple industries—and a big reason for deforestation. Even my son’s favourite peanut butter got hit with it to make it “more spreadable.” Unbelievable.
- Most colours are synthetic or made with mica. We didn’t like how mica is sourced (check out the mica mining belt), and synthetic colouring has a long history of health concerns.
- The scents? Mostly synthetic too. That “fresh” smell is usually lab-made and carefully labelled to hide the truth. If you see the word 'fragrance' or 'parfum', they're likely hiding something.
STARTING TETRA ZEBRA
THE BUILDING BLOCKS.
I work a traditional 9-5 job. This is my second full time job. Before I started learning how to make soap, I learnt about what is good for your skin. I also decided very quickly that nothing but mother nature will be present in a block of soap that I produce. I will stand by that.
I have spent countless hours in my shed at the bottom of my garden, through all the seasons, trialling different soaping methods, ingredients & scent profiles and studied how they develop & perform over time. After producing over 150 variants, I landed on a base bar that works and a starting range of 7 scents.
I remember having my first shower with my own soap and being blown away by the fact that you don't need chemicals to produce outrageous scents and a top level bubbly lather. And to top it off, you can use some serious great ingredients that are heavily researched and championed for their skin benefits.
WHERE IS THIS GOING?
THE MISSION.
We will show men, that there is a better way to a proper scrub down & significantly accelerate the usage of natural soap across the UK, in the next 5 years.
How we are addressing the problem we see:
1) We will stay independent.
2) We will only ever use clays, charcoal and plants to colour our blocks.
3) We will not use palm oil.
4) We will innovate as we grow and built a natural product range that is strictly designed to enrich mens skin, without compromising on quality
5) We will always show full transparency. Check out our ingredients page to support our fully natural claims.
We believe men should not find it difficult to find great soap to have a great scrub down.
So....we are bringing soap back.
Matty Riches AKA Chief Soap Engineer.
how it started
creating tetra zebra.
WHAT A RANDOM NAME!
who is tetra zebra?
Tetra Zebra is the champion of starting over.
Inspired by the Mexican Tetra Fish and Zebra Fish—both masters of regeneration, able to heal their hearts, fins, and even retinas without scarring—Tetra Zebra represents the power of renewal.
Just like these fish can repair and rebuild, Tetra Zebra helps you reset. Regenerate the parts of yourself that have been neglected or exposed to unnecessary synthetics.
We exist to help men start over naturally—making the switch from chemical-heavy products to natural alternatives simple and effective. No overwhelm. No lectures. Just better choices for your body.
