These days we seem to be inundated with skincare and cosmetic brands touting the ‘natural’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘organic’ labels in a bid to make us as buyers feel we are spending our money responsibly. Unfortunately, most of these brands do the bare minimum to get these accreditations. They want to satisfy growing customer demand, but don’t actually fully embrace the ethos behind these labels, usually because it is expensive to do so.
Jabón de Mallorca most definitely does not fall into this group. In fact, this small Mallorcan cosmetics company goes to great pains to ensure their handmade products are 100% natural, organic, plastic free, and made entirely local, from the ingredients and production, to label printing and packaging design.
Mallorcan & French Origins
The duo behind Jabon de Mallorca is husband and wife team, Joaquin Pourqué and Rose Castaner. Rose’s family is originally from Sóller, but her grandfather emigrated to France where she was born, and where she later met Joaquin. The connection between Sóller and France has a long history, through exportation of the famous high quality Sóller oranges and lemons many years ago which were considered exotic fruits. The couple decided to move back to Rose’s roots in Sóller, and now reside in her great grandfathers finca. The land has many citrus trees including lemons, clementines and oranges, and the spectacular Sóller backdrop of the Tramuntana mountains was an inspiration to Joaquin. He decided he wanted a change of pace in life from working in the hotel industry, and wanted to make something by hand from Mallorca, using local natural, raw materials.
From Soaps to Oils and More
Joaquin began Jabón de Mallorca 4 years ago, with the first product being soaps. He produced the soaps using the cold saponification method, ensuring they were all 100% natural with no preservatives, sulphates, silicones, or parabens. The combination of virgin olive oil, cold pressed in Sóller, clay powders and organic essential oils produces soaps that are high quality, ultra-rich, moisturizing, hydrating and gentle. Everything is produced by hand by Joaquin with assistance from Rose.
Joaquin enjoys the process so much he looks for new products to create each year to expand the brand. The luxurious body oils are made with a base of local cold pressed organic almond oil and scented with essential oils. The unique solid shampoo bar is made from virgin olive oil, organic shea butter, green clay, rosemary and lemon. Organic coconut and castor oil make the shampoo foam without the need for damaging foaming agents. This means the bar is also environmentally friendly for our waterways.
The latest offering, a range of perfumes, are the first 100% natural and organic perfumes of Mallorca. All the scents are locally inspired – such as orange, pine, rosemary and lavender. The perfumes are simply comprised of essential oil and organic alcohol (pure alcohol without denaturation which has preservatives). Joaquin also makes pure essential oils, distilled in copper onsite in Sóller.
Strict Standards
All Jabón de Mallorca products are 100% natural, vegan, paraben and EDTA free, with no artificial colourings, preservatives, foaming agents, sulphates, synthetic fragrances, additives or palm oil. They have just been awarded the SLOW COSMETIQUE® label by the Franco-Belgian association SLOW COSMETIQUE, which campaigns for more traditional, healthier and more ecological cosmetics.
They have also received the NATURAL certification from the Spanish Association for Organic and Natural Cosmetic Products (ACENE). Jabón de Mallorca is the first and only company on the Balearic Islands to receive this distinction. This certification acknowledges the work undertaken and is an endorsement of quality, environmental respect and the use of natural ingredients in the cosmetic products it makes.
Unlike larger cosmetic brands, Joaquin is also very wary of ingredients that may be possible endocrine disruptors (chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems at certain doses) and will not use these potentially harmful substances in his products to ensure they are always safe and healthy to use.
Where you can Find Jabón de Mallorca
The beautiful Jabón de Mallorca range can be found at the markets in Sóller, via their website online and at selected boutique shops. You can view their stockists here. The products are also stocked in some of the small eco conscious boutique hotels on the island.
What’s Next for Jabón de Mallorca?
Keep an eye out for their latest offering – the natural hand soap Es Saboner which Joaquin created as a direct response to Covid-19 and the need for an ultra-rich yet mild soap perfect for frequent use during these times.
Joaquin is excited to be working on a range of lip balms, due for release in the not too distant future. He is also holding distillation workshops onsite at Jabón de Mallorca in Sóller, where participants can go into the mountains to collect plants such as rosemary and lavender which they will then distil into essential oils to take home. It is a very unique and authentic local experience, which holds very true to the Jabón de Mallorca brand.
Upcoming distillation workshops: Wednesday 22nd July, 5th and 19th August at 8pm by reservation.
JABON DE MALLORCA
Jabondemallorca.com
Avinguda d’Asturies, 28 – 07100 Sóller
