How did it all start?
Senteurs d’Orient started with my mother in 2000 in Beirut, Lebanon. Her goal was to launch a business that would contribute to gender equality and women empowerment. The idea also developed when she realized that people who socialize were looking for something other than chocolate or wine to offer their host. She believed that she should come up with gift ideas that are locally made with the savoir faire of artisans in Lebanon, which is soap, because soaps were created in the region more than 6,000 years ago.
How does Senteurs d’Orient stand for women empowerment?
We work alongside the UN. In 2007, an agreement was signed with the United Nations Development Program. A portion of our profits are given to the UNDP to help with women’s education in Lebanon, contributing to their independence and boosting their businesses. Every year, we work with women from different backgrounds and support local NGOs, helping reshape lives.
How does Senteurs d’Orient fuse Japanese sophistication with Middle Eastern sensuality?
We meticulously make our products and craft the soap. We introduce Middle Eastern sensuality in the way we carve our soaps; the shape is inspired by maamoul pastry. Also, we produce soap using the ancient methodology of Aleppo, Syria. We hand mix the ingredients, air dry the soap for several days and hand wrap the package. So, in the product development phase, we use both Japanese sophistication and Middle Eastern sensuality. We use Arabic and Japanese writing and origami in our packaging; it is inspired by Japanese water color, and the Middle Eastern use of bright white and Middle Eastern shapes.
Do you have any projects in development?
We have a new liquid handwash and hand cream called Cedres Mediterranee, and we are launching a gift set as well. The scent is inspired by the Lebanese cedar forests: wood scent mixed with rose. You have that sensuality mixed with woody cedar treat.
In a month, we will launch a gift box called Shinwon Youku, which means bathing in the forest. It is suitable for meditation. All the products have a woody scent that relaxes your body and soul through aromatherapy.
Brief About Senteurs D’Orient
Luxury Bath & Body lifestyle brand born from artisanship and the bathing rituals of the Orient. The products are suitable for hotel rooms amenities.
Handcrafted in the heart of Lebanon’s traditional soap-making region, their all-natural soap is done by local artisans in Beirut.
Through a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, proceeds of every sale goes towards Senteurs Women Initiative program to support and educate women in Lebanon.
About author
Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
