We operate on the principles of ecological sustainability and local production.
The ingredients for our soaps are natural and come from nature. However, we did not want to include two very common soap ingredients. In our opinion, the fat of a dead animal does not bring good energy to Elsan Ekopaja's soap, so tallow (INCI name Sodium Tallowate) was left out. We also consider our planet on a larger scale, which is why cheap and easy soap oil, palm oil (Sodium Palmate), is absent from our soaps.
We have excellent collaborations with several Finnish companies:
Suomen Kasviöljyt Oy supplies us directly from their farm with wonderful camelina oil. Watch our visit to the camelina fields in Janakkala on Elsan Ekopaja's YouTube channel.
(Photo by Mari Tiira)
Lentiira Terwa produces all the tar we use. In Kainuu, tar is still traditionally burned in a tar pit.
Products where you can find Lentiira's authentic Pit Tar are:
Pehtoorin Tervasaippua (Pehtori's Tar Soap)
Pehtoorin Terva-olut palashampoo (Pehtori's Tar Beer Solid Shampoo)
Metsäinen Pesupala (Forest Washing Bar)
(Photo by Lentiiran Terwa)
We use beer in our solid shampoos. The beer chosen is Karvilan Panimo's Korven kutsu. The products in which we use Karvilan Panimo's beer are:
Pehtoorin Tar Beer solid shampoo
Forest Bath solid shampoo Nettle
(Photo by Karvilan Panimo)
Elsan Ekopaja also has its own raw material production.
We grow the carrots used in our face soap ourselves. We collect calendula from our vegetable garden throughout the summer, dry it in the warmth of the sauna, and use it in our Keijukaisen Kehäkukkasaippua (Fairy's Calendula Soap) and Nallen Hunajasaippua (Bear's Honey Soap). The best and most wonderful raw material comes from our backyard. Our chicken coop houses a varying number of silkie chickens and roosters. Silkie chicken eggs are small but packed with keratin, which strengthens hair. The yolks of silkie chicken eggs do not end up in our mouths, even though they are delicious. They are used to make Silkkitipun palashampoo (Silkie's Solid Shampoo), which is the most wonderful and best hair bar in the world.
Read our blog about how nutrient-rich the Silk Chicken egg yolk is, and how you too can increase the vitality and softness of your hair with this wonderful moisture bomb.
Of course, some ingredients used in soap do not grow in Finland. Coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, castor oil, and jojoba oil are examples of these. Fortunately, we can order them in large quantities from Europe, so transportation and packaging do not cause significant environmental damage.
Nutrient oils we use:
Domestic organic rapeseed oil
We use domestic organic rapeseed oil in our soaps. Domestic rapeseed oil contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. It moisturizes, nourishes, and softens dry skin. Rapeseed oil is an excellent soft soap oil.
Domestic Camelina oil
Our domestic camelina oil comes directly from the producer. Camelina oil is full of nourishing Omega-3 fatty acids and contains abundant natural vitamin E, making it a true health oil. The fatty acids in camelina oil keep the skin moisturized and reduce inflammation. In our solid shampoo, camelina oil treats and nourishes dry and flaky scalp. Camelina oil is also found in Honey-Chocolate solid lotion, due to its excellent absorption and skin-caring properties.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a byproduct of honey harvesting. It is obtained when hives are emptied of honey. We use beeswax for its moisture-locking and hardening properties. Beeswax is found in Nallen hunajasaippua (Bear's Honey Soap), Hunaja-suklaa palavoide (Honey-Chocolate Solid Lotion), and Silkkitipun palahoitoaine (Silkie's Solid Conditioner).
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer for skin and hair. Its ability to remove dead skin cells and dirt from the skin should also be mentioned. It also tightens the skin, and its antioxidants can make even older skin appear younger. Coconut oil is a mild oil and is also suitable for sensitive skin. We use coconut oil in all our solid soaps and solid lotions.
Olive oil
Olive oil has been used in soap making for thousands of years. It remains the most popular soap oil; it helps us achieve a moisturizing and creamy lather in our soaps. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E. It nourishes, cleanses, moisturizes, and protects the skin from environmental free radicals.
Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat with a creamy and chocolatey scent. It is a hard fat at room temperature, and we use it in our soap recipes to add hardness to the soap alongside coconut oil. We also use cocoa butter in Silkkitipun conditioner bar and Honey-Chocolate lotion bar, and we love its natural chocolate scent. Cocoa butter locks soft moisture into the skin and hair.
Shea butter
Natural shea butter, or shea tree butter, is one of the most popular cosmetic ingredients. Shea butter is full of natural vitamins (A, E, F) and antioxidants. Perhaps our most popular product is Pure Shea Butter, which is an unscented and additive-free product that maximally moisturizes the skin. We use unrefined shea butter in Carrot-Oat face soap and Honey-Chocolate lotion bar.
Read more about the wonderful effects of Shea butter on your skin in our blog.
