Solid, natural face and body care

Five cold-process soaps, a solid cleansing milk and a deodorant with no bicarbonate and no aluminium. Three steps to replace a whole shelf, handmade in Drôme Provençale.

The routine, in three steps

Cleanse, wash, deodorise. Nothing else.

The average bathroom holds eleven face and body products. Three are enough, provided they are chosen for your skin rather than for the promise printed on the bottle.

The reflex that makes it worseWhen skin shines, we strip it. It compensates by producing more sebum, and the loop closes. This is as true of the face as of the scalp.
What worksA superfatted soap that cleanses without stripping the hydrolipidic film, and a clay chosen to match the skin: red for combination, charcoal for blemish-prone.

One soap per skin type

Five cold-process soaps, five skins. The choice comes down to what your skin does by the end of the day, not what it is supposed to be.

Activated charcoal soap bar for oily and combination skin | ELIXIR

"My skin shines and marks easily"

Elixir

Activated charcoal from coconut shell and peppermint essential oil. It captures excess sebum and leaves skin feeling clear.

Discover →
Red clay soap bar for combination and oily skin | AMARATERRA

"Oily T-zone, dry cheeks"

Amaraterra

Red and white clay, palmarosa and eucalyptus. It rebalances combination skin without drying the areas that do not need it.

Discover →
Fragrance-free soap bar for sensitive skin and babies | CLAIR DE LUNE

"Everything stings, even gentle products"

Clair de Lune

No fragrance, no essential oils, no allergens. Shea butter, oat water and sweet almond oil. Suitable from birth.

Discover →

The table that stops you choosing wrong

Your skinThe soapThe active that does the work
Oily, blemish-proneElixirActivated charcoal and peppermint
CombinationAmaraterraDouble clay, red and white
Sensitive, reactive, babiesClair de LuneShea and oat water, fragrance-free
Dull, dry, in winterGrenadaCarrot macerate and apricot oil
Normal, in need of smoothingNostalgiaGrape seed and AOP lavender, once or twice a week

Solid cleansing, without cotton pads

Éclipse is a cleansing milk in bar form: it melts on contact with skin and works on waterproof make-up. Here is how to use it the first time.

  1. Dampen your face, then the bar. Both, otherwise nothing turns into milk.
  2. Glide the bar straight onto the skin, eyelids included. The rounded shape is made for the eye area.
  3. Massage with your fingertips: make-up dissolves into the milk, waterproof included.
  4. Rinse with clear water. No double cleanse, no cotton pads, nothing to throw away.
The third step

A deodorant without bicarbonate, and why it matters

Most natural deodorants rely on bicarbonate of soda. It works, but its high pH irritates one skin in three, especially after shaving. Underarm redness almost never comes from anything else.

Ours is built on magnesium hydroxide and triethyl citrate, which neutralise odour without that aggressive pH. No aluminium, no bicarbonate, and it does not block perspiration: it stops the smell, not the body from doing its job.

How long before you see anything?

Allow four to eight weeks to judge a soap on oily or combination skin. That is how long the hydrolipidic film needs to rebuild once you stop stripping it twice a day.

A soap is a hygiene cosmetic, not a treatment. If you have a persistent condition, speak to a dermatologist: there is nothing to gain from waiting.

Federica, Sternartica

Federica

Founder, Sternartica

I make these soaps by cold process, in small batches, pouring them one at a time. Cold saponification keeps the glycerine the reaction produces: that is what stops an artisan soap from tightening the skin.

Frequently asked questions

Oily skin, sensitive skin, cleansing: the three that come up.

Which soap for oily skin?
Elixir, with activated charcoal, if skin shines and marks easily. Amaraterra, with red clay, if it is oily on the T-zone and normal elsewhere. Both are superfatted: they cleanse without stripping, which avoids the rebound effect.
Can you use a soap on your face?
Yes, if it is superfatted and cold-processed. It is the superfat, the share of oil not turned into soap, that leaves the protective film in place. An industrial degreasing soap has no business on a face.
What is the difference between cold process and industrial soap?
Cold process works without heat and keeps the glycerine the reaction creates, plus a share of unsaponified oils. Industry heats the paste and removes the glycerine to sell it elsewhere: what is left is effective but drying.
How does a solid cleansing milk work?
The bar melts on contact with damp skin and turns into milk. You glide it over the face and eyelids, massage, rinse. It dissolves waterproof make-up with no cotton pads and no double cleanse.
Does Éclipse sting the eyes?
No. It is fragrance-free and allergen-free, and its rounded shape is designed for the eye contour. That is precisely why it exists.
How long does a solid cleansing milk last?
Up to four months with daily use, for a 40 g bar. As with soap, lifespan depends mostly on drying between uses.
Why a deodorant without bicarbonate?
Because bicarbonate has a high pH that irritates one skin in three, especially after shaving. Ours uses magnesium hydroxide and triethyl citrate, which neutralise odour without that harshness.
Does the deodorant stain clothes?
No, it contains neither aluminium salts nor greasy compounds that yellow fabric. Apply to clean, dry skin, one or two passes, without overdoing it.
Does it block perspiration?
No, and that is deliberate. A deodorant acts on the bacteria that cause odour; an antiperspirant blocks pores. We chose the former.
Which soap during pregnancy or for a baby?
Clair de Lune, with no fragrance and no essential oils, is suitable from birth and during pregnancy. The deodorant also comes in a fragrance-free, essential-oil-free version.
Do your soaps contain palm oil?
No. The fats used are olive, coconut, shea, castor, cocoa and, depending on the recipe, hazelnut, apricot or grape seed.
How long before judging a soap on oily skin?
Four to eight weeks. That is how long the hydrolipidic film takes to rebuild once you stop stripping the skin twice a day.
Can a soap replace shower gel?
Yes, entirely, and a 100 g bar replaces about two bottles. No water to ship, no plastic, and an ingredient list that fits on one line.
How do you make a soap last longer?
Take it out of the water and let it dry between showers, on something that drains. It is standing water, not use, that melts a bar.

  • 📦 Livraison offerte 📦

    à partir de 40 € en Union Européenne

  • 🫶 Soins faits main 🫶

    Dans notre laboratoire en Provence

  • 🎁 Un cadeau 🎁

    Se glisse dans chaque commande