Steven and Simone Nikander Højlund have launched ÆLOA, a Danish webshop that sells only plastic free products for the kitchen, bathroom and body. Everything ships from Denmark in plastic free packaging.
A new Danish brand wants to make the plastic free home easy. æloa.dk sells soaps, brushes, sponges, cloths and personal care products with no plastic and no endocrine disrupting chemicals. The shop is run from Copenhagen by the married couple Steven Nikander Højlund and Simone Nikander Højlund.
What ÆLOA sells
The range is organized by room: the kitchen, the bathroom and the body. Customers can also shop by need, such as dishwashing, food storage, hair care, skin care and cleaning. For newcomers, ÆLOA bundles products into starter kits, which are currently 10% off.
Prices are aimed at everyday use rather than luxury gifting. Beeswax food wraps that replace cling film cost 99 kroner for three, and fluoride toothpaste tablets in a tin cost 35 kroner. A vegan pine and cedar soap bar costs 59 kroner.
Why microplastics matter to the founders
The pitch is about health as much as the environment. On its about page, ÆLOA points out that researchers have found microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas and breast milk. The company is careful to add that science cannot yet say what this means for long term health.
ÆLOA’s answer is precaution. Substances like phthalates and BPA were once hard to prove harmful and are now restricted, the shop notes. When alternatives already exist and work well, the founders see switching as common sense.
The brand also gives back. According to ÆLOA, 1% of every purchase goes to Plastic Change, a Danish organization fighting plastic pollution.
A family project from Copenhagen
Simone Nikander Højlund is the voice of the shop. On the website, Simone describes the cleanest choice as also the most beautiful one, and the one a family deserves.
Steven Nikander Højlund is also the founder of The Danish Dream. ÆLOA is operated by The Danish Dream Media Group ApS, the same company that publishes this site.
What it means for internationals
One practical hurdle with green shopping in Denmark is language. Product labels in Danish supermarkets are in Danish, and checking every item for plastic takes time. ÆLOA’s promise is that every product has already been screened, so there are no labels to decode.
The webshop is in Danish, but the categories are easy to follow with a browser translation. Prices are in kroner, and shipping to a parcel shop is free on orders over 599 kroner.
If you are setting up a home here, the starter kits replace kitchen and bathroom basics in one go. Planning the move? Our guide to a realistic budget for living in Denmark covers the bigger costs.
Disclosure: ÆLOA is owned by The Danish Dream Media Group ApS, which also publishes The Danish Dream. Its cofounder, Steven Nikander Højlund, founded this site.
