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Natural Soaps Inspired by Angolan Roots Made in Essex

I’m Vaneza from Essex, England.

My passion for skincare was not the only reason to start Roots by VanL.

I realized that you only need a certain percentage of natural ingredients in the formulation to call it ‘natural’. And many natural commercial soaps often contain chemical detergents, hardeners, and synthetic lathering agents, which can dry and irritate our skin.

Replacing these harsh chemicals from products that we use on a daily basis with 100% natural ingredients became one of my biggest desires.

Inspired by my country of origin Angola (hence the name Roots by VanL), I incorporate superfoods for example Baobab, Plantain, Moringa, Papaya, and many more.

I was inspired in particular by the benefits of Baobab fruit.

Growing up I used to love eating baobab powder, which was one of the many delicious foods that my Grandma would always bring back from Angola.

A few years ago I stumbled across the benefits of the Baobab fruit for our health and our skin. It was one of those aha moments. So I made it my mission to create a Baobab soap bar alongside 11 beautiful lathering soaps inspired by my roots. The Baobab is sourced from my Grandads farm in Angola and picked by female farmers).

I get to handcraft beautiful natural soaps that take 4 weeks to get ready. And seeing these natural products being purchased by someone I may not know, and on the top getting wonderful reviews... That’s one of the best rewards.