Saponina
Organic Cosmetics
You’ve probably heard this a thousand times: this was born out of love. More often than not, it is entirely accurate and spot-on. However, Saponina brings us a whole new concept of brands that are made with and for love. This Portuguese organic cosmetics brand was created by Liliana Dinis primarily for her daughter, who’s been dealing with atopic skin since she was three years old. After countless treatments, and concerned about her daughter’s delicate skin, she started to experiment with chemical-free products created with the best organic ingredients.
“I started by making basic products, such as soap for atopic skin with calendula and shea butter, which is one of our best sellers, a restorative skin balm for eczema, and a body oil. Nature is my greatest inspiration, and my goal is to create sustainable, zero-waste products every single day that respect our environment and raise awareness about such issues”
The lovely founder did not just end up here with Saponina by chance. She’s been working in the cosmetics field for over 20 years now with renowned brands as Clarins, Carita, Hermès, Shiseido, Organii, and so on. All these years were her best ally in discovering everything she needed to know about beauty products and all the innovative formulas and incredible scientific breakthroughs they entail — but also that chemical ingredients are a given for such products. After a few years devoted to show companies how they could do better to sustainably grow and bear an organic frame of mind, she decided to create Saponina.
“My purpose with this is to take care of people’s skin while taking care of the environment, as well, by providing the best ingredients and raising awareness for reducing plastic use and other waste, be it within a beauty routine, replacing your tooth brush by a bamboo one or simply using a cloth napkin. I believe people love to care about what belongs to them, whether it’s their skin or the planet, and proving it is that every day there are increasingly more people concerned about this who’re changing habits and inspiring others”, Liliana says, leaving us with her beautiful catalogue: we’re talking soaps made with extraordinary skin-friendly superfoods, such as moringa, lucuma, spirulina, and others, as well as vitamin-enriched shampoos with ayurvedic ingredients, deodorants, and toothpaste. Saponina also offers body oils, balms, and a line of exceptionally delicate soy candles decorated with handpicked wild flowers. What more could we ask for?
Each product is thought out with detail and handmade in her studio in Belas, located in Sintra, Portugal. All ingredients are natural and chosen for their benefits and not visual appeal — which doesn’t mean that Saponina’s products aren’t pretty, because they truly are — and all labels are taken care of with the same idea in mind, very simple, delicate, and with all the information we need with just a few words.
The small batches mean they’re all created with that kind of love we were talking about earlier, but also that they can run out quite fast. Follow Saponina on Instagram and Facebook to get your hands on some of the products, but the very best way to immerse yourself in this charming brand is to visit it on one of the many Lisbon markets it takes part in and get to know the hands and heart behind the brand, as she will appreciate meeting you and learn more about your skin needs and concerns, as well.
Pictures © Saponina