Making soap is kind of like making mayonnaise

Name: Jordana Ogly, co-owner Bella Pella, 1201A Mount Royal Ave. E., 514-904-1074. www.bellapella.com

Your soaps really look foody.

It's funny that you say that because our motto is "If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin." We basically make food for your skin. And our name actually means "beautiful skin" in Italian. We use ingredients like oranges, olive oil, coconut and bergamot.

What's bergamot?

It's a fruit, sort of a mix between a citrus and a pear. The point is that all our ingredients could be used in your kitchen. Things you eat are good for your body, so why not use them on your skin? It's the same principle as when you eat healthily; get your vitamins, stay hydrated and make it appetizing.

How do you sell those long bars of soap? Do you slice off a piece and sell it by weight?

We slice off about an inch and charge $6.95. Making it is a labour of love; it's worth every penny. We produce it in small batches in our plant on Bellechasse St.

You actually make these soaps? How do you do it?

Making soap is a science, it requires lots of experimenting. You want the soap to be firm and hydrating and look pretty, too. Our factory is actually a kitchen. And the guy who makes the soaps used to be a chef. He liked the mixing and concocting but didn't want the stress of a restaurant, so making soap is perfect for him.

Making soap is like cooking?

Absolutely. It's like making a mayonnaise. You have to make an emulsion, not let the ingredients separate. You're looking for a good consistency. Take this absinthe soap, for example. It's pretty and it's a good deodorizer. To make it, we mix coconut oil because that makes it lather up, palm oil helps to make it firm, like a bar of soap should be. Then soybean oil, shea butter, essential oil of absinthe and anis oil. Presto.

How did you learn to do all that?

It's not as complicated as you think, but I learned through trial and error. Your grandmother probably made her own soap.

It's hard to imagine that 50 years ago people had to make their own soap.

My partner, Line Pelletier, grew up in the Laurentians and she remembers her grandmother making soap. They used lard in those days and they called it savon du pays.

Do you use any animal fats?

No, we don't.

So how do you think up new soap recipes?

I travel to stay inspired. I was just in Brazil and found some new fruits I want to use. They are filled with natural antioxidants and have wonderful smells and consistencies. I read books on soap and also started working with a local chemist who's bringing in fresh ideas. Research and development is important; that's how we decided to make an olive oil product line.

I've heard of products that contain olive oil, but this soap actually looks like pure oil.

It's not pure oil, it's a hand soap. We wanted the packaging to be pretty, because when you're paying $15.95 for hand soap you deserve something that pleases your eye.

That's a steep price, but the glass bottle and fresh olive smell is lovely. Don't you think people are very used to processed beauty products, like soaps and gels that come from the pharmacy?