Senteurs d'Orient: Magic Soaps

The Lebanese brand, founded by Hana Akkari, is known all over the large cities and has gained a place in the demanding area of niche cosmetics.

The story

"We created Senteurs d'Orient with the aim of launching a Middle Eastern luxury brand that will show the world an image of our region that's different from the one that's unfortunately too often found in the media. Senteurs d'Orient is also a story of women: we hire women at all levels of the company and have created a program with the UNDP for women's education in Lebanon."

The creator

"Senteurs d'Orient is first and foremost a beautiful human story, with each member of the team who has contributed to its launching. My personal history between Japan and Lebanon and my experience of the bathing rituals of the Middle East and the Far East, inspired me throughout the creation of the brand. For example, our packaging is inspired by the art of origami, and our soaps are engraved with arabesque."

Success

"Today, Senteurs d'Orient is expanding internationally, especially in the United States and Japan. Our products are distributed through privileged partners such as Net-a-Porter, specialized shops and pop-ups, like the one we had installed at ABC Achrafieh for the holiday season."

The latest creation

"Our latest creation is the Tasting Box, inspired by chocolate boxes. It's a luxurious box that contains 9 Mini Ma'amoul soaps of different fragrances and shapes. The fragrances, namely Cèdre du Liban, Jasmin d'Arabie or Gardénia Oriental are typically oriental. A nice gift to offer or to buy for yourself."

The quality

"We are very committed to the quality of our products and the know-how of our craftsmen. Our soaps are 100% natural, made by local craftsmen in our workshop in Lebanon and dried in the open air for 10 days before being packed by hand. We use a blend of essential oils and delicate fragrances as well as moisturizing olive oil, vitamin E, shea butter and glycerin. Our fragrances which are inspired by the East are exclusively distilled for Senteurs d'Orient by the Master perfumers of Grasse."