Latika owners Mazzi and Erez Peled (Credit: Batch Austin)
There is a place in Austin that will leave you feeling fresh and renewed. On a recent Sunday afternoon, warm smiles and the scent of honey and almonds greeted me and my daughter as we entered Latika Body Essentials. The inspiration for the trip: soap!
The couple behind Latika exude a healthy glow. It helps that beautiful skin is practically a birth right in their home country, Israel. But it isn’t fair to give all the accolades to their country. Mazzi and Erez have made it their passion to pamper their skin and educate others on the benefits of natural ingredients. They’re beaming from head to toe, and their passion for their soap is infectious!
Getting Creative and Clean with Soap
Latika’s skincare and bath products (Credit: Erez Peled)
In Latika’s 2 ½ hour soap class, you’ll learn the medicinal purposes of organic clays and powders. Each class participant is able to custom blend scents and ingredients:
- Want to exfoliate your skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite? Sea Clay.
- Looking for a cleanser that’s an anti-inflammatory and offers a healthy dose of vitamins A, C, D and E? Rosehip Powder.
- Want a natural glow and to reduce wrinkles? Turmeric Powder.
Until taking this class, I only knew the dandelion as a wish granting weed. Not so! This little gem is jam packed with a stellar lineup of vitamins and minerals: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, boron, potassium, manganese and choline!
Charcoal: not just for the grill
(Credit: Efrat Lozanov)
I was stunned to hear one of the men who attended the class say, “I love the charcoal line of products.” It’s one of their best sellers. Latika’s website explains why charcoal is beneficial to skin, “The liquid soap is made with organic oils, and we add a significant amount of organic bamboo charcoal to it, making it a highly detoxifying soap. The scent is a clean manly blend of Vetiver, Mint and just enough Patchouli to make it earthy and balanced. It leaves the skin feeling nourished and soft. Men use this soap as face and body wash, and it’s actually unisex- since we found that women like it too.”
At the conclusion of class, everyone went home with a bag filled with several soaps and a custom blended mask. Mazzi also provided pretty packaging materials, too, along with a sheet of information explaining the healthful benefits of the various clays and powders used in their products.
Back at home as I pulled a box of soap from my medicine cabinet, I was amazed at the length of ingredients. Memories returned of grade school biology as I read a manifesto of mostly foreign words. The back of the box also said, “Helps keep you feeling clean and fresh.” I want more than “feeling” clean; I want my skin to actually be clean. The Latika soaps made in class only had a few ingredients (and they were all edible!).
A Seedling Sprouts
Credit: Batch Austin
In the words of the owners, “The word Latika means ‘little plant’ and we couldn’t have chosen a better name for our brand. We are a husband and wife duo – we began our journey on a small scale and over the years, have watched it grow and blossom into something spectacular and magical!”
The little baby bump under Mazzi’s polka dot dress tells me that soon the couple will bloom in another way. Their “little plant” is due September 2015.
My Latika experience was refreshing and educational. And after two weeks of using my soap and mask, my skin doesn’t have the “feeling” of clean. It is clean.
In addition to buying Latika products online, you can find an updated list of places where you can find their products within the FAQ page of their website.
@theAustinot wants to know:
Have you ever participated in a soap making class?
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