Weekly blog, Elsa's Eco Workshop news no. 1.

Mari and Jenni from Elsan Ekopaja decided to make things easier and record their news on video. Little did Mari know that the same story would still have to be written here on Elsan Ekopaja's blog...

Watch the video on YouTube:

Welcome to enjoy our new concept. We will now regularly share current news via our YouTube channel as well.

Elsan Ekopaja's tar products became very topical again through our new product, Forest Balm tar ointment! So let's dissect tar as a cosmetic ingredient, its wonderful properties and effects on the skin.

Elsan Ekopaja's first tar product was created thanks to Mari's beloved husband, Pekka. Mari herself wasn't a tar lover, although she has since become very fond of that black goo and its smell. Pekka insisted on including tar soap in product development, but the beginning was not exactly a bed of roses, but rather like drinking tar. Modifying tar into soap is not for the faint of heart! We are still amazed by its capricious nature and quickly learned that one must be as precise as a carrot with tar if one wants to create anything other than a vague and separated layer of goo.

How many know where the name, Pehtoori's tar soap, originated?

During the golden age of tar, it was widely produced in the Ostrobothnia and Kainuu regions. Tar was mainly used as a wood preservative, for example, on ships and roofs. The quality of tar was inspected by the Pehtoori, through whose strict scrutiny only the best quality tar passed. Today, the tar burner Topi himself, the producer of Lentiira tar, acts as the Pehtoori. The tar for the tar soap thus comes from Kainuu, from the tar village of Lentiira.

Pehtoori's tar soap has become an absolute favorite product for many. The effect of tar on the skin is particularly soothing. Because the tar soap recipe has been honed to perfection, it also has therapeutic effects on inflamed and eczematous skin. It is perfectly suited for daily use by those with psoriasis as well as those suffering from atopic dermatitis.

After Pehtoori's tar soap, we spent a long time developing Pehtoori's tar-beer solid shampoo. Finally, we found the perfect composition and were able to launch the product. A test group, consisting solely of people suffering from severe scalp problems, was involved in the product development of the tar-beer solid shampoo. We expected their feedback after a few months of use, but already in the first week, we started receiving messages from them saying, "Put this product on sale immediately, I'm never going to wash my hair with anything else again!"

In the video, Mikko shares his experience; since starting to use tar-beer solid shampoo, he has completely stopped using cortisone because his scalp is healthy and his hair is clean and thick. In the video, we also tell about our customer's husband, who received tar shampoo from his wife. He suffered from long-term dandruff, for which he had tried everything. After three washes, the dandruff was completely gone!

Our third tar product was developed together with outdoor enthusiast Joppe Ranta. The Forest Wash Bar is a perfect addition to our Forest Bath product line, designed for light hiking. It contains, among other things, smoked spruce shoot beer. With this small bar, you can survive even longer hikes, as it can be used for both hair and full-body cleansing. An additional effect is that after washing, mosquitoes will detest you, so you can enjoy peace from little friends.

On August 1st, after a long, long product development period, Forest Balm tar ointment was launched! Test products were already available at the Riihimäki International Outdoor Fair, and even then, this little savior received a wonderful reception.

Tar ointment is a 3-in-1 product. It helps to:

1. Treat mosquito, blackfly, horsefly, and wasp stings, instantly relieving itching and heat.

2. Repel mosquitoes and deer flies. Apply tar ointment like a forest perfume before entering the forest and enjoy the silence and peace.

3. Speed up the healing of wounds and scratches and reduce itching. Abrasions and wounds won't get badly infected if you protect them with tar ointment.

Schools and hobbies have started!

Fundraising is now relevant!

Therefore, it is a matter of honor for us to enable class trips, equipment purchases, and game trips in a financially and environmentally responsible way. Elsan Ekopaja's fundraising products were under the gentle care of Pilkkoset fundraising for a year, but now the business is back in our own hands, and you can conduct your fundraising directly with us, the manufacturers! As intermediaries were removed, all parties benefit more: both groups and purchasing customers.

But a word of caution: Since we work only as a duo, we can only take a very limited number of groups!

In August, only 10 groups can start,

In September, only 10 groups!

Towards Christmas, we will re-evaluate our resources, but the autumn starts cautiously.

Groups are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to act fast now! Instructions for starting and all other information can be found at:

https://www.elsanekopaja.fi/pages/varainhankinta

Soaps are really fun to sell, and the number one product for fundraising is definitely Treat Day Soap, which was developed during the corona era when parents struggled with the difficulty of children washing their hands and the challenges of motivation.

Branded soap is a special and responsible memento!

Minimum order only 20 pieces!

Branded soap is a wonderful idea for, among other things:

-Gifts from cities/municipalities

-Company Christmas gifts for employees

-Great gift ideas for event producers

-Weddings, anniversaries... what a wonderful memory

-Unique Christmas gifts for relatives, perhaps with a family photo.....

For orders under 200 pieces, you can use our pre-produced branded soaps, which come in versatile metal tins. A sticker is designed for the lid of the tins, making the soap look just like you or your company.

You have three wonderful options to choose from:

A black ice hockey-shaped shower soap that can effectively wash hair, face, and body.

A white snowball-like salt soap that effectively removes body odor and cools the body during washing with peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils.

Globe soap, a wonderful coconut milk soap that smells of blueberries and conifers.

The selection expands when your needs exceed 200 pieces. In this case, we can also add a stamp to the soap, and the box can be designed, for example, from recyclable cardboard. An example of this is the Tuska soap created for the 2024 Tuska festival.

Read more about branded soaps here:

https://www.elsanekopaja.fi/pages/brandisaippuat

Watch the weekly letter video on Youtube:

What did you think of this info letter? Would you like to read/watch more of these? What topics would you like more in-depth information on? Would you like to learn more about soap making, soap chemistry, or a specific product group? Please write a comment or send us an email at puoti@elsanekopaja.fi.

Best regards,

Mari and Jenni.