Savonnerie des Diligences, a subtle blend of craftsmanship and literature

Soap is definitely a story at Savonnerie des Diligences. In fact, it's quite a story: the adventurous genesis of this company based in the foothills of Mont-Orford would no doubt be worthy of a soap opera, to hear its bubbly co-founder and owner, Marie-Eve Lejour, recount its various chapters.

Already in 2020, invited by Parkour3 to share her entrepreneurial adventures, Marie-Eve Lejour stunned - and won over - her audience with the generosity of her humanist vision and her account of the many obstacles she overcame through sheer willpower to launch her soap factory. At a time when the pandemic was sweeping the country and the outlook was gloomy, his smiling optimism was like a providential ray of light.

Marie-Eve Lejour, co-founder and owner of Savonnerie des Diligences, during a guided tour of her factory. Photo credit: Stéphanie Vallières

Three years later, between a move finally completed due to a flooded factory and the end of the pandemic era, Savonnerie des Diligences is trying to get back up to cruising speed. "After the pandemic, people's habits changed. Not as many people make the effort to go to the shop," Marie-Eve confides to Parkour3, during a tour of her new factory, set amidst bucolic landscapes.

Despite the turbulence of a post-pandemic market still in a state of flux, the soap factory is staying the course. In its 18 years of existence, the company has seen it all. There's no question of calling into question the founding principles of the soap factory, which has made its artisanal, local and eco-responsible identity a trademark in its own right.

Here, in the company's factory, where a family atmosphere reigns, craftsmanship is not an empty word: everything is done by hand. From the skilful blending of basic ingredients to the cutting, drying and packaging of the soaps, each stage is an opportunity for the twenty or so employees who work here to give full rein to their know-how, with attention to detail and care at all times.

"We apply ancestral recipes, but, at the same time, we are subject to the same rules as food production. We have to be very vigilant," says Marie-Eve Lejour.

Nothing is left to chance in the manufacture of our soaps, which meet quality standards comparable to those of the luxury industry. Every aspect of the product is considered in terms of its social and environmental impact. "A real obsession. We recycle everything. All production residues are re-used," says Marie-Eve, proud to showcase the ecological credentials of her company, which strives to source its raw materials from local suppliers.

Once the base products have been emulsified, the saponification phase begins. Once this process has begun, the mixture is poured into molds which are set aside for a month.

After a month's drying, the soaps are removed from the molds and cut by hand using a soap cutter.

Once cut, the soaps are stored in a dedicated room.

By dint of determination and inventiveness, Savonnerie des Diligences has succeeded in carving out a certain notoriety for itself. The high quality of its flagship product, soap, made from essential oils and other equally noble ingredients such as beeswax and aromatic plants, certainly plays a part. But it also has to do with what makes it truly unique and gives it a kind of aura: its legend.

Indeed, each soap is associated with a fictional character, a legend, straight from the mind of Marie-Eve, who understands the power of literature to conjure up imaginary worlds, and is herself a lover of literature.

The soaps can be found on the shelves of the company's two boutiques, here in Eastman and Orford. The company's products are also available online.

"It took me 6 months to create all the soap legends. Everything was done in keeping with the fictional characters, from the soap recipes to the packaging, created by a graphic designer who drew on my texts to produce them. We wrote the legend before making the product, to try and establish a link between the legend and the fragrance," says Marie-Eve Lejour.

Parkour3 employees invited to visit the Savonnerie des Diligences plant in Bolton-Est, Eastern Townships. "Photo credit: Stéphanie Turmel.

Thus were born "Madame Tignasse", "Le Patriote", "La Sirène", "Le Biérologue", "Le Jardinier", "Le Chocolatier", "La Gitane", etc., to name but a few. Each member of this gallery of colorful characters is a soap, which Marie-Eve dreams will break the solitude of its users in the shower...

The medium-term future of the soap factory? Marie-Eve Lejour admits that her next project will be to better identify her target clientele, an area of expertise in which Parkour3 excels...

This will surely be the opportunity to write a new chapter for this inspired entrepreneur who cultivates the art of bouncing back, and bouncing back. We look forward to the next episodes...