I resisted trying Alep soap and making this Aleppo soap recipe for the longest time, even though my mom kept telling me about Aleppo soap benefits and how just how good this soap is for my skin. The thing is, it has a weird greenish-brown color and that kind of put me off. Boy, was I wrong!
It’s become my new favorite soap and I am so happy I know where to buy good quality Aleppo soap online here. I use to always get the DR browner soaps since they are all natural and do not contain nasty chemicals such as EDTA, Parabens, triclosan, dioxane or Sodium lauryl sulfate. I’ve been using DR browner soap for years but since I take a shower twice a day and that this soap is kind of potent, it is drying for my skin and I ended up having very itchy skin, especially on days when the humidity in the air is low!
Alep soap, also known as Aleppo soap or Laurel soap, is a hard soap similar to Castile soap. It is also made from olive oil and lye, but it also has laurel berry oil in it. Laurel berry oil comes from the berries of the same Mediterranean tree that gives us bay leaves! It’s other names, Alep or Aleppo soap, come from the city in which it was first made: Aleppo in modern-day Syria.
Aleppo soap is thought to be the oldest form of soap in the world and said to have been used by Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and Queen Zenobia of the Palmyrene Empire. If it is fit for a queen, then it is made for me or you 🙂
The laurel berry oil is traditionally added at the end of the soap making process, and the higher the laurel content, the more potent and brown the soap will look. This accounts for the variation of colors that range from more green to more brown. The darker brown color is also a signed that the soap is cured for a longer period of time. It is said that the oldest it gets, the better!
Aleppo soap is aged for about a year – this brings the pH level down and makes the soap more durable. In the aging process, the outside of the soap can become a lighter brown, golden color, but the inside will remain green.
Laurel soap has many benefits for the skin due to the combination of olive oil and laurel berry oil. What I like the most about it is how soft and nourished my skin feels after using it. I almost do not need to use moisturizer! It is perfect if you have dry and sensitive skin.
Olive oil is nourishing and moisturizing while laurel oil gently cleanses the skin. This makes it ideal for even the most sensitive skin and it can help relieve eczema, itchiness, and acne. Olive oil, also from a traditionally Mediterranean plant, the olive tree, is highly moisturizing. It’s also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.
Laurel berry oil, from the Mediterranean laurel tree, has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It has a pungent herbal scent. This is why Aleppo soap is also great for acne. It’s not overwhelming, but it is unique!
Together, olive oil and laurel berry oil can alleviate many skin conditions, such as acne and eczema!
Lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally made from ashes. It enables the soap to hold a hard form without adding harsh chemicals or stabilizers to the soap.
Commercial Alep soap makers may add chemical additives, stabilizers, fragrance or coloring. Be sure to check the ingredients of any soap you buy. Remember, real Aleppo soap only has three ingredients: olive oil, laurel oil and lye. Of course, your best option is to go straight to the source to traditional soap makers.
Traditional Aleppo soap may range in color and price depending on the amount of laurel oil used. This can range from 2 to 20% laurel oil. The more laurel oil, the more expensive the soap. I’d suggest experimenting with different soap makers and finding a soap with the concentration of laurel oil that you like the best.
The top quality Aleppo soap still comes from Syria, and many of its factories have been destroyed in the ongoing Civil War there, making this soap tricky to find at times.You can find the real aleppo soap here that contains 20% laurel berry oil currently, the price is $18 because it is becoming rare. There are also Aleppo soaps make in Turkey that are still good quality about $5 from la maison du savon.
Alep soap is not hard to make if you know how to make soap, but it can be hard to find good quality laurel berry oil – and it can be expensive. You can try this aleppo soap recipe from the nerdy wife.
Look for organic laurel berry oil from producers based in the Mediterranean, but it does not necessarily need to come from Syria. You can find laurel berry oil on Amazon here – 100 ml for $14
Remember, when you finish making your soap it will be a greenish color. You will need to age it for 9 months to get the traditional golden brown color. Aging it makes it better suited for more sensitive skin types as well as more durable!
I’d love to know if you have tried Aleppo soap and what are your thoughts on Aleppo soap benefits for the skin? Let me know in the comments below what kind of soap you are using on a daily basis.
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hi thanks for the article IAM confused about Aleppo soap need it to wash my hair but which will be good for short thin to fine hair gets oily root and dandruff for men I mean percentage of Laurel I forgot nice picture thanks
yes you can use it on your hair!
Hi Eve,
I have been using Aleppo soap for about five years now on and off. I would buy a lot of, if I saw it in a specialist soap shop. It is hard to come by. I use my Aleppo on my face, body and my hair. I particulary love to wash my hair with it. My hair is fine and becomes oily very quickly. Normal shampoos see me washing every second day but the Aleppo soap I can wash it again in three or four days. My complection always feels lovely and soft and smooth. I am now 67 with a combination skin type and use a light moisturiser morning and night. I have always been a lover of natural soaps so the Aleppo soap was that much better. I use the 35% Laurel and olive soap.
thanks for sharing Dawn, love aleppo soap!
I never tried on my hair but definitely will :-)
I make my Aleppo soap in 20% and 40% laurel berry fruit oil. I have done h.p. and c.p. I get my laurel for around $60 from Bescented. My Dr. is from Syria, so I have given him a couple of bars to try. He was astonished that I had even heard of it, much less made it.
Hello Eve. thanks for the info. I have been an RN for 46 yrs and have been making my soap for many years. I try to use mostly organic ingredients, but since I am retired I have to look for the best but reasonably priced ingredients.
I have lots of offerings in my small product line and have been making face products and serums, in which I do use organic ingred., they are a hit and people come back for more. I want to stay small and do not have a web site, because I want to be free. Since I am a nurse and nutrition and all natural is very important to me, at my festivals and farmers markets I have the opportunity to teach my customers about the helpful oils,etc, but about importance of eating well & putting only natural into our bodies.
Thanks for dropping by Julie!