Handmade with a lot of love
In the soap workshop of Yolande Coop in Betzdorf, the employees work in a good mood and amidst the scent of lavender and roses. Maud Hansen, director of Yolande Coop, tells us more about the products that are handmade here and can be found on Letzshop.
Please introduce yourself
I am Maud Hansen, director of Yolande Coop, a group which runs eight workshops for professional inclusion and is part of the Elisabeth Group, a major player in the social sector in Luxembourg.
The soap workshop is located in Betzdorf and your employees produce a wide range of soaps there
Yes, that’s true. The soap workshop was created in 2007, when the Yolande Coop was founded. It was the very first workshop for professional inclusion that opened its doors. This workshop includes 14 disabled employees and three supervisors. They produce solid and liquid soaps according to well-defined craft processes adapted to the skills of people with intellectual disabilities. Our disabled employees participate in all production tasks and we encourage their autonomy while being at their side.
All our soaps can be used for hands and body. We make for example an organic almond soap which is particularly suitable for sensitive skin. Our entire range of soaps can also be personalised according to the wishes of our customers, especially for special occasions such as births, First communions and weddings.
What’s the difference between a handmade soap and industrially produced soaps?
Because our soaps are produced by our disabled employees, they are ‘handmade’ as opposed to industrially produced soaps. We are keen to use quality ingredients and make sure they are as natural as possible. We use essential oils and do not use colourings. Our packaging is kept to a minimum and we use recycled paper and plastic.
The handmade production also allows us to meet the specific needs of our customers. And the relatively small size of our workshop allows for flexibility and easy adaptation to the demands and changes in the market.
Discover the soap workshop of Yolande Coop
Your bestsellers
The Bergamot-Ginger and Citrus-Rose scents are the best-selling liquid soaps. These combinations of essential oils are particularly popular with our customers. From our large range of solid soaps, customers really like the following ones: Shea butter, which moisturises and softens the skin and of course the coffee soap, which eliminates cooking odours from the hands (such as from garlic and onions).
What are your objectives for the future?
We want to maintain the quality of our productions and offers while remaining a local and artisanal structure. It is important for us to follow the market trends in cosmetics and to listen to our customers to develop new products. We also want to continue to improve our processes to allow more disabled employees to participate in our approach.
Maud Hansen presents Yolande Coop
Further articles
