Marseille Soap

Marseille Soap

Browse our Marseille Soaps below

How Marseille Soap is made

• Marseille Soap is a delicate mixture of olive oil and vegetable oils, alkaline ash (derived from sea plants) and salted water from the Mediterranean.

• Originally only olive oil was used (and failure to do so was punishable by law), but when manufacturing processes introduced the use of soda in the soap, other oils were introduced to prevent the soap being too hard and brittle.

• First step is the emulsion of the oils and lye in large vats.

• The mixture is slowly heated in cauldrons.

• Impurities are removed from the cauldron in a complex filtering process (carried out three times).

• When to pour and let it harden is a closely guarded secret, passed down from one Master to the next.

• Marseille is the center of the manufacturing of the soap, and this industry also spun off a candle manufacturing, using by products of the soap manufacturing process. The process has also been exported to other countries, and Marseille soap can be produced in Italy as well as France, for example.

• The soap is cooled and cut into cubes and stamps before being set out to dry and harden outside.

• Authentic Marseille soap is stamped with the name and also the weight of the soap in grams.
  

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Types of Marseille soap

• Traditionally the cubes are green or white.  The white cubes are usually made with palm oil and the green ones with at least 50% olive oil. 

• Now colored cubes are also available, with lavender scent and other scents.

• Both types are very moisturizing and gentle, suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

Why use Marseille soap ?

• It is all natural and still gentle. This soap can be used for babies and for the most sensitive skins.
• It is used in French households for everything from laundry to washing faces (and helps sensitive skins for people with allergies, so try it in laundry too). Many use it as a shampoo as well.
• Dermatologists recommend it!
• Vegetable oils means the soap is bio-degradable and less harmful to the environment.
• Not tested on Animals
• Economical. Even taking importing and shipping into consideration, Marseille soap is still remarkably cost effective and lasts longer than most soaps.
• For ease of use, you can cut smaller pieces, or shave into flakes.

Browse our Marseille Soaps below