Olive vs White Marseille Soap

The distinction between olive and white Marseille soap lies in the oils used to produce the soap.

Olive Marseille soap is produced from olive oil. It produces a lower, creamier lather and is particularly effective at breaking down oily residues such as cooking fats or body oils. For this reason it has long been used for laundry stain treatment and kitchen degreasing.

White or natural Marseille soap is produced from a blend of vegetable oils. It produces more visible foam during washing and functions as a balanced, general household soap for laundry and cleaning.

The difference therefore lies in oil composition and washing behaviour, rather than cleaning strength.

Household Cleaning Bars

Household Marseille bars are the same Traditional Savon de Marseille soaps with an added mineral to boost particular cleaning tasks around the home.

They are commonly used for dishwashing, scrubbing cookware, cleaning sinks where ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda are beneficial.

Marseille Soap for Laundry

Savon de Marseille used for laundry is often dissolved in hot water to prepare a liquid or gel before being added to the washing machine.

Preparing the soap in this way serves several practical purposes. It creates a ready-to-use laundry liquid that can be measured easily for each wash. It also allows the soap to disperse more effectively in the harder water conditions found across much of the UK, which differ from the softer waters traditionally associated with southern France.

Modern washing machines frequently run at lower temperatures. At 30–40°C washes, dry flakes may not always dissolve fully, which can leave traces of undissolved soap on fabric.

Preparing the soap in advance ensures it is fully dissolved and distributed evenly throughout the wash.

Soap flakes simply provide Marseille soap already grated, removing the need to grate a cube or bar before preparing the mixture.