Natural soaps

When we turn to an environmentally conscious lifestyle, the question arises as to which soap to use. We often hear the names Marseille soap, black soap, Aleppo soap or castile soap when talking about natural soaps, but what are their differences, and for what uses?
I give you informations on the main ones.

Aleppo soap

History: The first soap factories were located in Aleppo, Syria. Aleppo soap is the first hard soap in the world. 
 
Manufacturing: It is 100% natural, made by artisans from a water base , natural soda (or salicorne ash), olive oil and bay laurel oil. The higher the % of bay laurel oil, the more purifying the soap will be. Aleppo soap has a brown crust and a green inside.
Before being marketed, an Aleppo soap has been aged in a cellar for 6 months to 3 years.
 
Properties: Aleppo soap is recommended for people suffering from eczema, psoriasis, dermatosis, acne, candidiasis. It is also suitable for babies and even for diaper rash.
Hypoallergenic, it has extra oil thanks to the addition of bay laurel oil after the saponification process.  Bay Laurel oil has soothing, antiseptic and disinfecting properties.
Aleppo soap also has healing and antibacterial properties. 
Hot saponification.

Uses:

• It is recommended for people with skin problems. It can be used for facial and body cleansing and even as a shampoo.
• You can use it to clean small wounds such as cuts, stings or scratches.
• Similarly, if you have a dry scalp, Aleppo soap nourishes the skin and reduces irritation and dandruff. (to be used twice a week)

 
Be aware....
The real Aleppo soap must have a seal indicating the manufacturer. 
It is never found with the mention "organic" although all its ingredients are natural.
Since the beginning of the war in Syria, most soap manufacturers in Aleppo have settled elsewhere in Syria or Turkey.
The plus......
It does not contain palm oil. 
It is biodegradable and environmentally friendly

Black soap or soft soap

History: The first black soap was developed by the Yoruba people, particularly in Benin, Togo and Nigeria. The Yoruba called it "Ose Dudu" which literally means "black soap"..
 
Manufacturing: Black soap is made from black olives and plant oils. It is found in 2 forms. A smooth, oily paste for body care and scrubbing. It is obtained from a mixture of oil and black olives crushed and macerated in salt and potash. As for its colour, it varies from green, dark brown to black. This depends on the oil used and the manufacturer.  
You can also find liquid household black soap, which is composed of potash and a fat, olive oil, linseed oil or glycerin.
There are also two types of black soap that differ in origin:

• The black soap of Morocco or Beldi the most famous. It is a soap produced from the mixture of olive oil and black olives. Its colour is between black and green or black and brown depending on the amount of oil used. Most of the time, Beldi soap is pasty.
• African black soap that comes from nut husks ashes, palm leaves dissolved in water with a mixture of palm oil and cocoa butter. This soap is also dark in colour, it is solid and becomes soft when in contact with water.

​Properties: naturally fat and rich in vitamin E, black soap has very good exfoliating and moisturizing properties. It is softening and nourishing.
 
Uses: 

• As insect repellent. Use diluted in water (30g/l of water) and sprayed on the leaves. It acts as a contact insecticide.
• Household cleaner, two or three tablespoons diluted in a bucket of warm water are enough to clean at home. It is suitable for all surfaces for degreasing, removing stains, disinfecting and shining.
  
• It cleans tablecloth, napkins, terry towels, but also carpets
  
• Cosmetic use,  can be used for scrubs, as a shower gel diluted with water.
  

 
Be aware...
Do not use household black soap on the body and check the composition as the household  black soaps can contain additives.
The plus...
100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Marseille soap

History: As its name suggests, this soap is made in Marseille or more precisely in the Marseille region. Thus, the first Marseille soap was produced at the end of the 14th century. 
In the 17th century, King Louis XIV regulated the recipe of Marseille soap and instituted that the name "Savon de Marseille" be reserved only for soaps prepared exclusively from 72% olive oil.

