Levon Handsome Founder of Joe-Le Soap [INTERVIEW]

Levon Handsome, founder of Joe-Le Soap, has an interesting entrepreneurial journey. Creating the brand back in 2018, Levon and her husband Joseph set out to create soaps and butters for the most sensitive of skin. The goal was to create an all-natural skincare line that was safe for all users, specifically those impacted by skin cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, eczema, and alopecia – something that hit close to home. In January of 2022, the brand and the family dynamic took a tremendous blow and suffered a tremendous loss with the devastating passing of Joseph. Although heart-broken, Levon has pushed to further the legacy of the brand, and her endless commitment to creating products that help the skin, and not harm it. The brand has since expanded to offer body butters, lip conditioners, hair care solutions, puppy shampoos and more.

The story behind the launch of Joe-Le Soap…

In the US alone, 32 million people have at least one form of eczema. At Joe-Le Soap over 70% of our customers have some form of eczema. Our skin gets the brunt of weather, aging and our environment – we shouldn’t also have to worry about the products we use.

My husband, our original co-founder, created a meticulous baseline recipe to help with his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This recipe has grown into a product line helping our customers with rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, and lymphoma.

All our products are handmade, in small batches, vegan and paraben-free which creates a safe environment for skin to thrive and be healthy. Containing natural and plant-based oils, we pride ourselves on creating a skincare line with straightforward ingredients. Our soaps are cold-processed and contain no synthetic fragrances or artificial ingredients.

The one skincare product she cannot live without:

The Joe-Le Soap Apricot Seed Body Butter. It’s creamy, dreamy, and is great on not only my body all times of the year, but serves as an excellent facial moisturizer after a nice cleansing. Not only that, but it smells amazing! (P.S. This product is great for eczema!)

Levon’s favorite beauty tip:

The keys to great skin are staying active, staying hydrated, vitamin C, exfoliation, and sleep. Prioritizing your overall wellness is absolutely the secret to nourishing your skin.

What is next for Joe-Le Soap?

We are constantly working on coming up with new and exciting product ideas that our customers will love. Right now, we are working on an essential oils line and a vitamin cocktail spray! These will be great for holistic body and skincare!

Levon’s favorite cocktail…

My favorite cocktail is a good whiskey neat, something like Crown Royal Peach!

About Joe-Le Soap

Joe-Le Soaps specializes in small batch, 100% natural, plant-based, eczema-friendly, artisan, organic soaps, body butters, hair butters & lip conditioners. Charlotte-based, the Joe-Le Soap brand was started in 2018 by native Charlottean Levon Handsome. Levon and her husband Joseph Handsome’s direct exposure to diseases such as Skin Cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Eczema, and Alopecia inevitably sparked a passion for a product line that would help others with skin conditions that required a fine-tooth comb over ingredient lists. Motivated by her individual skin complications and inspired by Joseph’s condition and his curiosity for soap making. The goal was to provide an all natural skincare line that was as safe to use for everyone else as it was for them. A Local, Family Run, HUB Certified, Minority Owned, Woman Led, Small Business.

To learn more visit joe-lesoap.com.