This post is NOT sponsored
You who are looking for organic products to put in your bag for the trip around the world, look no further!
See all the cosmetics and facials I test in each country. JB asked me if I was going around the world for traveling, or for cosmetics 😀
In fact, I don’t need to do it because the two brothers Simon and Damien, creators of the Melchior & Balthazar brand, are already doing it for me (well, for all of us).
They crisscrossed Spain and Morocco with their backpacks before stopping at the women’s argan oil production cooperative in Ait Baha … and bring back the best argan oil in the world. Certified Ecocert, their exceptional oil is of a delicacy! They did the same thing in China, crossing the desert to find the best producer of goji berries.
Argan oil Melchior & Balthazar
It is so difficult to find quality argan oil these days. As a result, it isn’t uncommon for people to ask a friend’s cousin… to bring them Moroccan argan oil in the suitcase. But when the Melchior & Balthazar argan oil came out, it was a great relief. We don’t have to exchange our cousins’ numbers anymore. We can just go to the M&B website and buy it.
This oil is very different from all other oils on the market due to its manufacturing process.
Other brands: the stones of the fruits are picked up on the ground. Why is this? In fact, they are waiting for the goats to ingest the fruit and reject the stone… from their rear. As a result, this “sweet” smell of goat droppings is found in other brands’ argan oil.
At Melchior & Balthazar: the fruit is picked directly from the tree. Of course, to get the core, they add an extra step and a manual one: removing the pulp and then the nut. But the advantage is to have ingredients that are slightly oxidized, and above all, that smell good. So their oil is 100% natural. They do not add anything more. It’s pure argan oil, which smells like hazelnut, cruelty-free, eco-responsible, ethical …
Melchior & Balthazar soap
JB (my husband) is very picky about his choice of soap for the shower. He only likes the fat-saturated soaps (the real Marseille soap, the real Aleppo soap, the donkey milk soap, but only one brand…). As a result, I had fun buying him a lot of natural soaps in different countries.
All Melchior & Balthazar soaps are made from their excellent argan oil and are cold saponified.
Why is it better?
As the name suggests, cold saponification does not overheat the ingredients – good for the environment (no unnecessary energy loss).
This process keeps glycerin, making the soap more moisturizing (unlike hot saponification, which eliminates it).
It is therefore more expensive than a hot saponified soap because it takes longer to make and the ingredients must be of high quality.
I let you discover their process of soap making. It is quite satisfying to see how they cut soap like they cut bread.
OK but what’s the link with the round-the-world trip?
I was just about to come back to that.
Already, they are traveling around the world to find the best ingredients and the best producers. I really like the approach. It allows artisans and farmers to continue to produce traditionally, without using pesticides, toxic products, etc.
Secondly, this brand offers two products particularly adapted to nomadic people.
- A roll-on of argan oil. I find the roll-on format practical because we do not put it everywhere. It is an all-in-one product to be mixed with aloe vera gel (and make a moisturizing emulsion for the skin), it is also a good eye contour (all my fine dehydration lines are gone thanks to this oil), a good product for chapping, cuticles, irritation … It gives new life to dry and brittle hair (which we will have by dint of traveling). In fact, I mentioned in my face care routine around the world the importance of having, in winter, an aloe vera gel + an oil. The bottle is made of plastic. It will not break.
- Multi-use and environmentally friendly soaps. As the soaps are organic, 100% made of natural ingredients all that, they do not pollute the water (ideal to shower in the middle of the forest without feeling guilty). You can use them on your face and body (like shower gel, very soft because it is cold saponified). I recommend the exceptional Soap Amber Argan – Relaxing, very soft, and moisturizing for the skin.
Beyond that, you can sense that they are passionate people. Every time someone asks them a question about their brand, their products, they make ultra-detailed answers. Many things are going on behind the lab scenes in R&D that you don’t necessarily see. Why Morocco? Why this method of manufacturing? There is scientific evidence behind it.
We feel that the products are made by a passionate and perfectionist team. The approach is ethical. The spirit of craftsmanship and the curiosity of great travelers are there. And I want to share high-quality products like this, made by passionate and exciting people.
Here it is, frankly, if I could send them a wish list (like the one we send to Santa Claus), the only thing missing would be a soapbox for the nomads (with holes to dry the soap and a system that serves as a soap holder) – highly requested especially for the showers in youth hostels.
In short, try their products and you will see, the quality has NOTHING to do with the argan oils you have already known.
To place your order, it’s here: https://melchior-balthazar.com/
You can also find their products in some specific stores in Tokyo, New York & Mexico.
