Packed with ingredients of Okinawa, soaps by [Savonnerie de la lune] will brighten your day.

For products we use every day, there are things we want to be particular about, right? Especially for items that we use on our skin, many of us are careful in choosing what we want to use. I have sensitive skin and so, I’m always careful about choosing skin care products and soaps that will be gentle on my skin and makes me feel happy and comfortable.


Soaps that are aged slowly over time.

In this article, I want to introduce “Savonnerie de la Lune,” a soap maker situated in Yomitan Village in the central region of Okinawa Island. The name of the business is derived from the French words, “savonnerie” meaning “soap shop”, and “lune” meaning “moon”. They chose this name because aging soap takes just as long as the cycle of the moon. The company aims to produce and offer soaps that are safe for anyone to use, whether you have sensitive skin like me, or tend to have dry skin. From head to toe, no matter what your skin type is, the soaps offered here are great for all.



The ingredients used in the soaps produced by Savonnerie de la Lune are Okinawan, made with plant-based oils, plant powders, essential oils, Shikwasa citrus, Gettoh ginger lilies, Kucha cleansing mud, goat milk, herbs, and others. The feel on the skin is wonderful, but they’re also particular about the appearance and fragrances as well.


Produced with the cold process method to naturally age the soaps without heat.

The soaps produced by Lune are made using the cold processing method. All of the steps are done by hand, and since the aging process, which begins from the making and then to retail, requires a certain amount of time, the products cannot be produced in large quantities. What makes their soaps special is that they are made with attentive care and particular choices in the ingredients.



These soaps that are made without any excess heat have a gentle aroma of essential oils which are sweet and refreshing. It offers relaxation effects for your mind and body when you use them. When I used them to cleanse my face and body, it truly was refreshing and didn’t leave my skin feeling tight, but smooth and moisturized.



Many of their customers have reported, “I’ve always had acne, but after using these soaps, they’re all gone,” or “I have sensitive skin, but I was able to use these soaps without any skin problems.” Some have even said, “After using your soaps, I can’t go back to using other types.”


Starting Savonnerie de la Lune.

The soap makers are Kazuko Mitsuhashi, originally from Ibaraki Prefecture, and Mie Yara, who’s from Hyogo Prefecture. Mitsuhashi-san says, “I’ve always shied away from body soaps that didn’t leave my skin feeling squeaky clean.” With experience in working at a soap shop in Provence in the south of France, she continued to independently study and make soaps even after her return to Japan.

Yara-san, on the other hand, is an aromatherapy advisor and began making soaps as a hobby. She says, “It wasn’t easy for me to find soaps on the market that met my preferences.”

Mitsuhashi-san moved to Okinawa in 2011 due to the 3.11 earthquake disaster that year, and Yara-san relocated here in 2008 after she got married. The two women became good friends after meeting each other thanks to their sons who are the same age. One day, they discovered that they were both interested in soap-making and this brought them closer. That’s when they decided to open their business, Savonnerie de la Lune.






Regarding the use of palm oil, which has become an ingredient that some consumers avoid due to environmental and social issues, the women explain, “Palm oil functions to maintain the hardness of the soap. To continue making good quality soap based on tried-and-true recipes, and to offer products to our customers at comparatively low prices, we will likely continue to use palm oil in many of our merchandise. However, the amount of palm oil that we use is very little. Still, we feel that it’s important to know and understand these background issues in the ingredient. And so, we are working on developing different soaps using less palm oil, and also those that are completely palm oil-free, with hopes that our customers will feel more comfortable when selecting our products. We hope to continue making soaps that make us feel good in making them, are aesthetically pleasing, with comfortable fragrances, and also the kind of soaps that we ourselves would want to use on our skin every single day.”



 

Savonnerie de la Luna doesn’t have a storefront, and their products are available at several locations including Glamday Style Hotel & Resort located in Yomitan Village, the handcrafts shop “Ryu”, and PEBBLE, a stylish, used tools and furniture shop. They also hold workshops to share the charm of soapmaking with people interested in making their own soap.

Soaps by Lune are great for washing your hands and face and will make you look forward to your bath times. How about giving them a try?

 

Savonnerie de la Lune
https://savonnerie-de-la-lune.jimdo.com   

 

Savonnerie de la Lune Products are Available at:

Ryu
Address: 191 Furugen, Yomitan Village, Nakagami, Okinawa
https://ameblo.jp/ryuyomitan2014/ 


Glamday Style Hotel & Resort, Okinawa Yomitan
Address: 571-1 Senaha, Yomitan Village, Nakagami, Okinawa
https://www.glamdaystyle.jp     


PEBBLE (Tools & Furniture)
Address: 2256-1 Sobe, Yomitan Village, Nakagami, Okinawa
https://www.instagram.com/pebble_yomitan/   



Okinawa CLIP photo writer, Sachiko Tachi