The people and the bees of Switzerland are very peaceful, efficient, and productive. Especially when they work together. Which they do to classic Swiss perfection in the tiny village of Erlenbach in the Bernese Alps.

Erlenbach is famous for its handsome medieval church with Romanesque frescoes. And from there you can make a proverbial beeline to Bienen Mathys A.G. where they make beekeeping supplies and produce a comprehensive range of bee products, including Apiana soaps, creams, lotions, and shampoos.

While there are other honey-based soaps and skin care lines, the Apiana range is particularly impressive for its high quality standards (the Swiss don't know from 'second-rate'), and the fact that they use only pure Alpine honey, and lots of it, in every product.

Modern cosmetic chemists are constantly creating "miracle" skin care ingredients in thelr labs. Well, in the ultra-secret laboratories (a.k.a. beehives) of our friends at Bienen Mathys, the honey bee does exactly the same thing. Honey has been used in skin care since Cleopatra first got a glow on for Antony (and vice versa). As any self-respecting ancient sage could tell you, it has natural hygroscopic properties. In other words, it actually attracts moisture from the air to leave your skin with a long-lasting, soft and supple feel. Pollen is widely recognized as a concentrated natural source of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Mathys has developed an exclusive process of "micronization" which breaks the cellulose walls of the pollen cells by fermentation, to make these nutrients much more readily available to the skin. Propolis is one of nature's most powerful antiseptics–bees use it to disinfect their hives, and you can use to protect your skin and scalp from problems like acne or dandruff.

Finally, there's royal jelly–the most exotic bee product of all. It's the special substance fed to a specific female bee that transforms her into a queen. Its magic as a skin care ingredient may be in its rich supply of pantothenic acid, which is said to be essential for proper cell development, and therefore helpful in smoothing out those wrinkles. In addition to generous amounts of honey and other bee products, the products in the Apiana Skin Care range contain plant extracts, oils, and lanolin–no mineral oils/no animal by-products.

Apiana Soaps are long-lasting, superfatted vegetable based soaps that are mild enough for the most sensitive skin. They are available in individual gift boxes, 2-bar, 3-bar, and 4-bar gift boxes, a mini size, and in a handmade wooden crate which holds 24 bars.