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As mentioned in our General Terms and Conditions, our preparation times, from the day payment was accepted until the day of dispatch, are a maximum of 3 working days. It may vary depending on the number of orders placed.
The name “Marseille soap” is,to date, not protected. A real Marseille soap is: a soap composed of exclusively saponified vegetable oils, without chemical additives, preservatives or perfumes, manufactured in cauldrons according to the Marseille process including 5 manufacturing stages, a geographical origin of theMarseille region. You can recognize it thanks to the “Savon de Marseille” logo of the Union of Marseille SoapProfessionals (UPSM).Le Fer à Cheval is one of the founding members of this association which works for the certification of realMarseille soap.
There are two kinds of Marseille soap: green Marseille soap and beige Marseille soap. They are both saponified using the same process in cauldrons by our Master SoapMakers. The difference between the two lies in their vegetable oil composition. Green soap is obtained from100% olive pomace oil for its nourishing properties.The beige cube is obtained from20% RSPO palm kernel oil and 80% RSPO palm oil used for more than 200 years and imported at the time via the French colonies. They improve the solid consistency of the soap for more practical use. The two soaps (green and beige) are recommended for both washing and household cleaning (floors, etc.).
Please note that we pay great attention to our choice of vegetable oils to offer you excellent quality Marseille soap. We have followed the same manufacturing process and used the same varieties of oils for more than two centuries, which is what makes our Marseille soap authentic, sought after and appreciated for generations. Our oils come from the Mediterranean region for olive oil (Greece, Spain, Italy, and Morocco), and mainly from South-East Asia (Philippines, Malaysia among others) but also from Latin America(Colombia, Honduras among others) for copra, palm kernel and palm oils (RSPO certified).
Our Soap is made up of a minimum of 72% active ingredients made from oil or oil extracts and a maximum of 28% water. The mention 72% oil is written on the sleeve of our Soaps on the upper side.
Olive Marseille Soaps have a rather particular smell. Savonneries have always used olive pomace oil from a second pressing of the olives; the first pressure to supply the agri-food sector. This oil gives this characteristic smell to Marseille soap.
This smell also depends on the percentage of olive pomace oil present in the Soap. The higher the percentage, the stronger the smell. In addition, the fresher the soap, the stronger the smell. Our vegetable Marseille soaps with palm oil do not have this specific smell.
Our Marseille Soaps have a PH of around 10, they differ from neutral PH soaps closer to PH 7. Generally speaking, neutral PH soaps are formulated without a cleansing base, and often contain many preservatives and other cleaning products. synthesis. Our Marseille Soaps, on the contrary, have a higher PH and are recognized for their hyper-cleansing properties.
In addition, made exclusively from 100% natural vegetable oils, our soaps are extra pure and hypoallergenic because they contain no preservatives, perfumes, colorings or other synthetic products.
Marseille soap is a living material with a unique color and shape that can vary over time, and depending on its exposure to air and light.It will nevertheless retain all its qualities and effectiveness. Our grandmothers let it dry for many months in their cupboards so that it becomes extra dry and lasts longer in use. Soap is made up of active ingredients made from oils or oil extracts and a maximum of 21% water.
By losing this water, they lose part of their weight. This is why we state “Net packaging weight” on the packaging. Our quality department ensures that the weight is respected at the end of production.
The Stain Remover Soap is made from recycled soap scraps and the ends of Marseille soap pots with olive oil or palm oil that we recover. The composition is the same as any Marseille soap, namely that there are only vegetable oils, no addition of chemical additives such as perfume, coloring, preservative, or even animal fat. However, as we mix different formulas to make a household soap, we are not able to indicate the exact percentage of each variety of oil.
However, this is not the case for other soaps produced in cubes, soap bars or bars for which we dedicate specific pots.
We would first like to assure you that we pay great attention to the composition and manufacturing of our Marseille Soaps to offer you an authentic and excellent quality product. The saponification of the soap is in fact produced in a cauldron according to the traditional Marseille process passed down by our Master Soap Makers from generation to generation. As for its composition, it is formulated with vegetable oils, without the addition of preservatives, perfumes or colorings. Among these oils is palm oil which has been used for more than 200 years and which was imported via the French colonies; it not only gives its vegetable beige color to the soap but helps improve its consistency for practical use. Being fully aware that there is a great deal of questioning in public opinion about its environmental impact, and although this mainly concerns the agri-food industry, we have been sourcingRSPO (Certified Sustainable Palm Oil) palm oil since April 2019 in accordance with with our values of sustainable and responsible development. Furthermore,we inform you that our range of olive soaps does not contain palm oil.
