Undisputed main protagonist of our soap is the "liquid gold" as Homer called it, prime organic extra virgin olive oil, rich in many nutrients and antioxidant properties for the skin.
Following ancestral traditions, we use the noblest raw material for “saponification” so to obtain a highly moisturizing and emollient soap.
A high proportion of extra virgin olive oil used in our basic dough such as 80 % for the solid soap and 90 % for the liquid soap. Such a proportion is a distinctive feature to our Officine Villadorata products .
Officine Villadorata soap is entirely handmade throughout the process. For saponification, we only make use of prime organic extra virgin olive oil fresh from the crusher (80%), sustainable agriculture coconut oil (20%) which gives the right foaming, and some native natural plants and products indigenous to Sicily to constitutes the scents and perfumes, true treasure of our island.
Officine Villadorata soap contains no synthetic chemical or preservatives and no test is performed on animals. We use only natural top quality ingredients. After a long period of maturation, at least 60 days, soap is ready to be wrapped and sealed by hand, one by one, before leaving the craft workshop and going to tell its story.
For Mediterranean people, olive oil has always been more
than just food, but a magic potion and a source of richness
and power. Olive tree is a sacred symbol of wealth and
peace, and its oil gives strength and youth. Since ancient
times it has been mixed with flowers and herbs to create
potions and ointments.
Olive oil is rich in polyunsaturated
fats and substances that are similar to skin sebum.
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In Sicily, almond tree found a perfect habitat, especially in the Val di Noto, between Syracuse and Ragusa. A distinctive variety, famous all over the world is grown in this region. The almonds are handpicked in the early hours of hot August days, and then placed onto white sheets to slowly dry in the sun. The thick and woody shell of this variety preserves the fruit’s ample quantity of vegetable fats and essential oils. This is nature’s way of protecting flavour and delicate scent. Shop Online
Pumice stone is the symbol of Lipari Island, where white quarries overlook the sea. A distinction of this volcanic stone is its porosity. This trait allows it to float in water and gives it stunning purifying and soothing cosmetic properties. It is manually gathered and screened to preserve the purity and brightness. This ingredient is highly prized due to its high silica content, its volcanic origin and a uniquely bright colour. Shop Online
Stromboli Island, a savage and ancestral pearl of the Aeolian Archipelago, was formed by one of earth’s most active volcanoes. We carefully collect and sift the sundried lava powder that flows toward the sea. The lava is rich in silica and water, making it light and viscous. This way it becomes a perfect ingredient for a naturally invigorating and mineralizing scrub. Shop Online
For every Sicilian, the scent of orange blossom recalls sensations between real and unreal; between events past and those only hoped-for. It is the scent of Sicily – the Sicilians’ flower, and the flower of those who love this island. A constant breath rises from the orchards, inebriating body and mind. It suddenly enfolds you, melds the delicate sensation of perfumes with the artistic joy of the mind, plunges you into a soothing well-being and a sense of happiness. Shop Online
The carob tree is another symbol of Sicily. Widespread in the Modica area, it creates an evergreen landscape. The cosmetic use of it is not well known, though the hand ground carob flour has excellent moisturizing, regenerative and smoothing qualities. Carob seeds, hard like horn and with uniform mass, were called ‘carats’, and were used as counterweight for precious stones. Hence, the term carat that we still use today. Shop Online
Caper picking is still difficult today, and involves an almost sacred ritual that begins at dawn, when the buds are carefully handpicked one by one. Since antiquity, caper buds have been renowned for their healthful properties. Even then, they were used in antiaging potions. Combining them with extra virgin olive oil strengthens their anti-oxidant, healing and protective virtues. Shop Online
Manually grown on the narrow and steep ledges typical of Etna’s landscape, pumice pressed from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids. These anti-oxidants counter the free radicals that cause skin aging. It is Etna’s sandy and volcanic land that supplies the valuable minerals, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, found in the grape pumice. Shop Online
The Ragusa donkey breed has been saved from extinction and brought back to the farms. Ragusa donkey milk is obtained by hand milking, respecting the natural reproduction cycle. It has important nutritional characteristics as food and cosmetic. Its fatty acids and vitamins protect and renew the skin, with an anti-aging action, while specific anti-microbial enzymes perform an anti-inflammatory function on the skin. Shop Online
Prickly pear is a highly versatile, multipurpose plant that loves the arid and volcanic soils found in Sicily. There, it has become an iconic plant. The flour obtained from its sun-dried pads is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it an excellent cosmetic ingredient. From the earliest of times, popular tradition praised the plant’s anti-inflammatory, soothing and protective properties. Shop Online