A mother-daughter duo from Thrace—Eleni with a background in Agricultural Science and Tonia in Management—combine their knowledge and passion to create unique handmade soaps that cater to every preference.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started? What inspired you to get into natural cosmetics?
The idea of working with natural cosmetics literally began in our kitchen when Eleni Theodosiadou, the mother, happened upon a YouTube video on how to make handmade natural soap. Without hesitation, she decided to try it herself. Having previously studied Agricultural Science in Thessaloniki, soap-making became the perfect opportunity to combine her knowledge of botany with this new realm of natural cosmetics.
Years later, after completing her postgraduate studies in management in Scotland, her daughter Tonia Kalafatzis joined the business, taking over operations and product promotion.
Tell us about the brand. What does it stand for? What was your motivation behind starting it?
The goal of the company is to produce natural cosmetic products through carefully selected raw materials and strict quality control procedures for each batch. The batches are small-scale, and the production process is entirely manual. This ensures that the product reaching the consumer is truly natural (free of preservative enhancers), created by people and made for people.
Focus Thrace Cosmetics products offer a fresh take on traditional personal care recipes, tailored to meet the modern individual’s needs. Carefully designed formulas with natural oils and ingredients provide a luxurious feeling of skin nourishment and care.
How did you get started? What challenges did you face?
Everything began with a small handmade soap workshop in the center of Alexandroupoli. The front section of the space served as a shop where we sold our products. The city’s residents quickly embraced traditional soap, and by 2017, production moved to our official workshop while the original space remained as a retail store.
Over the years, we faced many challenges. First and foremost was transforming the workshop to meet the standards set by the National Organization for Medicines, under whose regulations natural cosmetics fall. Production procedures also had to be adjusted to comply with these standards to meet the high-quality expectations we had set for ourselves. Additionally, covering the costs of professional equipment and official product documentation required personal investment in the business. Of course, the global pandemic impacted all businesses, including ours.
Tell us about your products. What makes them different?
Our products fall into two main categories:
Handmade natural soaps “ELENI of THRACE”
13 registered soap products made with 100% natural ingredients (herbs, oils, essential oils)
Natural cosmetic care line F.O.C.U.S. – Fresh Oil Cosmetics U Share
20 registered products made with natural ingredients, including body/face/hair oils, beeswax balms, body scrubs, and soaps with embedded natural loofah.
What sets our products apart is that each one is designed to meet a specific skincare need. For example, we offer solutions for both dry skin and oily skin—two very different conditions that require distinct treatment.
Tell us about your raw materials.
Our production is based on the local olive oil of Makri, which receives awards at numerous competitions every year. We also use other base oils and essential oils sourced from Greek suppliers.
Importantly, our packaging now follows eco-friendly practices to significantly reduce plastic use. We use paper packaging, and our soap boxes include biodegradable windows that showcase the product inside without harming the environment.
Are there any products that stand out to you?
If we had to choose one product from each category, from our handmade soaps we’d highlight the Donkey Milk & Pomegranate Juice soap. Suitable for both face and body, it contains ingredients with unique properties. Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants, while donkey milk offers intense hydration—ideal for mature skin—and helps combat acne in teenagers.
From the rest of our cosmetics, we’d spotlight our body oil PέPLO. Its formula with almond oil and vitamin F makes it a perfect post-shower oil and a great after-sun treatment during the summer months. It leaves the skin soft and moisturized, while its powdery scent wins over even the most demanding customers.
We also want to mention our new line of soaps embedded with natural loofah, available in 10 delightful scents and colors. These offer both cleansing and exfoliation, and the loofah stimulates blood circulation—helping reduce cellulite.
Share some tips for using your products (beyond the basics, like creative uses or advice).
One suggestion for the summer is combining our loofah soap (in whichever scent and color you prefer) with our MORPHέS body oil. The soap cleanses, the loofah exfoliates and boosts circulation, and applying the oil afterward on open pores deeply hydrates and tones the skin.
In general, with all our products, it’s important to first understand each individual’s needs and then recommend the product that best addresses them—such as hair loss, oiliness, skin conditions, exfoliation, or dry skin.
Can Greek producers make a difference in times of crisis?
Absolutely. Greece is rich in resources and pure raw materials. In recent years, more and more young people are pursuing higher education in Greece or abroad and bringing that knowledge into the business world—with many of them succeeding. Greek producers have always contributed significantly, and we believe they will continue to do so, both domestically and internationally, with the help of reliable partners and trustworthy sales networks.
Why did you choose to participate in and support the Wise Greece movement?
The mission and values of Wise Greece align closely with our own. Key aspects that Wise Greece supports—such as Greek-made, family-oriented products (like our Thracian goods) and women-led entrepreneurship (mother and daughter)—resonate with our brand.
Additionally, we noticed from the sales points listed on the Wise Greece website that there was a lack of representation in the border region of Evros.
Lastly, our family also runs a retail store in Alexandroupoli (Earthub) that offers our products locally. It’s already active in corporate social responsibility through the collection and redistribution or recycling of old clothes (in partnership with the Fabric Republic initiative). Since Wise Greece supports people in need by improving access to food, we believe it’s vital to support this mission and contribute to achieving Goal 2: Zero Hunger of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
