Thanks to its natural composition from A to Z, Aleppo soap is a cleanser to be used on all skin types, without moderation. Composed of top quality olive oil, natural soda, laurel berry oil and water, Aleppo soap does not contain any polluting or irritating ingredients, nor oleaginous derivatives or perfumes. Thanks to its gentle formula, it is suitable for all skin types, even the most fragile, such as that of babies. Surgras soap, it rebalances the hydrolipidic film of the epidermis and reconciles the driest skin with soap. Soothing, antiseptic and disinfectant, it therefore calms tightness and can even be used on skin with a dermatological problem, such as acne or eczema.
Handmade Aleppo soap is obtained by a chemical process called hot saponification. The second pressing olive oil, used for its production, is boiled with water and natural soda (extracted from glasswort, for example) in an underground copper tank for three days. The chemical reaction of this heated mixture then transforms the oil into liquid soap:this is called saponification. At the end of this process is added, in greater or lesser quantity, laurel berry oil:it is precisely the dose of this oil that will determine the price (because laurel berry oil is particularly expensive ), but also the ability of Aleppo soap to float or not in contact with water. If its dosage does not exceed 50% of the finished product, the Aleppo soap floats; beyond, its density changes and it sinks steeply. Once the mixture is obtained, the paste is poured on the ground, cut into large cubes, then dried in the sun. The Aleppo soap cubes are then stored for a minimum of 10 months in cellars, sheltered from the sun.
A fan of 100% homemade and natural care? Developing your own Aleppo soap can then be a good solution to get as close as possible to your taste for authenticity. As we do not all live in the desert with the possibility of burying a copper tank, it suffices to transform hot saponification into cold saponification and thus avoid the inconveniences of making Aleppo soap. Even if the result is not exactly the same as the traditional recipe, it does not take away the moisturizing properties of the soap. On a base of 500 g of oils, weigh 375 g of olive oil and 125 g of bay laurel oil, as well as 220 g of washing soda:you can easily find these ingredients in organic shops or pharmacies in your city. Then heat the oils to 30°, in a bain-marie:to do it well, use a kitchen thermometer. Once the temperature has been obtained, pour the washing soda all at once, paying attention to splashes, and mix with a wooden spatula. When the mixture is homogeneous, you have obtained the saponification of your oils:all you have to do is mold the liquid and let it set in the open air for 48 hours. Unmold and let dry for 9 months to obtain complete dehydration of your soaps.
