(بالعربية)

The age-old myth of alchemists searching for the coveted formula to convert copper into gold, follows along the same lines as the Aleppine narrations about soap being made from laurel oil. This idea follows the belief that the essential oil, hailing from thousands of years ago, holds the properties to cleanse and sterilize the body as well as soften the skin.

The soap’s richness is not limited to its physical properties, as it also has a rich history. It is believed to be a royal soap that Zenobia, the Queen of Palmyra bathed with, following the tradition of Queen Cleopatra, who used laurel soap to preserve the youth of her skin.

In reality, the historical facts about laurel soap are no less than the myths and tales shared about it. Aleppian laurel soap dates its existence back to more than 1,200 years ago, when the first soap factory was established in the city of Aleppo in the Qansarin region. Some historians also believe that the birth of Aleppo laurel soap dates back to 2000 BC, when it was manufactured in homes and not for commercial purposes.

Others boldly claim that the first soap in human history was Aleppo laurel soap, and this belief stems from an understanding about the spread of laurel trees, which are proven to be an essential component in the manufacture of soap.

The descriptions and claims about royal laurel are not vacuous ones. They are corroborated by historiography linking the soap’s use to the city’s wealthiest people, who it was limited to, for a large portion of the twentieth century. Arrivals of merchants and foreign tourists skyrocketed the sales and consumer interest in the product due to its high price point, as it was seen as a luxury gift, both then and now. As for the benefits of laurel and olive oil, they are numerous.

To explore the advantages of laurel soap further, we hosted a meeting with the "Daqqa Qadima" store, located in the commercial center of Aleppo. This store is one of the most distinctive and pioneering brands in the manufacture of laurel soap. We interviewed Mr. Ahmed Hamra, beautician and specialist in laurel soap, who answered our enquiries from a specialist perspective.

Swiss-Arab Entrepreneurs Platform: Despite the entrance of soaps and cosmetics from well-known, international brands in the city, the use of laurel soap is still the most common here. What is the secret that distinguishes laurel soap from other types of soap?

Ahmed Hamra: Laurel soap’s main distinguishing factor from other types of soap is that it is natural and made from olive oil, natural laurel oil and sodium water. It is completely free of any fats including animal fats, palm oil and does not contain any preservatives or genetically modified materials. Laurel soap has a deep-rooted cultural and historical position in the city, and people have continued their use of it for many centuries.

Swiss-Arab Entrepreneurs Platform: The laurel soap industry has spread outside the city to extend to other provinces, and some factories have even opened in Europe and North America, but Aleppo soap is still in demand on the global level. What is the secret that enabled the laurel soap industry to flourish in the city despite all of the difficult circumstances it has faced throughout the past decades?

Ahmed Hamra: The manufacture of Aleppo laurel soap exceeds three thousand years, and what distinguishes the soap industry in Aleppo is the availability of raw materials, namely natural olive oil and laurel oil, both of which are internationally acclaimed for their quality. In addition, the nature of the climate in the city of Aleppo, plays a major role in its heritage and historical industry.

The soap industry in Aleppo exclusively starts production by the arrival of the winter season and it continues until the end of the season; the soap is then dried by the end of summer in preparation for sale. The climate of the city of Aleppo plays a great role in the continuity of the soap industry. Winter is generally cold, and the summer season is hot with dry air, which helps to dry soap naturally. Many attempts were made to manufacture laurel soap outside of Aleppo but were not completely successful due to differences in climate and the lack of high-quality raw materials.

Swiss-Arab Entrepreneurs Platform: What are the cosmetic and health benefits of laurel soap?

Ahmed Hamra: The benefits of laurel soap stem mainly from its valuable components; it is made from natural olive oil and laurel oil. Olive oil tonic for the scalp prevents hair loss and the appearance of dandruff. It also gives the skin a smooth texture, as it deeply moisturizes it and provides the vitamins necessary for cell renewal, giving the skin a bright and vibrant look.

As for laurel oil, it is a sterile and antiseptic substance for all parts of the body and helps relieve eczema and psoriasis. It also helps to regenerate skin cells due to its elimination of fungi and bacteria that cause dark spots. Thus, laurel soap helps to correct and unify skin color. Laurel soap is also distinguished by its pleasant aroma, which clings to the body and hair, giving it a natural aromatic smell for a long time.

