Born out of co-owner Carlo's history with the natural and organic retail industry, and a desire to create products made with healthy ingredients that work, Sapovela was developed by Carlo and Mike in late 2014, in Houston, Texas. When Carlo moved to Lafayette for work, the company became settled here.
Sapovela focuses on creating soaps, body oils, room spray air fresheners and paste deodorants with healthy, natural ingredients. After continuous research, they developed safe body product formulas that anyone can use without any worries. The small business also makes toothpaste and balms by hand.
Carlo and Mike work as a team - Mike makes all of the soaps while Carlo makes the deodorant, room spray and body oil, and Carlo is the face at the farmers market each week.
I've become more conscious of the ingredients in my bath products, switching out items as I research the alternatives. I'm a big fan of Dr. Bronner's shave soap, and recently switched to their body lotion as well. But finding an affordable and local option for products is even better.
"Mike and I use the best and cleanest ingredients we can find around," Carlo says. "Our main ingredients are definitely oils such as carrier oils, essential oils and phthalate-free fragrance oils. We also work with lots of rich organic butters like cocoa and shea, and micas which are mineral pigments to add color helping us keep our products as safe and as natural as possible and still look beautiful."
Earlier this year, after I featured Sapovela in my Mother's Day gift guide, Carlo sent me a bar of Mer Bleue soap and Lavender Mint body oil as a thank you gift. The bar of soap is long gone in my bathroom, and the body oil has been heavenly after I shave. My skin feels extra moisturized even the next day, and I'm excited to see how it fares in the lower humidity seasons too.
If you're a fan of farmer's market shopping, you've probably seen Sapovela at the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market almost every Saturday. If you're a fan of online shopping, head over to their Etsy shop to get your fix.
When I visited the booth this past Saturday, Carlo had a fan set out to keep the soaps cool in the August Louisiana heat, but it also served as an effective marketing method. Shoppers would stop by the table to say they could smell the scented soaps from the other end of the market.
All products work well for those with sensitive skin, because there are no harsh chemicals used as ingredients. All products are free of phthalates, GMOs, artificial colors, tallow and animal ingredients in general. They don't use palm or palm kernel oil, aluminum, sodium laureth sulfate or fluoride.
Above all, Carlo notes, "Sapovela is a small local business that makes plant-based soaps and skin care products but also it is a place where we strongly believe that safe, natural and quality skin care can be affordable to everyone."
And to answer the real hard-hitting questions, Carlo's personal favorite product is Tobacco Caramel Body Oil, and his favorite soap scent is Lemongrass.
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