La Saponaria

Natural, organic, and conscious cosmetics, handmade in the Marche region since 2007

Together to make a difference, one shower at a time

La Saponaria: where it all began with a soap

In the gentle hills of Vallefoglia, in the province of Pesaro Urbino, stands the La Saponaria laboratory: a small big world where every day natural, organic and conscious cosmetics, formulated and produced entirely by hand. A company that has made sustainability its compass and which, since 2023, has officially become a Benefit Company —a term that identifies companies that integrate into their bylaws, alongside their economic purpose, a concrete commitment to generating a positive impact on people, communities, and the environment. This philosophy translates into every step of the lab, from recovering ocean plastic to using locally sourced ingredients grown by small farmers in the Marche region.
 
 
 

A story that begins a long time ago: Grandma Gina's tales and the attic of dreams

It all starts in 2002, in an attic of the house, where a very young Luigi — passionate chemist and soap collector since childhood — meets Lucia, a creative soul, a convinced ecologist and animal rights activist. Together, under the complicit gaze of Grandma Gina, guardian of ancient popular knowledge, began to experiment with the first recipes for natural soap based on extra virgin olive oil and essential oils. Peasant tradition and scientific research merged immediately: grandmother's tales of ancient remedies blend with a thirst for experimenting with new, organic ingredients, in an ongoing dialogue between family memories and a vision of the future.
 
 
 

2006: GAS, pioneering crowdfunding, and passion turning into work

On the trail of rare essential oils and lost formulas, Luigi and Lucia arrive at the Pesaro Solidarity Purchasing Group (GAS), where they meet people who, like them, dream of a healthy, genuine lifestyle capable of changing the world through daily choices. It is thanks to the "gasists" that, in 2007, Saponaria becomes reality through one of the first crowdfunding ever held in Italy —when this practice was still virtually unknown. The first workshop was founded with minimal investment, self-constructing furniture and equipment from recycled materials. Among these, the instruments donated by Adriano, an elderly artisan cosmetologist who, closing his shop after a lifetime of work, leaves Luigi and Lucia not only his machines but above all a precious moral legacy.
 
 
 

From 2010 to 2018: ethical supply chain, zero-mile production, and functional cosmetics

In the following years, collaborations were born with kilometer zero with small farmers from the Marche region who cultivate lavender, calendula, sage and extra virgin olive oil without chemistry, and the first successes arrive: the Lemongrass and Mint Scrub with fair trade ingredients, the much-loved Linseed Shampoo, the Le Albicoccole children's line , Argan facial line. Luigi becomes university professor of cosmetology, bringing scientific rigor to the laboratory that translates into formulas that are extremely compatible with all skin types. In 2018, the first Biostories, the single-brand store in Bologna, and collaborations with companies such as Sea Shepherd e Women's Path, marking the opening of La Saponaria to an increasingly social dimension.
 
 
 

2019-2020: The new green building and the plastic-free revolution

In 2019, the company inaugurates the new headquarters in Vallefoglia: an old abandoned warehouse, brought back to life following the precepts of the green building and powered exclusively by 100% renewable energyWith the 2020 pandemic comes the decisive acceleration towards the solid and plastic-free cosmetics: solid shampoos, stick conditioners, solid deodorants, and solid sunscreens are created. For products that must remain liquid, La Saponaria adopts cutting-edge solutions: bioplastic from sugar cane, re-bottle made of post-consumer recycled plastic and — a rare example of courage — plastic recovered from the oceans, cleaned up and brought back to life. The awards are pouring in: BioAwards, EcoPackaging Awards, Organics Clean Award, Growth Leader by Il Sole 24 Ore, Europe's Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times.
 
 

 
 

2023: La Saponaria becomes a Benefit Corporation

In 2023, La Saponaria SRL transforms into La Saponaria SRL Benefit Company: a legal choice that formalizes in the statute the commitment to pursue objectives of common benefit, with measurable and publicly reported annual objectives. This turning point represents not a point of arrival, but a new starting point, accompanied by the motto that guides every decision today: “Together to make a difference, one shower at a time”. Saponaria is today a team of people who, in many cases, have been working together for over a decade — with a rare fidelity to the original values ​​and to a working environment pet friendly, where four-legged friends are at home.
 
 
 

Guiding principles: certification, vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable packaging

Each La Saponaria product is certified organic by CCPB, a third-party body that periodically verifies the entire supply chain, from raw materials to the final formulation. The recipes use zero petrochemical ingredients, are 100% based on components of vegetable origin from organic and sustainable agriculture, and are cruelty-free: no animal testing, in line with European legislation which has banned this practice since 2014. 99% of the range is vegan: the only exception is the legendary Honey & Lavender Soap, produced with honey from an organic beekeeper who cares for his own bees, a conscious choice that enhances the valuable role of beekeepers in protecting an increasingly threatened species.
 
 
 

Why choose La Saponaria

Choosing La Saponaria means much more than buying a cosmetic: it means embracing a holistic vision of beauty, which brings together personal well-being, respect for the skin, ecosystem protection, and social justice. Each formula is the fruit of years of study by the in-house Research & Development department, each package is designed to leave the lightest possible impact on the planet, each ingredient tells a story of ethical supply chains and authentic human relationships. A small daily gesture—a shower, a face cream, a shampoo—that transforms into a revolutionary act, capable of leaving a lasting impression on the world.a little better than we found it".
 
 
 

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