At present, we can only wait for the official response from the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property) concerning the creation of an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) to protect real Marseille soap.
In fact, three specifications were given to this institute concerning the definition of a true Marseille soap. If their verdict is positive in relation to our specifications, this will allow us to obtain anIGP.
Marius Fabre, the Sérail, the Corvette and our Savonnerie are the founders of the UPSM (Union of Marseille Soap Professionals).
In our opinion, a real Marseille soap must be:
- Made exclusively from vegetable oils
- without perfume
- Without colouring
- preservative free
- additives free
- manufactured according to a Marseille process defined bythe Edict of Colbert of 1688
- made in the Marseille region.
A year ago, in orderto support our case with the INPI, a petition was online on the website of ourUPSM association. However, this is now closed. The INPI was due to deliver its verdict a few months ago, but unfortunately, we have still not received a response to this day. If you find this symbol on a Marseille soap, it means that it has all the characteristics mentioned above.
Our Marseille soaps and shavings are not certified glycerine-free.Indeed, during the manufacture of Marseille soap using the Marseille process, glycerineis formed naturally from the mixture of oils and soda. We eliminate this glycerine through different washings of the soap paste. Once molded, ourMarseille Soaps contain almost no glycerine (less than 1%).
Our vegetable oil soaps and our olive oil soaps can be used because they both have the same cleansing properties.
After grating your soap, simply dilute 20 grams of shavings to make 1 liter of detergent. We also remind you that it is recommended to use between 75 and 100ml of detergent for 5kg of laundry.
We recommend Marseille soap for your laundry because it is ideal for skin with allergy problems. Our Marseille soap is fragrance-free, coloring-free, preservative-free and additive-free. You can get soap in the form of shavings in different formats, or you can grate a cube or other bar of soap yourself(knowing that you need 20g of shavings to make 1L of laundry).
Our Marseille Soaps are formulated exclusively with vegetable oils, without the addition of preservatives, colorings, perfumes or animal fats. Made from 100% natural and COSMOS Natural certified ingredients, they are guaranteed hypoallergenic.
If you prefer Liquid Soap, we recommend the“unscented” which is also hypoallergenic and ideal for gently washing sensitive skin.
As babies' skin is particularly delicate, we advise you to seek the advice of a pediatrician. On the other hand, you can use Marseille soap in cubes or shavings to care for babies' laundry. Our Soaps are formulated exclusively with vegetable oils, without preservatives, colorings, perfumes or animal fats.
With its 100% natural ingredients, our Marseille Soap is generally recommended for skin that is prone to allergies. However, we advise you to seek the advice of a dermatologist instead in order to find the product best suited to your skin.
We advise you to use a wire or a large, sharp, toothless knife previously passed under hot water.
Marseille Soap does not expire, you can use it several decades later without any problem. Our Marseille Soap is a living material with a unique complexion and shape that can vary over time, and depending on its exposure to air and light. It will nevertheless retain all its qualities and effectiveness.
Our grandmothers let it dry for many months in their cupboards so that it becomes extra dry and lasts longer in use.
However, when purchasing a bar, we generally advise our customers to slice it upon receipt using a wire or toothless knife previously passed under hot water. In fact, over time, the water contained in the soap evaporates and the bar hardens. Regarding Marseille soap crumbs, we advise you not to throw them away.
We do not have vegan certification, however we can confirm that our Marseille Soaps comply with European directive 1223/2009. In fact, we do not carry out any animal testing. In addition, we do not use animal fats, only vegetable oils.
Mild scented soaps cannot be considered real Marseille soap.If, however, they contain it, their formulations and manufacturing are very different. Their perfumes as well as the argan oils and other vegetable oils which enrich the formula to provide a softer soap, mark the difference with the real Marseille soap.
At very low temperatures and particularly in winter, liquid soap can freeze due to its composition rich in vegetable oils. This crystallization is only temporary and in no way alters the qualities of the soap.
Black soaps are made from olive pomace oil, copra (coconut)oil, potash, water, salt and preservative. Liquid and soft black soap are made in a cauldron and have the same cleaning qualities. Soft black soap, on the other hand, is more concentrated (around 36% soap for 20% liquid soap), and is more economical to use.