Marseille soap or Savon de Marseille (French pronunciation: [savɔ̃ maʁsɛj]) is a traditional hard soap made from vegetable oils that has been produced around Marseille, France, for about 600 years. The first documented soapmaker was recorded from the city in about 1370.[1] By 1688, Louis XIV introduced regulations in the Edict of Colbert limiting the use of the name Savon de Marseille to olive oil based soaps.[2] The law has since been amended to allow other vegetable oils to be used.

Marius Fabre Marseille soap in blocks of 600 g

By 1913, production had reached 180,000 tons. Thus, in 1924, there were 122 soapmaking companies in the Marseille and Salon-de-Provence areas combined.[3] However as of 2023, there were only four remaining, all part of an association called Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM).[4]

Production

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Marseille soap on sale in a street market of Marseille

Traditionally, the soap is made by mixing sea water from the Mediterranean Sea, olive oil, and the alkaline ash from sea plants together in a large cauldron (usually making about 8 tons).[5] This mixture is then heated for several days while being stirred continuously. The mixture is allowed to sit until ready and is then poured into a mold and allowed to set slightly. While still soft it is cut into bars, stamped, and left to completely harden. The whole process can take fourteen days to a month.[6]

Today

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Today there are two main types of Marseille soap. The original greenish-hued variety made with olive oil, and a white one made of palm and coconut oil mixture.[2] Originally sold only in 5 kg (11 lb) and 20 kg (44 lb) blocks, they usually come in 300 g (11 oz) and 600 g (21 oz) squares nowadays. Though smaller and larger sizes are available, from 15 g (0.53 oz) "guest soap" up to a 10 kg (22 lb) self-slicing block.[7]

Marseille soap is frequently used for domestic cleaning, including hand-washing of delicate garments such as those made of wool or silk. In its liquid form it is commonly sold as a hand soap. It can also be used in agriculture as a pesticide.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Marseille Soap a brief History". frenchly.us. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Association des Fabricants de Savon de Marseille". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  3. ^ "L'histoire du Savon de Marseille". marius-fabre.com (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. ^ "UPSM – Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille" (in French). Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  5. ^ "About Savon de Marseille". Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Cooking Marseille soap". marius-fabre.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Savon de Marseille bloc olive 10kg". savon-de-marseille.com (in French). Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Sapone di Marsiglia come antiparassitario per l'orto". Coltivazione Biologica (in Italian). 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2019-09-14.