Cleanse

Cleanse

Rosina Quadracci foraged the hillsides of southern Italy believing that nature provides what is sufficient. These cleansers are made in that spirit.

Six botanical bars and one botanical liquid — each built on the same triple botanical foundation, each made for a different skin and a different moment.

Craft Note

The Cook Comes First

Hot-process soap means saponification is complete before the bar ever reaches a mould. The lye is gone. What goes in is what you get. We then add botanicals and superfat oils at the mashing stage — after the cook — so every active compound arrives on your skin fully intact, not degraded by heat or alkalinity.

Ingredient Note

Three Roots in Every Bar

Dandelion root, burdock root, and green tea are brewed into the water phase before every bar is made. They're not added on top — they're in the soap matrix itself. Dandelion for antioxidant brightening, burdock for sebum balance, green tea for free-radical protection. The same trio runs through every Acquavena cleansing bar.

From the Maker

A Bar That Doesn't Strip

I grew up watching my grandmother care for her skin with plants she foraged herself. I wanted a cleansing bar that honoured that — one that cleaned without stripping, and left skin feeling nourished rather than tight. The five-oil base and the post-cook rosehip superfat are my answer to that.

The Collection

Every product in the Cleanse collection begins with the same triple botanical foundation. Dandelion root, burdock root, and green tea are brewed as the water phase before saponification — woven into the chemistry of the bar, not added as a surface afterthought. These three botanicals have been the heart of the Acquavena cleansing philosophy since the beginning.

The six cleansing bars are hot-process crafted — saponification is complete before being hand-pressed into molds, which means natural glycerin is retained in every finished bar rather than stripped away as it is in commercial soap production. Each bar is then superfatted with rosehip seed oil at the mashing stage, after the cook, so it remains fully unsaponified and skin-active. A five-oil base of organic coconut, palm fruit, shea, cocoa butter, and castor oil provides the foundation; what differs across the six expressions is the additional botanicals, clays, active oils, and aromatic character that make each bar its own.

Clear Bloom is the liquid expression — a potassium-based botanical cleanser built on the same triple botanical water phase, formulated for hands, face, and body.

What's Inside

THE BOTANICAL FOUNDATION — IN EVERY PRODUCT

Dandelion Root (Taraxacum officinale) — Brewed as an infusion into the water phase. Antioxidant-rich and quietly revitalising; supports the skin's natural detoxification and helps address dullness and congestion.

Burdock Root (Arctium lappa) — A purifying botanical that clarifies without disrupting the skin's microbiome. Calming for skin prone to congestion or uneven texture.

Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) — Concentrated EGCG polyphenols that deliver antioxidant protection at the cleansing step — where most products offer none at all.

Rosehip Seed Oil Superfat — Added after the cook, fully unsaponified and skin-active in every finished bar. Vitamin A precursors, beta-carotene, and essential fatty acids. The only intentional superfat in the formulation.

THE SIX CLEANSING BARS

Roots & Ritual — The hero expression. The five-oil base at its purest, with a clean bergamot, rosemary, vetiver, and lemon essential oil blend. Every skin type, every morning.

Still Waters — For sensitive and reactive skin. Calendula and chamomile join the botanical trio for a five-botanical soothing complex. Fragrance: soft lavender, chamomile, frankincense, neroli.

Clear Ground — For oily and combination skin seeking balance. Jojoba and kaolin clay absorb excess oil and refine texture; elevated burdock root supports microbiome clarity. Fragrance: eucalyptus and citrus.

Golden Hour — A brightening bar built on a triple carotenoid complex: turmeric root, sea buckthorn CO₂ extract, and rosehip seed oil. Beta-carotene and curcuminoids for a luminous, even complexion. 

Echo — The fragrance-free expression. No essential oils, no aromatic compounds. Colloidal oatmeal provides beta-glucan barrier protection; chamomile extract contributes bisabolol and apigenin for calming, anti-inflammatory action. Suitable for all skin types; ideal for sensitive and fragrance-reactive skin.

Vintner's Ritual — A premium antioxidant bar built on Acquavena red wine. Alcohol removed and added post-cook to preserve resveratrol, tannins, and polyphenols. Pomegranate, red grape seed, and rosemary extracts amplify the antioxidant and skintoning benefits. Fragrance: geranium, vetiver, patchouli.

CLEAR BLOOM LIQUID CLEANSER

Potassium-based botanical cleanser formulated on the same triple botanical water phase as the bars. A conditioning three-oil base (coconut, sunflower, castor) produces a rich, luxurious lather that rinses away completely without residue. Calendula soothes; green tea EGCG protects; nettle leaf purifies. Suitable for hands, face, and body.