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil has researched effects in skin and hair care. Jojoba oil is rich in vitamins C, B, E, as well as copper and zinc. It moisturizes and nourishes the skin. For hair, it adds strength and nutrients. We use Jojoba oil in Silkkitipun conditioner bar and honey-chocolate lotion bar.
Castor oil
We use a small amount of castor oil in our soaps for its excellent lathering properties. Castor oil also has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties for the skin. Castor oil is also found in Silkkitipun solid shampoo, Nockoinen solid shampoo, and Calming-Bar animal solid shampoo. Castor oil has abundant moisturizing properties for hair and scalp.
Other ingredients we use:
Salpausselkä groundwater
Finnish water is world-renowned. We are proud to say that the water used in our soap manufacturing process is the purest possible groundwater from Salpausselkä. Water is a unique and wonderful natural resource for us Finns. Let's enjoy it.
Carrot
We add carrots grown in Elsan Ekopaja's garden to our Carrot-Oat face soap. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, antioxidants, and vitamin C. Carrot soap brightens skin tone.
Read more in our blog about the skin-brightening anti-ageing effects of carrots on the skin.
Domestic oats
We add ground organic oat flakes to our face soap. Oats make the soap pleasantly foamy and exfoliating. Oats are beneficial for the skin both externally and internally. Oats are rich in fat and beta-glucan, which, among other things, protects the skin, locks moisture into the skin, acts as a prebiotic, fights bacteria, and penetrates deep skin layers to combat wrinkles.
Calendula
Calendula has been used medicinally since the 12th century. It has truly skin-soothing properties. We grow calendula ourselves in Ekopaja's garden and collect the fresh flowers, dry them in the warmth of the sauna, and store the petals for our soap. You can find calendula in our Keijukaisen Calendula Soap, which is suitable for everyone from babies to grandfathers as a very nourishing and natural soap.
Organic goat's milk
Goat's milk has a long tradition in soap making, and for good reason. Our goat's milk soaps, Mamman Mansikkamaito (Mom's Strawberry Milk) and Mimmi-kutun Maitosaippua (Mimmi the Goat's Milk Soap), are true luxuries for the skin, thanks to their gentle lather and nourishing properties. We use domestic organic goat's milk in our soaps.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk makes the soap's consistency wonderfully creamy and nourishing. Coconut milk leaves plenty of fat in the soap, which moisturizes and cares for the skin.
Coconut milk is added to the salt soaps Avanto and Kumpeli, as well as the Mustikkametsä solid soap and Nallen hunajasaippua (Bear's Honey Soap).
Organic beer
Some like the taste of beer, but we like how wonderfully beer makes hair shiny. Our shampoo bars Silkkitipu and Nockoinen, as well as the animal shampoo bar Calming bar, contain domestic organic beer. Beer improves washing results, adding shine and manageability to hair. Our beer comes directly from the producer, Karvilan Panimo.
Sea salt
We use a small amount of sea salt in all our soaps for a better solid soap consistency. The salt soaps Avanto and Kumpeli contain significantly more sea salt. Salt soaps have excellent properties in skin care. Salt disinfects, treats, and draws moisture into the skin from its deeper layers. Pure sea salt contains minerals and trace elements. They nourish and refresh the skin. The skin becomes soft and elastic.
Pine tar from a pit kiln
Lentiira Terwa produces all the tar we use. In Kainuu, tar is still traditionally burned in a tar pit.
Products containing authentic Lentiira Kiln Tar include:
Pehtoori's Tar Beer Solid Shampoo
Pine tar has been used in folk medicine for over 2000 years. It has skin-regenerating properties, alleviates skin inflammation, and naturally repels bacteria and fungi. That's why it's an excellent and natural product for various skin irritations and dryness.
Silkie Hen Egg
Silkie chickens live in Elsan Ekopaja's backyard. They are tame and curious by nature. The Silkie chickens' job is to lay valuable Silkie eggs. The egg yolk serves as one of the ingredients in Silkkitipun Solid Shampoo. The yolk contains abundant keratin, which conditions hair fibers. That's why Silkkitipun Solid Shampoo leaves hair so soft and strong.
Domestic Potato Starch
Some of our soaps and body lotion bars contain domestic potato starch. Potato starch makes the lather creamier and partly replaces the properties of palm oil. In the Honey Chocolate Lotion Bar, potato starch reduces the greasiness of the lotion.
Colors
We use only natural colorants in our soaps. Turmeric, colored kaolin clay, activated charcoal, and cosmetic-approved mineral pigments bring color to our soaps. Natural colors are also provided by carrots and marigolds. We hope that the cheerful colors bring joy to your washing moments.
Scents
During the product development phase, we noticed that scents play a really significant role in soaps. When we offered guests or our children a tray with different soap bars, what was the first movement? The soap was picked up and sniffed!
We wanted the soaps to smell pleasant and familiar. We have chosen both essential oils and allergen-free fragrance oils within possibilities. Our range also includes unscented options. The packaging is designed so that the soap can be seen and sniffed through a butterfly-shaped hole.
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