The sustainable story behind our new Bergamot & Cardamom Exfoliating Soap - With Saboon Alee, luxury organic soap maker
To develop our NEW Bergamot & Cardamom Exfoliating Soap for hands and body, we have collaborated with British luxury organic handmade soap brand, Saboon Alee.
Founded by father and daughter duo, Ali El-Rasheed and Shazza Ali, Saboon Alee is a family-run business based in London that offers a range of luxurious organic handmade soap. Each soap is carefully formulated and hand-crafted using the finest organic and sustainably sourced oils, mineral clays and plant-based dyes.
Nourish London’s New Bergamot & Cardamom Exfoliating Soap is expertly formulated and handmade using nourishing plant-based cleansers and sweet almond shell powder to gently exfoliate and cleanse the skin. Blended with skin conditioning Shea Butter, invigorating Bergamot and warming Cardamom Essential Oils, this luxurious vegan exfoliating soap will leave your skin feeling refreshed, smooth and beautifully fragranced.
Ali’s knowledge and passion for traditional skincare methods are deep-rooted. He would often tell his daughter Shazza stories about how he used to watch his Grandmother make handmade Neem soap in his home country of Sudan, and how the women in his family would use fragrant blends of oils and incense to cleanse and beautify themselves. When Ali moved to the UK, he started working at Neal’s Yard Remedies and continued to do so for over 20 years.
During this period, Ali had been developing his own style, drawing on traditional Sudanese methods and contemporary training, such as in artisan soap making in Saint-Privat, in Southern France, with the aim of producing high quality soap, using the finest sustainably sourced ingredients.
His daughter Shazza noticed the passion and the pride that Ali put into his work, and how he combined oils so effortlessly to create beautiful bars of handcrafted soap. Shazza was inspired by Ali's vision and determined to showcase his talent to a wider audience, to give everyone the opportunity to try Ali's treasured soap. Whilst studying for a PhD in Psychology, Shazza decided to enrol on an Enterprise course run by The Prince’s Trust and join the family business.
The company has grown from strength to strength since it launched in 2014. The company originally started selling their range of organic handmade soaps at Penny, Herne Hill and Spitalfields Market in London. The brand soon gained a cult following and is now sold in independent shops in London and the South England, as well as being available to buy online at saboonalee.co.uk.
“Soap bars are definitely making a comeback. We aim to be as ethical and zero-waste as possible - we use sustainable ingredients and wrap our bars in plastic-free packaging. Bars like ours are multi-use and are suitable for use on the hands, body and face. They are extremely long-lasting, great for travelling too, and so they are perfect for those trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.” says Shazza Ali.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with Nourish London as they are a like-minded company, who care about wellness and producing good quality skincare products. Ali has known and worked with Dr Pauline Hili for a very long time and he admires her knowledge and appreciates her helpful nature. We believe that the Saboon Alee x Nourish London collaboration is a perfect match.”
Dr Pauline Hili, founder of Nourish London adds: “Ali El-Rasheed is a great craftsman and soap maker, always putting quality above anything else. The collaboration between Nourish London and Saboon Alee is the culmination of a 30 year friendship and a celebration of making great organic skin care.”