Aleppo soap is a handmade soap. It is the ancestor of Marseille soap, according to sources it has existed for over 4000 years. It is a natural soap made from laurel berry oil and olive oil. It is suitable for all ages and all skins, even baby skins.
There are different types of Aleppo soap, they are differentiated according to their percentage of laurel berry oil.
HOW TO CHOOSE A REAL ALEPPO SOAP?
Avoid problems and look at the labels
To know how to choose a real Aleppo soap, you must first make sure that it was made by a master soap maker in a traditional and artisanal soap factory and exclusively in Aleppo-Syria.
Most commercial soaps are made with animal fat and/or palm oil (even some Marseille soaps). Animal fats clog pores and cause pimples and other discomforts to appear. A real Aleppo soap does not contain any animal matter.
Look at the labels and ban the following animal components:
sodium lardate: pork fat
sodium tallowate: beef fat
Also be aware of the presence of palm oil, a traditional Aleppo soap is without palm oil:
sodium palm: palm oil
With the events in Syria, local production has fallen drastically, and real Aleppo soaps are rarer. This scarcity of the product has led to the production of lower quality soaps that are not made in Syria and even less made with natural ingredients, but nevertheless sold as real Aleppo soaps.
THE NATURAL INGREDIENTS OF ALEPPO SOAP
- LAUREL BERRY OIL
Rich in lauric acid, it is the component that participates in the antiseptic and soothing action. This oil provides a protective barrier against drying out. It is the most expensive ingredient in soap. Thus, the oil content of bay laurel berries has a great influence on the price.
- OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is always the 100% complement of laurel berry oil, it adds nourishing and moisturizing properties.
- SODIUM
It is the element that agglomerates the different ingredients during the saponification process. During the drying process, the sodium evaporates to make way for only natural ingredients.
- WATER
Water is used as a solvent in the manufacture of the product.
To choose an Aleppo soap, you must ensure that there is nothing else than the ingredients mentioned above. No preservatives, no dyes or flavorings and even less animal fat. Only natural hypoallergenic products!
THE VISUAL ASPECT
A real Aleppo soap has the seal of its manufacturer on at least one side. The seal is always written in Arabic.
As an organic cosmetic, it comes in the form of a cube or a rough paving stone not regular and set with a few imperfections. These soaps dry for 9 to 10 months (in order to solidify and evaporate the sodium). Just like wine, soap matures as it dries. This is an essential step.
Classified as superfatted soap, soap cubes are dry and very hard because of the long months of drying. Aleppo soap is light golden brown on the outside and green on the inside.
Depending on its age, Aleppo soap floats in the bath, in a basin or in the sink, Aleppo soaps made according to the ancient tradition float.
