Traditional Castile Olive Oil Soap & Global Traditions: Confessions of an Apothecary Addict

Olive Trees, 1889 — Vincent van Gogh. Above is a timeless study of movement, light, and the enduring beauty of the olive tree — whose fruit has nourished both art and skin care rituals for centuries. This masterpiece captures the quiet majesty of the olive grove, echoing the traditions that inspire Apothecary Addict’s olive oil soaps.

Handcrafted. Slow-cured. Skin-first. Apothecary Addict soaps — where daily ritual meets timeless formulation.

There’s a certain quiet thrill in holding a bar of soap and knowing its story. For over twenty years, my fascination with soap has grown into something deeper than admiration — it has become an obsession, a devotion, and yes, a collection. Each bar is a piece of history, a whisper of craft, a testament to patience and care.

Pure simplicity. Apothecary Addict’s Unscented Castile Soap, made with 100% organic extra virgin olive oil, creates a creamy, gentle lather designed for even the most sensitive skin.

Among these treasures are bars of Aleppo soap (also known as savon d'Alep, laurel soap, Syrian soap, or ghar soap), many of which I acquired long before the world shifted around them. Made in the city of Aleppo itself, these soaps carry a lineage stretching back centuries. Their olive oil-rich texture, subtle laurel fragrance, and slow curing process speak of hands that knew patience as intimately as their materials.

One of the defining characteristics of traditional Aleppo soap is the percentage of laurel oil used in the formulation. In the soaps I have collected personally, laurel oil content has ranged from approximately 5% to 60%, reflecting the intended use, skin preference, and regional tradition of each bar. My observations here are based on the Aleppo-style soaps I’ve personally collected and studied over the past twenty years, offering a glimpse into the diverse traditions and formulations of this historic craft.

Lower percentages typically yield a gentler, more olive oil–dominant bar, while higher concentrations increase the soap’s cleansing intensity and contribute to the distinctive aroma and character associated with classic Aleppo preparations. This balance between olive oil’s mildness and laurel oil’s purifying qualities is what gives Aleppo soap its enduring reputation.

Today, most Aleppo-style soaps are crafted elsewhere (across the border, in Turkey), yet the essence of tradition endures — a living memory of craft preserved across borders.

A traditional Aleppo-style soap from my personal collection. Crafted with olive oil and laurel oil — an ingredient historically valued for its cleansing, balancing, and skin-soothing properties. Note: traditional Aleppo soaps are often marked with stamps to signify authenticity, origin, and quality. These imprints honor centuries-old craftsmanship and indicate the maker or region, preserving the heritage of this historic soap.

The Global Olive Oil Soap Family

Castile soap, Aleppo, and French Savon de Marseille are part of the same story: the reverence for olive oil as a cleansing, nourishing, and humble ingredient. There are countless variations throughout history, and the list below represents just a few examples:

• Castile Soap – Spain, celebrated for purity and elegance.

• Savon de Marseille – France, prized for versatility and gentle cleansing.

• Aleppo Soap – Syria, traditionally blended with laurel oil for soothing properties.

• Nablus / Palestinian Olive Oil Soap – crafted for centuries from local olive oil, reflecting agricultural tradition and cultural continuity.

• Greek Olive Oil Soaps – handmade in small batches with local extra virgin olive oils, continuing Mediterranean traditions.

• Lebanese Olive Oil Soaps – traditional style soap made with pure extra virgin olive oil and often with the addition of laurel oil.

• Optional Mediterranean additions: Sicilian or Tunisian olive oil soaps, small-batch artisans continuing centuries-old practices.

  
  

From Aleppo to Nablus, olive oil soaps have shaped centuries of skin care tradition. Apothecary Addict’s hand-curated collection honors these timeless formulations while inspiring the skin-first philosophy behind my own bars.

These soaps are more than cleansing bars; they are cultural artifacts, each reflecting the history, geography, and philosophy of their makers. They teach patience, respect for ingredients, and the quiet art of creating something extraordinary from something simple.

What Makes My Castile Bars Unique

Apothecary Addict’s hand-cut 100% organic olive oil soap bars cure slowly on the rack, developing into silky, long-lasting bars. Handcrafted, patiently aged, and made with skin-first care.

At Apothecary Addict, my Castile bars are created in the spirit of tradition while reflecting care, patience, and philosophy:

• 100% Organic Olive Oil – pure, nourishing, sustainably sourced, cold-pressed

• Extended Cold Process Curing – each Castile bar rests for at least 6 months to develop hardness, silky lather, and longevity

• Handmade in Small Batches – poured, cut, cured, and labeled entirely by hand

• Minimalist, Skin-First Formulation – no fillers, no shortcuts, just olive oil, lye, and water

• Scent Options – with gentle essential oils for a natural fragrance, and a popular unscented option, as well

  
  

These bars quietly carry forward centuries of olive oil soap heritage while offering a modern, luxurious bathing experience.

Apothecary Addict’s Rose Castile Bar, crafted from 100% organic extra virgin olive oil and pure essential oils of geranium and palmarosa, and rose floral wax (Bulgaria: Rosa Damascena). A slow ritual in bloom — gentle, elegant, and timelessly skin-loving.

Why traditional Castile Olive Oil Soap Feels So Distinct

Olive oil soaps behave differently from many modern formulations:

• Softer, delicate lather

• Conditioning, lotion-like skin feel

• Mild enough for sensitive or dry skin

• Patience-rewarding curing period

  
  

Unlike aggressive commercial soaps, olive oil bars invite a gentler, more mindful interaction with your skin — a sensory experience steeped in tradition.

A Collector’s Eye

Over the years, I’ve come to see soaps not only for their use but for their story. My collection spans a vast landscape of traditions, ingredients, and formulations — with olive oil soaps representing one deeply treasured corner of that world. Within this sphere — my personal olive oil collection — scent, texture, and the subtle differences between a bar cured in Syria or Turkey versus one crafted in France or Greece all reveal something meaningful. These details matter. Every bar is handled with care, studied, and appreciated. This collector’s eye — particularly within the realm of traditional olive oil soaps — quietly informs every Castile and olive oil bar I create at Apothecary Addict.

Apothecary Addict’s Laurel & Olive Oil Soap, inspired by traditional Aleppo formulations. Made with 100% plant-based oils, including 30% laurel oil — prized for its cleansing, balancing, and skin-supportive properties.

Crafting With Reverence

Every olive oil Castile bar soap I make is a quiet echo of centuries of soap-making tradition. I select the purest olive oil to create bars that honor both history and modern ritual. Every step, from blending to curing to hand-labeling, reflects the philosophy of restraint, purity, and skin-first formulation.

Apothecary Addict’s Lavender Castile Soap, crafted from 100% organic extra virgin olive oil and pure lavender essential oil. Gentle, calming, and timelessly skin-loving.

A Tradition That Endures

From Spain to France, from Syria to Palestine, and across the Mediterranean, olive oil soap traditions reveal a remarkable continuity: cultures separated by geography yet united by craft. Castile soap stands within this lineage — a timeless expression of simplicity, patience, and enduring elegance.

Curious to experience Apothecary Addict's Castile Soap for yourself? Explore The Castile and Olive Oil Soaps Collection — a curated selection of handcrafted Castile and olive oil soaps here at Apothecary Addict.

Want a peek behind the scenes? Follow @apothecary.addict on Instagram for soap-making magic, skin-loving tips, and inspiration!