Helleo – from Crete, with love! Time to get to know Manos and his wonderful handmade soaps in 10 questions…
Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started? What inspired you to work with soap?
A chance encounter and a small handwritten recipe for traditional soap led me to my first attempt back in 2010. The satisfaction of creating something entirely on my own was so powerful that there was no turning back. My studies and career plans were all set aside so I could chase my dream. And I call it a dream because it completely fulfills me—it gives me the freedom to express my personality, creativity, and ideas, while also being a continuous learning journey, as the knowledge I gain is endless. It also gave me the perfect way to make use of my grandparents’ olive groves. I didn’t want to simply produce olive oil and sell it in bulk to a mill each year.
Tell us a bit about the brand. What does it represent? Why did you create it?
Helleo was created in 2013, after three years of constant testing, research, and study. When I felt confident that I had created the purest and highest quality soap possible, I brought it to the market. I’ve always loved my island and learned to appreciate and respect the precious Cretan countryside. However, I was saddened to see a gap between traditional products and modern trends. What I tried to do with Helleo was to create a pure, traditional product centered around the olive, but with modern practices and appealing design to attract younger people who are gradually drifting away from their roots, tradition, and nature. Above all, I wanted to make a product that, when exported abroad, would proudly represent my homeland and my country—and make me feel proud of it too.
How did you get started? What challenges did you face?
The beginning was tough. Honestly, I felt like a baby forced to walk before it was ready. The field was vast, and the demands were high. I faced situations I had never encountered before, and yet I had to find solutions quickly. But I had no fear or sense of danger. My excitement was so great that I felt nothing could stop me. And in the end, looking back now with some years of experience, I have no complaints at all. I think going through all those challenges made me stronger and more capable of facing anything that comes my way. If I had a magical opportunity to go back and choose how to start, I would still choose the hard road.
Tell us about your products. What makes them different?
At Helleo, we’ve developed a line of six handmade soaps, which are 100% natural. Our production process is fully integrated—we handle everything from harvesting the olives and producing the olive oil to wrapping the soaps by hand. The soaps are made using the cold process method, which is the purest method for cosmetics. Each formula is carefully designed with extensive research and a lot of passion. I won’t claim our soaps are better than those of my peers—whom I respect—but they certainly stand out in their own way. Each soap is unique due to our handcrafted, fully in-house process. Each bar has its own character, shaped by our touch.
Tell us about your raw materials
Each of our recipes is made from high-quality ingredients that reflect the richness of the Cretan countryside. Our primary raw material is fresh organic extra virgin olive oil that we produce ourselves every year. I’ve tried to apply the same philosophy to all the other ingredients. We collaborate with local producers who share our vision and passion. As a result, Minoan olives, vineyards, the herbs of Hippocrates, fruit trees, barley, and bees work in harmony to give us a soap with both name and origin.
Are there any products you particularly recommend?
We have just a few soaps, and each one has a strong personality. It’s impossible for me to choose a favorite, as each contains a piece of myself. I like to see them as a team. That’s why it makes me sad when I see a retail space that doesn’t carry all six. I instinctively support the one that’s lagging in sales. That said, if I had to highlight one, it would be the Chamomile & Calendula soap. It was specially designed for pregnant women and babies—and it’s used by the two great loves of my life, my wife and our little daughter.
Can you share some usage suggestions or tips?
Thanks to their gentle nature and rich hydration, Helleo soaps are suitable for daily use on the face, body, and hair. Each soap, however, has a more specific use depending on your needs or mood. Use the “Black Beer & Rosemary” soap for hair loss or dandruff, the “Prickly Pear & Aloe Vera” after sun exposure, or the “Spirulina & Green Tea” for gentle exfoliation or cellulite. Our mini soaps are perfect for vacations or business trips. Like all natural products, our soaps need care to last longer. That’s why we recommend placing the soap in a well-draining soap dish (we suggest our own wooden one), and rinsing and draining it well after each use.
Can Greek producers make a difference during the crisis?
It may sound strange, but it took an economic crisis in Greece for us to realize that Greek products must rely on top quality combined with strong aesthetics. There are many producers who started during the crisis and are now proof that the future is bright. Even if late, I believe Greek products are finally on the right track. If each producer individually works with planning, patience, a willingness to work hard, and a spirit of collaboration and sharing, then Greek products as a whole will stand out in the global market. The current economic climate might not be favorable, but I believe the right mindset—which is the most important thing—is starting to change.
What challenges does a Greek producer face today?
The biggest challenge for a Greek producer today is themselves. They need to understand what they want, where they want to go, and the right way to get there. If someone is thinking “I want to win this year and I don’t care about next year” or operates with envy, then there’s no point in discussing anything else. Once each producer is clear about their goals, they’ll still have to face cash flow issues, a lack of trust from international markets—often due to the careless or opportunistic actions of others—and, of course, excessive bureaucracy. But I believe the root problem behind all of this is the total lack of a national strategic plan, independent of politics, that aims to improve and globally establish the “Greek Product” brand. A plan that supports and guides producers so that, in the end, the state also benefits—just like in Italy. Until that happens, each producer is forced to swim across the ocean alone—and only those who can endure will survive.
Why did you choose to participate in and support the Wise Greece Initiative?
The question I asked myself was, “Why wouldn’t I participate in and support Wise Greece?” And naturally, I had no answer. I believe that we producers—especially the younger ones and those who started during the crisis—have come to understand through our work that the greatest joy comes from sharing, collaborating, helping, and being helped. I think Wise Greece embodies exactly the kind of philosophy we all need if this country is to move forward. So it would go against both my values and Helleo’s philosophy not to support them. I sincerely hope that the people behind Wise Greece continue their valuable work tirelessly and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