Manufacturing:  Real Marseille soap contains 72% plant oils (olive, coconut or palm) and soda. It is made in an ancient cauldron with a slow heating. The result is a product that does not melt easily when used, making it a very economical soap.
Savon de Marseille is traditionally green or white. The white soap is made with palm oil, the green with at least 50% olive oil.
There are two types of Marseille soap:
One for the body containing glycerin which acts as a moisturiser and the household soap, without glycerin, as originally manufactured.
Hot Saponification
 
Uses: 

• Can be used to wash hands, face and body
• For laundry (see my homemade laundry detergent recipe)
• For the household cleaning and even as a dishwashing product

 
Be aware...
There are only 5 artisanal soap factories left in the Marseille region. It can be found in other regions of France. 
The interest being to turn to a traditional Marseille soap containing 72% oil.
There is a lot of industrially produced Marseille soap, especially from China and Turkey. Avoid buying it in the supermarket and take a good look at the list of ingredients because industrial Marseille soap contains products that can be harmful to health, including preservatives, colorants, synthetic products and palm oil.
The plus......
Traditional Marseille soap is economical, ecological and biodegradable.

Castile Soap

History: Castile soap was created several centuries ago in Spain, more precisely in the region of Castile (hence its name). Renowned for its softness on the skin, this soap was once a luxury product that only royal families had the privilege of using.
 
Manufacturing: Castile soap is made of plant oils mixed with alkali - sodium hydroxide for the solid form, potassium hydroxide  for the liquid form. This soap does not contain artificial foaming agents, aggressive detergents, fatty acids extracted from vegetable oils or fats, petrochemicals or antibacterial chemicals. 
Generally, a Castilian soap is composed only of olive oil. The moisturizing and repairing properties of olive oil give it its properties. However, it is very sparse and quite viscous. This is the reason why contemporary soap manufacturers have added essential oils to flavor it, foaming agents and/or colorants.
It is therefore now difficult to find soap from Castile containing 100% olive oil, but its composition remains very largely rich in this oil (more than 80%).
Saponification: cold
 
Uses:

• Floor cleaner
• Dishwashing liquid
• Hand and body cleanser
• Multi-purpose cleaner
• and much more
  

 
Be aware...
It is more easily found in liquid form. Read the composition carefully. The most famous brand in the US is Dr Bronner's (the recipe has been modified and their Castile soap now contains palm oil (however from fair trade)) 
The plus...
Economical, biodegradable and ecological

A word about saponification.
It is a chemical reaction between a fatty substance and an alkaline substance. This reaction can be obtained either hot or cold.

• Hot process, the temperature of the fats is raised to about 120°C for a certain period of time to accelerate the saponification process (this method is mainly used for the manufacture of industrial soaps) 
• Cold process, i. e. at room temperature. This is slow and can last several weeks. Cold-saponified soaps are often "surgras", i.e. they contain a significant amount of vegetable oil. This excess fat allows your skin to benefit from the nourishing, moisturizing (thanks to the glycerin that is naturally present) and antioxidant (thanks to the natural presence of vitamin E) qualities of the oils.  Choosing cold saponification means choosing a manufacturing method that respects your skin, but also the environment. 

 
Can you make your own soaps?
Yes, of course, but making real soaps requires experience, preparation and above all, caution.

• The ingredients. Soda or potash, necessary for soap making, are caustic products that can attack the skin, eyes and clothing. It is therefore necessary to wear protective equipment (gloves and goggles) and to comply with the required safety rules.
• The recipe. Each vegetable oil or butter has its own saponification index. This refers to the quantity of soda or potash required to transform it into soap. Careful calculations are essential to avoid obtaining a caustic soap that would cause serious irritation. It is also necessary to know and master other concepts, such as the rate of overfattening, the presence of the trace, etc.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6225244/
https://www.drbronner.com/all-one-blog/2017/06/dilutions-cheat-sheet-dr-bronners-pure-castile-soap/