Our Story

I visited Borneo, the Amazon of the East, for a friend's wedding.

There, he encountered rare stingless bee honey and propolis, which he was captivated by their power, a gift from nature.
POTO's product development has begun.

As I learned about stingless bees and the environmental problems facing Borneo,
To pass on this nature to future generations,
I want to create things as responsibly as possible.
This idea is the foundation of POTO.

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Another thing we at POTO value is "excitement"

We put our heart and soul into creating this product so that you will feel excited the moment you open the box.

I hope to become a brand that people will continue to use and think, "This soap is great."

And through POTO products,
The rich natural beauty of Malaysia, including Borneo,
I would be very happy if you could also think about stingless bees and the work of beekeepers.

Borneo, a natural paradise

Borneo, Malaysia, is the third largest island in Southeast Asia. Known as a "treasure trove of nature and a paradise," this island is home to a rich, untouched tropical rainforest stretching directly under the equator, Mount Kinabalu, a World Heritage Site, various plants endemic to Borneo, orangutans, Borneo elephants, and other diverse life forms that can only be encountered there.

Stingless bees, stingless bees

As their name suggests, stingless bees are small bees, about 3 to 10 mm in length, that do not sting like honeybees because their stingers have degenerated.
Although bees are not familiar in Japan, there are about 400 to 500 species that live in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, and it is said that there are about 35 species of stingless bees on the island of Borneo alone.

Honeypot

Stingless bees build nests between trees and rocks to protect themselves from predators. These nests are not the familiar hexagonal honeycomb structure, but rather complex structures made of countless connected brown, round pots called "honeypots" (pollen pots) made from resin-derived propolis.
Because honey pots store nectar and pollen, propolis is naturally dissolved into honey that has been aged in honey pots.

Sweet and sour, smooth honey

Stingless bee honey, which contains polyphenols derived from propolis, is dark and has a sweet and sour taste. It has a lower sugar content than regular honey, so it is not too sweet. It is smooth enough that you can drink it directly from the hive with a straw, and it is resistant to crystallization, making it easy to absorb.

The natural power of honey and propolis

Propolis is known as "nature's antibiotic" and is considered a panacea.
The antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of stingless bee honey and propolis promote skin turnover, improve skin texture, and are effective in preventing rough skin. They also have moisturizing effects, prevent blemishes and wrinkles, suppress acne-causing bacteria, and prevent body odor.

Cold process

POTO Natural Soap is made using the "cold process" method, which involves aging the ingredients for about a month using only reactive heat without adding heat to the ingredients. This allows the ingredients to be trapped in the soap without being destroyed, and the natural moisturizing ingredient glycerin remains intact in the soap, leaving your skin feeling moisturized after washing.
In addition, the propolis used is not dissolved in water or ethanol, but is made from crushed propolis chunks, which allows valuable components such as polyphenols to be preserved in their entirety.
Although it is not suitable for mass production, it is a high-quality soap that is gentle on the skin and is made carefully over time.

Fair Trade Initiatives