Aleppo all natural soap

Your basic Aleppo soap contains olive oil and bay laurel oil, plus potash and water. These ingredients are boiled in a huge cauldron and then, traditionally, pour directly on the ground, flatten and left to dry. Then they are cut in pieces. Traditional Aleppo soap are cut in square, by hand, and are all a little irregular. The Aleppo soap as we know it has been made that way since the 8th century! You can also find them molded and shaped. I prefer the rough looking traditional ones.

Photo of Aleppo soaps drying is used under creative commons from: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons

Not all Aleppo soap contain the same laurel/olive oil ratio. The percentage of laurel oil varies from 2 to 40%. The more laurel oil there is, the more expensive the soap will be.

You should be aware that, like all popular and natural product, some dishonest companies will try to pass junk as real Aleppo soap. They will replace olive oil by palm oil for example. Other will add chemical perfumes and colors to make their soap more credible. Aleppo soaps are not cheap, so if you find a too good to be true deal, stay away. The Aleppo soap will float, not sink, in the water.

Also if you buy Aleppo "shampoo" or "liquid soap" it will certainly not be as pure as the real soap. Addidives are usually added to make lather and change the texture. Always read labels! Try to stick to the rough handmade ones, not the fancier molded soaps (these often are not even made in Aleppo!!).

I can't stand all those strong and persistent perfumes found in commercial laundry detergents. They give me headaches and are just plain bad for your health. There is nothing "natural" about these fragrances, despite what you read on the labels. And I am not even talking about all the chemicals used to clean and brighten your clothes.

Washing Machine image is a courtesy of Zazzle artist WBShockey

I try to use eco-friendly laundry and recently I have started to use Aleppo soap. I buy these soaps in bulk, grate them. You can find pre-grated Aleppo soap, but really it is economical to do it yourself.

If you wash in warm/hot water, just add your grated soap directly into the machine.
If you wash in cold water, it is best to mix your soap in some hot water before, so it dissolve well.
On stains, I will rub the soap bar directly on the stain and soak it a little while. I do that on white clothes, I never tried on color (so you may want to test before doing this!).

You can also make a liquid soap, keep reading, I will explain how to do it.

It is pretty easy to do. You just need a little patience to grate the soap.

Just add your grated Aleppo soap to boiling water. Remove the water from the stove as soon as you put the soap in. Mix well until the soap in dissolved. You need to mix well and constantly, about 8/10 minutes.

Photo of Aleppo soap making is used under creative commons from: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons

If you need to add some water, boil it in another pan...never ever heat your soap mixture. Let it cool and put in bottles. Use it to wash your hands, as a shampoo or use it for laundry!

The color and texture will surprise you. Industrial detergents and soaps are filled with colors, chemical fragrances and various additive to make lather and smooth texture. Your Aleppo liquid soap will not be that smooth, the color is not nice and there is no perfume besides the distinctive smell of laurel oil.

Aleppo soap has been praised for century for it's effectiveness against eczema and psoriasis. My own experience: although I still suffer from eczema, I have less frequent and strong eruptions since I switch to Aleppo soap.

Aleppo soap is good on dry skin. The olive oil it contains has moisturizing properties. So the more olive oil in it the more moisturizing it will be.

Photo of Aleppo soaps used under creative commons from: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons

Aleppo soap has also antiseptic, soothing and disinfectant properties, thank to the bay laurel oil. That is why many people have seen positive effect against their eczema and psoriasis problems. The higher laurel oil proportion in your soap, the more effective it should be. Don't forget the warning I gave you: it's not because it is all natural that you are safe from allergic reactions!

Entrance bridge and moat, The Citadel, Aleppo, Syria by beautifulclicks

This Aleppo soap webpage was last updated by Fanfreluche on January 27 2012