the virtues of the oldest soap in the world

Formulated with olive oil, this ancestral recipe soap is back in the spotlight, riding the wave of popularity of solid cosmetics. We tell you all about this brown bar soap that has everything!

With its recipe unchanged for 3500 years, Aleppo soap acts as a veteran in the field of solid cosmetics. Several millennia after its creation, it has become a staple in our bathrooms and for good reason: its natural composition rich in vegetable oils makes it a great asset for the skin and for the environment. A brief overview of the benefits of this soap to which we lend many uses.

Where does the Aleppo show come from?

Created in Syria, in the city of Aleppo several thousand years ago, this soap is undoubtedly one of the oldest soaps in the world. Ancestor of solid cosmetics? Like what, from a thousand-year-old soap to a chewable toothpaste, there is only one step! Aleppo soap probably arrived in our regions, in Europe, during the crusades of the 12th century. Does it remind you of another well known soap from us? It is quite possible that Marseille soap is, in fact, inspired by its mythical recipe based on olive oil.

Still traditionally designed with pure artisanal know-how in Aleppo, its production has unfortunately suffered from the war that has raged in Syria for several years. It has therefore been partly relocated abroad and in particular to France where certain soap makers continue its ancestral manufacture.

A natural composition

Who is making a comeback in natural hygiene and beauty rituals at home? Aleppo soap! Made from olive oil, this product from nature also contains vegetable soda, water and a signature active: bay laurel oil. Its plant-based formula, short and ancestral, contains no synthetic ingredients, solvents, dyes or perfume fixatives. It must be said that almost 4000 years ago, all this did not yet exist. But more surprisingly, it is also devoid of animal fat since it is 100% vegetable and does not contain palm oil either. Ecological, authentic, natural, and fully biodegradable, it is no wonder that this exceptional soap is enjoying a new notoriety.

Traditional manufacturing

Even today, real Aleppo soaps are made according to an ancestral method: olive oil, water and vegetable soda are mixed in an underground tank. Everything is then heated to a boil in copper cauldrons for three days in order to obtain saponification. As olive oil turns into liquid soap through a chemical reaction, bay laurel oil is added to complete the process. The resulting paste is then spread on the floor, and is smoothed on the surface while it cools. Traditionally, we walked on it with wooden planks to even out its thickness before cutting the loaves by hand. These are then stored in a cellar sheltered from light to begin “drying” which will last between six months and three years. At the end of the process, there are small blocks of compact soap that are brown on the outside and khaki green on the inside.

Its virtues for the skin

Olive oil, rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, has ultra hydrating and nourishing powers. As for bay laurel oil, it is known for its purifying, antiseptic and soothing properties. It is also the latter which gives the soap its particular smell. Aleppo soap is ideal for a hygiene ritual in the shower, it purifies the skin while preserving it from drying out. Be careful though if you have very dry skin, because if its irreproachable and hypoallergenic composition is gentle on the skin, its pH (rather neutral) still differs from the cutaneous pH which has more acidity (5/6). Since these types of skin take longer to reconstitute their hydrolipidic barrier, it is better to favor a soap-free cleansing treatment. On the other hand, it takes great care of dry, normal, oily skin, and can even give your skin a boost if you have psoriasis. Aleppo soap helps to soothe and reduce inflammation, and its fat softens dry patches on the surface.

Good for buttons?

Thanks to its natural and vegetable composition rich in oils, Aleppo soap is considered to be an ultra-rich soap and can be used on the body as well as on the face. To purify the skin and rid it of imperfections, apply its creamy mousse all over the face like a homemade mask. Wait a minute (it works very quickly!) Then rinse thoroughly. Small flat if you suffer from severe acne. Although opinions differ because its formidable cleansing properties indeed dry out pimples, they risk stimulating the production of sebum and aggravating inflammation.

Its properties on the hair

Thanks to its cleansing properties from bay laurel oil, Aleppo soap works wonders on oily hair (and especially on the roots) since it purifies the scalp by absorbing excess sebum. It also fights effectively against dandruff without stripping the scalp. To do this, simply lather a little soap in the palms of the hands and then apply it to the skull, massaging gently. To be done once or twice a week at most. For normal hair, it is possible to use this soap during the holidays, after a day at the beach to remove sea salt and sand, for example.

The many powers of Aleppo soap

By lathering it on the face, armpits, torso or legs, it becomes a perfect shaving foam that acts as a shield while preserving fragile areas of the skin thanks to its soothing and disinfecting benefits.
It also has anti-moth properties, it relieves mosquito bites and can serve as an effective base for making homemade laundry (like its little brother, Marseille soap).

How to choose your Aleppo soap?

Depending on your skin: it all depends on their care needs! Several selection criteria must therefore be taken into account. Starting with the rate of bay laurel oil (with astringent power as a reminder) which varies greatly from one soap to another. Choose this rate according to your skin type: low (between 5 to 15%) if you have dry, sensitive or reactive skin. Oily skin can go up to a rate of 25 to 40%. Note, however, that the higher the rate of bay laurel oil, the more expensive the soap will be.

Authentic composition : prefer an organic soap to the original recipe, to find in all the good departments of beauty products of organic stores or even on the Internet by delivery. Be careful, some imitations contain animal fat which, in addition to not being vegan friendly, can have a comedogenic role. If in doubt, just look at the inci list of ingredients: if you see for example sodium tallowate and or sodium lardate, it is a forgery. Do you want the authentic? BeauTerra offers soaps with formulas containing 97 and 100% natural ingredients. And Karawan Authentic has established a fair trade chain with producers in Syria to guarantee know-how from oriental traditions.

Aleppo soap 20% quality, Karawan Authentic, € 8 for 200g

Aleppo soap 20% laurel, BeauTerra, around € 5 for 160g

Beware of infant skin

Even if the composition of the soap is safe and does not present any risk, one should not forget that the skin of the babies is particularly fragile, much more than that of the adults. We therefore avoid using it on infants as a precautionary principle, so as not to attack their delicate skin.

How to keep it?

Like any solid soap, Aleppo soap must be kept dry after use, either by drying it on a dedicated support, or on loofah, a natural and highly effective soap dish.


Our recipe for a successful homemade soap

Video by Louise Lethiec

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