May 6, 2025 · 2 min read
A note on clay
On kaolin — the soft white clay at the center of the bar.
Kaolin is one of the oldest cosmetic materials we have. It is a soft, fine, white clay, named for the hill in China — Gaoling — where it was first mined centuries ago. Today it turns up everywhere from fine porcelain to paper to the bar in your hand.
In Solène, kaolin is the body of the bar. It gives the cleanser its structure and its soft, creamy feel — the reason the lather is fine rather than foamy. We use a French kaolin for its particularly pale, even grade.
We say all of this because we think you should know what you are washing your face with. There is no mystery ingredient here, and no story we cannot back up. Just clay, a plant-oil base, and a few botanicals.