The best soaps in the world

While rummaging through my old stuff here at Mom & Dad's home, got to pick a wrapped lavender sopa from Claus Porto, a local brand that over the years has been getting a unrivalled reputation of being unparalel in quality. This is what I've found out about it - of course I'm bringing this soap with me, as it's still unopened. I already went to Corte Ingles to get another luxury soap to take with me...

This is what I've found out through their partner in New York:

The oldest and most prestigious soap making factory in Porto, Portugal, CLAUS PORTO was founded in 1887 by two world renowned chemists: Ferdinand Claus and Georges Schwedder. Together they created the base for what was to become one of the most important soap making factories ever. Hindered by the advent of the WWI, the two German founders were forced to leave Portugal forever and sold the company to one of its executives, Achilles de Brito. Under his expertise and guidance the company flourished and became renowned throughout Europe as the best soap making factory in the world. Soon after, famous fragrance and fashion houses in France, England and Spain came to Porto to have all of their soaps made by CLAUS PORTO, renamed ACH BRITO after its then current owner. The factory today is still family owned and run by the great grandson of Achilles de Brito. At this 117 year old company, the family continues with the great soap making traditions that were a matter of honor for the original founders.

Other companies use modern automated methods, and lower quality ingredients for one simple reason: to make more product in a less expensive fashion, or, quite simply, modern technology has left the human out of the equation. At CLAUS PORTO / ACH BRITO it is exactly the opposite. The time - honored tradition of milling seven times (milling refers to the process of "mixing" the soap; the more times that the soap elements are passed through the mill, the more air bubbles are forced out of the mix and the more the fragrance is evenly distributed) has remained to this day the secret of the success of the CLAUS PORTO line. Milling seven times renders a dense, hard soap that is fragrant down to the very last bit, doesn't needlessly split or crack and gives a rich creamy lather. All of the soaps are naturally air - dried (as opposed to hot air machines which dry other soaps on the outside, leaving them soft and gooey on the inside and eventually causing them to crack and melt down to ugly blobs after being used) on racks for two to three weeks, ensuring an even, consistent bar. These luxurious and creamy bars are made with coconut oil and enriched with 2% shea butter to moisturize, protect, and replenish the skin's natural protein complexes. The highest quality fragrances from the south of France are used to create the exotic, lingering scents that have made these soaps so famous. The final soap product, and more importantly the base ingredients (many soap producers cannot make this claim) are never tested on animals. As this soap is completely natural and 100% bio-degradable, it is environmentally friendly.

In addition to the finest ingredients available, all of the graphics and packaging used are authentic and original and are chosen from the archives of CLAUS PORTO / ACH BRITO. In many cases, the actual papers (no longer available) have been skillfully reproduced using the exact same paper stock, embossing techniques and screen printing methods from decades ago. If you notice slight discrepancies in soap shape or size, or a partial obliteration of the stamp in certain places, this is your absolute assurance that each and every soap that comes from the factory of Ach Brito, is formed, pressed, and molded by hand; keeping traditions alive as well as employing members of the same families for generations. They wouldn't dream of making soap any other way.

Ah, and of course, Holywood stars are fans...From Scarlet to Nicolas Cage, to Oprah...

Try and see if you can get a soap bar, you'll love it. After all, it was a firm created to provide aristocrats on those glorious days...