My little advice to take advantage of a raw, biodegradable, degreasing and cleaning product that lasts a long time is to opt for a real Marseille soap without added glycerin, beware of misuse of names .

How to recognize real Marseille soap?

Real Marseille soap has a simple geometric shape in green or white/beige color . Its color changes according to the predominant vegetable oil, namely green if it is olive oil -based or white/beige if it is palm or copra oil-based. It is generally stamped with its composition (72% vegetable oils) and the name of the soap factory . Traditional Marseille soap does not contain perfume, dyes or preservatives . You will therefore never see a true purple, yellow or pink Marseille soap. Its smell is unique to it. It results from the mixture of the 5 to 6 maximum ingredients that compose it.

The Marseille soap offered on my e-shop comes from the "LE SERAIL" soap factory. This is the last artisanal and traditional soap factory in Marseille based in the Phocaean city, a family business that perpetuates the know-how from generation to generation. Labeled 'Living Heritage Company' by the CCI of Marseille.

Composition and manufacture of Marseille soap

The Marseille soap that I offer on my e-shop I chose it on the one hand because it does not contain palm oil and on the other hand because it is made in the pure tradition, in cauldron .

The saponification process is called the " Marseille process " and is broken down into 5 stages:

• Mash : Vegetable oils are transformed into soap under the action of alkali, sea salt and heat in the cauldron.
• Cooking: The paste is cooked at a temperature of approximately 100° C while regularly removing the spent alkali.
• Washing : The paste is “washed” in cold water. This step is crucial, the master soap maker must watch his cauldron like milk on the fire. The dough is then freed of excess water, impurities contained in fats and glycerin. The master soap maker tastes the paste with the tip of his tongue, while it is still salty he continues washing with fresh water.
• Molding : The mixture is liquid, fluid and without any trace of soda. It is then poured, while it is still hot (between 50 and 70°C), into the “mises” (large moulds). The flow looks suspiciously like molten lava. The soap will then dry for two days, naturally.

Benefits of Marseille soap

Marseille soap is a natural, mild, bactericidal and hypoallergenic product . It is an ally for even the most sensitive skin, soothing, it calms irritations. However, it is possible that Marseille soap dries out some skin, in which case opt instead for a surgras cold soap.

Without synthetic additives, Marseille soap is indicated for babies' laundry or even delicate fabrics .

It is an ally for cleaning all surfaces.

Marseille soap is ecological and completely biodegradable .

Use of Marseille soap

Marseille soap is an effective, traditional and very economical product that can be kept for a long time.

It can be used for personal hygiene . It washes, deodorizes and nourishes the skin. It can be used for all skin types. Without surfactant, some people use it to wash their hair without attacking the scalp (not always convincing the result, it is not suitable for everyone for this use). By choosing a Marseille soap based on olive oil, you can use it in addition to your toothpaste 2 to 3 times a week to protect and cleanse the gums and enamel. For the record, surgeons used Marseille soap until the middle of the 20th century to wash and disinfect their hands before each operation.

Marseille soap is essential in a Zero Waste routine as a cleaning product for the house , laundry and dishes. And little Tips, to remove the labels from the containers, soak them in hot water then rub with Marseille soap before rinsing with clear water.

With Marseille soap it is possible to make a natural and ecological anti-aphid by simply mixing soap shavings with hot water. Then just spray on the infested plant or tree.

Aleppo soap or Marseille soap

Aleppo soap is used as a beauty treatment, Marseille soap can be used for body hygiene, hair care but also as a detergent or cleaner for the home. Atopic skin will prefer the natural benefits of Aleppo soap. Traditional Marseille soap is based on olive oil, Aleppo soap too, but bay laurel oil is added to its composition.

Do your laundry with Marseille soap

To make a detergent, simply dilute a few shavings of Marseille soap in hot water. It will then be necessary to stir the mixture obtained so that it turns into a gel. I also developed a Marseille soap recipe available right here . And finally you can use the cube for washing clothes by hand.

Hummingbird Tip

For followers of the block of Marseille soap, Ayurvedic powders and clays like me, be sure to take care of your pipes . In prevention once or twice a month I mix a handful of citric acid + a handful of baking soda that I sprinkle in the siphon. I pour over a dose of white vinegar . The effervescent reaction will loosen the impurities and clean the piping. Avoid breathing the escaping gas.