CIMENT Soap Factory
The story of Ciment is first and foremost about a desire to return to basics. It's the story of a brand that reinvents everyday soap with an approach that is raw, sensitive, and very contemporary.
Behind Ciment lies a taste for simple materials, precise actions, and the desire to create personal care items that naturally integrate into the home, with character and sobriety.
Solène Lebon-Couturier, co-founder and head of manufacturing and design.
I create the soap designs and figure out how to make them.
But I'm not alone: there are 5 of us on the team + a great board of associates.
We make cold-process soaps with patterns inspired by cement tiles (hence the name!). They are very gentle, super-fatted, and smell divine. We also make solid shampoos that lather richly, amazing lip balms, and incredibly restorative melting body balms.
We also have an entire aspect of our business focused on customization. We create soap gift sets in the colors of our partners, such as the Comédie-Française, the BNF, or even Renault for the launch of their latest electric Twingo.
Geometric patterns, Andalusian patio floors, Norman church floors, wooden toys, puzzles, Bauhaus chess sets, embroidery and jacquard patterns, and the incredible requests from our customers.
I can't choose just one. I'd say a collection soap (let's say Kimono), the normal hair shampoo, and the lip balm.
These are the 3 products I no longer buy from other brands, even to try them out.
We have been working for a long time on a laundry range: a stain remover stick, a
wool shampoo, to complete our range of detergent soaps which includes our now iconic household soap.
The living room, because that's where I enjoy my chicory in a giant mug in the morning with the warm sunshine. It's where we spend time as a family, where I read and knit while listening to podcasts.
Imperfection.
A bit of a mess, wood, plants, photos of people, life. I get anxious in interiors where everything is perfectly in place. I saw the before-and-after photos of the house where *Home Alone* was filmed, which went from a cozy but charming 90s house to an impersonal white bunker, and it sent shivers down my spine.
The absolute horror: when the only "living" object in a bathroom is a plain white soap dispenser. Made of marble.
Even though our soaps at Ciment have an ultra-clean aesthetic, they add a touch of color and cheerfulness to the sink.
A pottery workshop with my son, where we sculpted plates, spatula rests, and other doodads.
Far from perfect, they proudly adorn our furniture, of course.