Daila Bath and Beauty Soaps
March 29, 2010 by PinoyOrganics
Filed under Clean & Green, Green Exchange, Healthy Kids
Daila Herbal Community Enterprises (DHCE), is a Philippine based corporation engaged in manufacturing environment and health friendly natural herbal products such as soaps, laundry granules and personal and household care products.
Daila was conceived and established by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Aleli V. Pansacola in 1986 when she joined the Philippine Institute for Alternative Futures (PIAF) and was assigned to head the Herbal Group. Primarily, the Herbal Group was tasked with organizing herbal seminars for the grassroots level in different regions of the country. The goal was to train the grassroots in herbal technologies and to establish Herbal Gardens in every barrio where doctors are few and medicines expensive. From single proprietorship in 1987, DHCE was incorporated in 1991. The corporation went into manufacturing herbal products and joined significant and prestigious international shows and fairs both here and abroad. Their banner product, Victoria Herbal Laundry Granules won several international awards and recognitions from Switzerland Morocco, Bulgaria and in Asia.
There are three types of Daila soaps: bath, beauty and laundry soaps. After nine bars of Daila bath and beauty soaps, we felt that it is now time to share what we think about it.
The first soap we tried was the lavender variant of Cocoloco Aromatic Soaps. It is made of pure coconut soap and was designed for deep cleansing. Lavander oil gives a sense of total relaxation as it moisturizes the skin. We also tried their Applemint variant. The other variants are Coffee, Rose, Cocomint, Mango Melon and Papaya with Milk. Among all the Daila bath and beauty soaps we tried, the Cocoloco soaps were the least economical because it didn’t last more than two weeks. After a few baths, it melted into a tiny soap as big as a jumbo pastillas.
The third bath soap we tried was the Dayap triple-milled bath soap. The next soaps we tried were the bestseller Yerba Buena and gentlest Pure & Natural variants. The triple-milled bath soaps are economical because they are effective and all lasted more than two weeks.
The last one we tried was their Feminine Soap. It has lactic acids from natural source. It has anti-microbial properties that helps in cleansing and intimate feminine hygiene. Essences of apple and mint were added.
Among all their soaps, we stuck it out with two soaps. One is their Dayap triple-milled bath soap because both kids and adults liked it. We personally think it was the favorite soap because the texture reminded us of imported commercial soaps such as Safeguard, Coast and Dial. We also liked the smell of dayap, which is our local lemon. The smell didn’t stay the whole day though as described in Daila’s online product brochure.
The second one is the Feminine Soap. Initially, we were hesitant to try It because it looked different. First, compared to our favorite commercial liquid feminine wash, Daila’s Feminine Soap was in the form of a bar. Second, it was unusual to find a solid white soap within a transparent soap. Eventually, we liked it because it is mild and effective.
According to their website and a distributor of Daila Herbal Community Enterprises, Daila soaps are pure, natural and herbal. They are coconut based and does not use any synthetic chemicals. We have yet to write about Victoria Herbal Laundry Granules and Victoria detergent soap soon.
Do you think Philippine-made natural, organic and/or herbal bath soaps are competitive enough to be exported worldwide?
DAILA HERBAL COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES 63 San Rafael st., Barrio Kapitolyo Pasig City, Metro Manila +632 637 5153 to 54
I’ve seen so many organic products pop out nowadays and I think it really is about how to know which ones are the authentic organic and natural products. Do we have a body that certifies the products?
There are groups who are active in the organic community. One is the Organic Producers Trade Association (OPTA) and the other one is Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP). Both are focused in the area of organic farming and/or food. The best way is for consumers to know your source of organic sources. In the process, you will be able to discover who are really organic and who are not. While this is not accurate but as consumers, we have to develop the habit of reading the labels carefully. Especially for bath and beauty products.
I hope that there will be a mandatory ingredient labelling for food and soap/cosmetic products in our country. ALL the ingredients used should be listed very clearly on the label. Reading the ingredient label ” No Sodium Laureth Sulfate” is not enough for us to make a decision to buy a product or not. We need a complete listing.
We agree with you, Francia. Unfortunately, we are not aware of any law regarding ingredient labeling but as consumers, we can ask the producer/manufacturer as per Republic Act 7394 which states the consumer’s right to information. You can read more about this here.
Best way to guarantee oragnic products is to have a seal of approval from the 2 stated organizations (OPTA and OCCP)stamped on their product’s packaging. Local organic product producers would definitely have to go through meticulous process just to get the seal that will bring their product to a new and higher level of marketing strategy and reputation.