ALEPPO SOAP: PROPERTIES, USES AND BENEFITS FOR THE SKIN - BEAUTY

It cleanses, nourishes and disinfects the skin: discover the properties and uses of Aleppo soap

Coming from the Syrian city of the same name, Aleppo soap is a natural soap for personal hygiene based on olive oil and laurel oil.
Characterized by excellent antiseptic and antibacterial properties, it has been prepared for over 9 centuries according to the ancient saponification rituals and without added preservatives.

Historical notes: how it is produced

The production of Aleppo soap has become a real art, which requires long drying times as well as care and knowledge of the methodologies. The process begins in November after the olive harvest and ends after almost a year.

The first phase, cooking, involves the use of large emulsifiers heated with a wood-fired fire. The olive oil is cooked over low heat for several days, during this operation a variable percentage of laurel oil and sodium hydroxide is added, which allows the transformation of fatty substances, into the product we know as "soap" .

Subsequently solidification begins and after a few weeks we move on to cutting into blocks and then to stamping.

We are now ready for the last phase, drying; the soap can be considered ready when it acquires the characteristic straw color, given by the oxidation, which can be more or less intense.

Property

The properties of aleppo soap are linked to its constituent substances: bay leaf oil and olive oil. The first has antiseptic and healing abilities, stretches the skin, opens the pores favoring a thorough cleaning and eliminates the bacteria responsible for bad odors, but at the same time it is not too aggressive because it nourishes the skin and is thus also suitable for the most epidermis. sensitive.

Olive oil, on the other hand, contains vitamin E and polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

Furthermore, this soap does not contain aggressive surfactants and its particular natural scent has a real relaxing effect on the senses.

Uses and benefits

The uses of Aleppo soap are many and are not limited to cleansing. It is in fact an excellent make-up remover for the face, it can be used for shaving and also as a nourishing and purifying beauty mask for the skin.

For the hair, on the other hand, it can be used as a shampoo and rinsed with water and vinegar, to bring the pH back to optimal levels. It is also convenient to always keep within reach to wash your hands without drying the skin.

Even outside of cosmetics, Aleppo soap is widely used, especially for its anti-moth effect, so you can put it in drawers and cabinets without using chemicals, and, if you reduce it to flakes, you can use it as a detergent. for washing by hand or in the washing machine.

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