Life

Organic soap range fights back against dry weather

By Li Jiabao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-29 07:57

The soaps at Organic Earth are formed slowly at a low temperature to preserve the ingredients. Photos provided to China Daily

As the capital's winter weather continues to turn supple skin into something resembling paper, experienced locals are slapping on moisturizers and face packs in a frenzy.

Most cosmetics are known for containing as many natural ingredients as artificial ones, so it is comforting to find brand names that provide a pure alternative.

Organic Earth, a Beijing-based Canadian company, specializes in organic facial creams and body wash lotions.

The soaps produced at Organic Earth are also manufactured at a much lower temperatures than normal - 50 C over one month instead of most factories which cook at 90-120 C for just 20 minutes - to preserve the active ingredients.

The regular line of products on offer includes softening bath creams, skin serums, as well as baby and maternity care products.

Organic Earth has also a range that is intended to tackle the seasonal chills, such as their Organic Cold Crafted Soap.

The soap has natural honey and oats added to remove patches of dry skin.

"It feels like silk," said Darren Moore, owner of the Organic Earth.

Moore, who has been in Beijing for 14 years, is one of the major players in the capital's organic skin-care market.

The 45-year-old Canadian, who graduated from the University of Waterloo with a major in biochemistry, has a clear business plan.

He mainly targets female customers aged between 25 and 40 in the country's growing middle class.

"I began using the products, including the soap, at the beginning of last year," Li Dan, a female customer who used to work for Apple Computer Inc.

"I also bought the butter product for my mother who is more than 70 years old. Her hands become damaged whenever she touches water in the winter time, but the butter helps a lot."

In addition to the local market, Moore's products are exported to 35 countries and regions around the world, including the US, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Moore said his philosophy behind making organic products stems from a reflection on life.

"Beauty comes from within and everyone is born beautiful," he said.

He said when people are young, the body is strong enough to repair itself. However, when they get older, the repair work has to be done manually.

"Everyone gets old, but we can slow the process by eating natural food and using organic products," Moore said.

This outlook is more than just a business model for Moore, it is the way he runs his family. He lives with his Chinese wife and young daughter close to their factory in Tongzhou district.

"The craft is more like a farm," he said. "We raise organic animals and grow organic vegetables like cucumber, tomato and beans. All the vegetables we eat are planted by ourselves."

Though the company has only three stores in the city, Moore said the small presence is intentional.

"We are private and we are profitable," he said.