Cheehilo Soaps Available On O‘ahu

Soapmaker Chihiro Ueta draws inspiration from Hawaiian culture.

Mmmm. Smell that jasmine and salt water? Taste that tangy pineapple and sweet mango? Hear that sound of the wind through the rain forest?

Any way you break it, Hawai‘i is a treat for the senses. Chihiro Ueta, who moved to the Islands in 2010, loves it so much she based her company around Hawai‘i’s culture and natural resources. Cheehilo Handmade Soap’s rich cache of luscious body products is a tropical treat, with products made from macadamia-nut, olive, coconut or kukui-nut oils and herbal powders (local as much as possible, of course). Each soap feels as luxurious and cleansing as it smells, and they were inspired by Ueta’s own struggles with harsh products that gave her skin and acne problems.

Another thing to feel good about? Spurred on by her studies in Hawaiian language, history and culture at Hawai‘i Community College, Ueta was determined to add in a little special aloha spirit into her products. Each soap has a Hawaiian name and a small card with an ‘ōlelo no‘eau, or “Hawaiian wise saying,” about the soap or the ingredients, a seriously beautiful way to express her gratitude for the Islands she loves and from which she creates her soap. See what we mean?

Ueta launched Cheehilo Handmade Soaps last August, and she’s already smelling some sweet success, with retailers including shops on Maui, Lāna‘i, Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. Take a taste of products such as the eyecatching Rose Bar (complete with rosebud), beautiful marbled Tiare Bar and the creamy sugar scrub, made from Maui sugar and poppy seeds. Or go for the Surf Bar (specifically designed to soothe sunburned skin) or freshen up with the sweet-smelling Puakenikeni mist spray, made with real flowers.

You’re going to like them. We can sense it.

Soaps $7, other products $5–$20, available at CLIPS, 822 Kaheka St. and the Cheehilo Handmade Soap Etsy shop.