Crafting Natural Soap with Énamour

To dive into the world of Énamour products is to fall in love. Designed for the whole family, Marie Custeau's soaps are 100 per cent natural and plant-based. Her next mission? Create the perfect mosquito repellent, so we can better enjoy our time in the woods.

Text — Léa Beauchesne
Photos — Eliane Cadieux & Content Content

Marie Custeau found her inspiration for Énamour at her bathroom sink. Absent-mindedly brushing her teeth, she began to contemplate her children’s soap: the garish packaging, the potentially harmful ingredients, just an overall bad product. So the artisan-to-be began researching soap, a process that led her to create skin-care products “that are as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside.” Today, Énamour products use all-natural plant-based ingredients, and she reinvests a percentage of the profits into the community. We spoke with Marie to find out more about the mission that drives her to create such beautiful soaps.

Marie, what is special about Énamour products?

I wanted to create a brand for families with products that have as many uses as possible. Instead of having marketing people tell us, “You’re a baby, you use this specific cream,” I wanted to combine the needs for young and old. It’s true that, for example, pH differences exist, but lots of products are appropriate for everyone. The idea behind the slogan “minimalist skin care for families” is to have the least number of products with the least number of ingredients of the highest quality possible.

What is minimalist consumption in your opinion?

Far be it from me to judge anyone’s choices. Everyone has their own reality, their daily life. However, I think that ideas that advocate consuming in a different way make sense. Consume better, consume less. That really resonates with me.

I’m also deeply attracted to the idea of being surrounded by objects that please me. Art, books, or anything else. We can’t live completely frugally, it’s not realistic.

We can, however, make more conscientious choices than just consuming to fill a void. Do I really need to eat out tonight or have a drink with my friends? Well, yes! [laughs] But do I really need the things that will end up in the donation box?

How did you decide on an anti-mosquito soap?

As a team, we discussed tree essences, then thought it would be interesting to use ingredients that come from the area where the BESIDE Cabins are located. We brainstormed many different ideas: an exfoliant, a cream. Ultimately we decided that an anti-mosquito soap would be a perfect fit with the Lanaudière region where the project is situated. After testing different colours, scents, and designs, we ended up with a product that fits very well with what Énamour does but also perfectly complements the vision of BESIDE.

We wanted the soap to represent the environment in which we use it.

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Natural Saponification Between
BESIDE and Fabrique 1840

The perfect ingredients for an all-natural soap: the creative spirit of the BESIDE and Fabrique 1840 teams combined with the know-how and excellent taste of Énamour. The essential oils of white spruce, bergamot, and lemon eucalyptus gently blend with the other all-natural soap ingredients with no added colour. Once the saponification (the chemical reaction that produces soap) magic happens, the mixture is poured into moulds. A score along the middle of the soap makes it easier to separate it into two bars to extend its use. The handcrafted soap is set on a drying rack for four weeks, where it attains the ideal pH for the skin.

Each soap holds the scents and fresh air of the Lanaudière forest.

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Énamour x BESIDE Soap

This handmade soap enchants with its scents of white spruce, bergamot, and lemon eucalyptus. Strong enough to naturally repel mosquitoes during your walks in the forest, yet soft enough to use daily. With ingredients such as olive oil and coconut oil, this soap will soothe your skin in all seasons.

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