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Savon de Marseille - Natural
Marseille Soap - More Information
In
the Mediterranean Basin, the Arabs were the first to develop
soap with a sea salt base that was later used in North Africa,
Spain, and in Provence. In the ninth century, Marseille became
the centre of soap manufacturing. During the Renaissance,
Italian perfumers brought their expertise and "luxury
soaps" (scented savonettes) were introduced. In the middle
of the 20th century, the soap makers of the North of France
developed a soap industry based on animal fats whereas soap
makers in Marseille refused to abandon their use of vegetable
oils. Competition was harsh and unbalanced as the cost of
animal fats was substantially lower to that of vegetable oils.
As a result, the soap industry in Marseille declined but remained
true to its principles.
The
first recipe for Marseille soap can be found in the 1751 Encyclopédie
by Diderot and d'Alembert. By French law, any soap called
"Marseille" must be made with a minimum of 72% vegetable
oil and have no fragrance or colour added to it. Soap is made
by mixing oil, water and soda and boiling them in huge caldrons
for 6 or 7 days. At that time, the soap acquires a violet
scent. When olive oil is used, the paste shows a green coloration;
when other vegetable oils are used, the paste is yellow-beige.
The mixture is then placed in low basins and left to dry for
about two weeks when it is ready to be cut and stamped, either
by hand or by machine. There is no additional processing or
milling to make the soap hard and smooth; each batch of soap
is a little bit different. Newly made soap is wet with moisture
and very soft. When the soap is cut by hand, as in the case
of our cubes of Marseille Soap, the soap requires a full month
to dry. The dryer the soap is, the longer it lasts! Sometimes,
the soft soaps will twist and lose their shape as they dry.
The olive oil soaps will also change colour, fading from dark
green to light green, even tan and ochre: it is the result
of the natural oxidation of the olive oil in the soap.
In
some Marseille-style soaps, essential oils are added to the
Marseille base to give fragrance and therapeutic properties
to the soap (essential oils are the concentrated aromatic
oils of plant leaves, flowers, seeds, barks, roots and the
rind of some fruits).
Marseille
and Marseille-style soaps are all natural, vegetable based
and biodegradable; they are free of alcohol and synthetics.
Non-drying and very moisturising, they make a perfect choice
for sensitive skins. These gentle soaps are still used in
French households. In rural areas, it often is the only soap
to be found in the house and is used in the kitchen, bath
and laundry.
Marseille
Soap Cube Ingredients:
Olive/Palm
Oil, Coconut Oil, Water, Sodium Chloride.
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