What Is Aleppo Soap? Olive and Laurel Oil Explained

Aleppo soap is one of the oldest styles of soap still made today. It comes from the Syrian city of Aleppo and is easy to recognize: a golden-brown cube that is green inside.

The ingredients

Traditional Aleppo soap uses just a few ingredients:

• Olive oil.
• Laurel berry oil (bay laurel oil).
• Lye and water.

Because it is mainly olive oil, it is classed as a type of castile soap.

How it is made

Traditionally, olive oil, water and lye are cooked for days in large vats. Laurel oil is added near the end, the soap is spread on the floor to set, then cut into cubes and stacked so air can circulate. The cubes age for six months to a year. Over that time the outside turns golden while the inside stays green.

In 2024, UNESCO recognized the craft of Aleppo soap making as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

What the laurel percentage means

Labels often show a laurel oil percentage, typically from about 2% to 20% or more. Higher percentages are considered more premium and have a stronger herbal scent. Many sellers suggest lower levels for everyday use.

How to spot real Aleppo soap

• Color: golden-brown on the outside, green inside when cut. The outer color comes from aging.
• Stamp: traditional bars carry the maker's stamp pressed into the surface.
• Ingredients: olive oil, laurel oil, lye (or sodium hydroxide) and water. Extra fragrances or colorants are not traditional.
• Laurel percentage: usually stated on the label.
• Weight and shape: often sold as heavy cubes of around 200 g.

Much of today's 'Aleppo-style' soap is made in Turkey, France or elsewhere, following the same recipe. That does not make it worse, but it is worth knowing if origin matters to you.

Choosing a laurel percentage

• Low (around 2% to 5%): milder scent, often suggested for everyday use and for people new to Aleppo soap.
• Medium (around 10% to 15%): a balance of scent and laurel content.
• High (20% and up): stronger herbal scent and usually a higher price. Some people choose these for oily or combination skin, but skin benefits are not well proven.

How to use Aleppo soap

Aleppo soap works for hands, body and face, and some people also use it to wash hair, though it can leave hair feeling coated in hard water. Because it is a long-aged olive oil soap, it lathers gently rather than foaming up. Wet the cube, rub it between your hands, and apply the lather. Let it dry on a draining dish between uses, and it will last a long time.

Aleppo soap vs Marseille soap

Marseille soap is another historic olive oil soap, from southern France. Traditional Marseille soap is cooked in cauldrons like Aleppo soap but does not contain laurel oil, and many modern Marseille soaps include other vegetable oils. Both are classic, simple, plant-based soaps.

What it is like to use

• Gentle, with a modest lather.
• A distinctive natural herbal smell from the laurel oil.
• Lasts a long time thanks to the long aging.

Be wary of strong treatment claims. Some sellers say high-laurel bars help skin conditions, but that is not well proven.

Next: olive oil in soap.