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Industry laurel soap

Despite the few and natural ingredients used in the manufacture of soap, this industry remained attached to the city of Aleppo until it became a trademark of laurel soap products.

So, how is laurel soap made? What are the components included in it? We conveyed these questions to Mr. Alaeddin Hamami, an experienced senior in Aleppo’s soap industry, who briefed us on the stages of manufacturing laurel soap.

The cooking stage

Soap manufacturing begins with the cooking stage, where the water and "Qatron" (a natural substance extracted from salt) are mixed and heated extensively. Then, laurel oil, olive oil and "cystic" are added, the latter of which is a substance used to "saponify", in order to encourage the mixture to meld together. After this, the ingredients are stirred, thoroughly. Laurel oil is considered the most expensive ingredient involved, hence the percentage of laurel oil and the price of the soap show positive correlation, where the price increases as the percentage of laurel oil in the product increases. Furthermore, a high percentage of laurel oil in the soap is very desirable, as it is the main ingredient in soap, and its low percentage causes soap to lose much of its value.

As in cooking food, adding extra salt, even in small increments, makes the food taste unbearable. Similarly, the cooking process must be carried out with accuracy, as it is the most important stage in soap making, requiring a high level of attention. Significantly, errors in the addition of any one of the ingredients has the ability to cost a lot and fixing the error would compromise the quality of the final product, resulting in lower prices.

Expansion of the mixture

The “expansion” is the stage during which the mixture is dried by transferring it from the pot to the “mobasset”, which is a clean floor stretched out with white paper. This is a procedure to keep the soap clean and protect it from impurities. Moreover, the ceiling should not be made of reinforced cement, but rather the ceiling must be a “Tottyaa” (Zinc ceilings). There are a number of specific conditions that must be in place, including the fact that the walls should have vents to aid in drying the mixture.

After completing the "expansion" process, the mixture is left for a period ranging between 4 and 12 hours, which is the time required for the mixture to dry. This may increase depending on weather conditions, as dehydration can take between one and three days in the summer months. Therefore, for productive efficiency reasons, soap making often takes place in the winter season.

Shredding, sealing and "pipara"

After the mixture dries, the process of cutting it into small squares begins. This is to work towards the final product, forming the dried mixture into the shape of a soap bar. This process is done using a wooden tool with sharp metal edges.

Next, comes the "sealing" process where the soap is "knocked" with a wooden tool and the brand name of the soap bar is engraved on it. This is followed by the paving of the soap, which is executed using a special method called "pipara", where the soap bars are stacked on top of each other in a hierarchical manner, leaving empty spaces of about 1 centimeter between each soap bar, so that air enters all sides of the soap.

Finally, and imperatively, the soap is left to dehydrate for a period ranging between six months and a year in storage. The soap cannot be sold before it is left to dehydrate for a minimum of six months as if it is used before this period, it will quickly dissolve in the hand and thus will not last long.

Swiss-Arab Entrepreneurs Platform: Well, Mr. Mustafa, your briefing on the manufacturing stages of laurel soap was very informative, but can you share how a high quality laurel soap can be distinguished from one of lower quality?

Mustafa: There are three distinct indicators of the quality of the soap, the first of which is its color. Good quality laurel soap must be yellowish in color, and if the soap is soft and greenish in color, it means that it has not been stored for long enough.

Secondly, it must be durable, which is achieved after six months of drying. A high-quality soap has a texture such that it is tough as stone, and when pressing a finger on it, it does not peel off.

The third sign is the smell, as laurel soap has a very strong aromatic smell, and the strength of the smell indicates the percentage of laurel oil that has been used in its manufacturing. If the smell is light, this means that the percentage of laurel oil is low and the soap may not contain laurel oil at all, but rather an artificial fragrance added to it. The scent is the most important characteristic of laurel soap, as synthetic soaps that are made from animal bones, mixed with colorants and synthetic fragrances are light and do not last long after washing and may instead turn into a rancid smell.

Laurel soap from Aleppo to the world

Although the fame of the Aleppo soap emerged in the last few decades, its exportation began about 800 years ago, which was a period of prosperity for the city of Aleppo, a prime location on the Silk Road. Foreign communities working in trade and commerce, enabled the spread of Asian products like silk, spices and jewelry without incurring the hardship of traveling to Asia. Merchants also played the role of commercial mediator, and commercial deals were concluded through them. As European merchants settled inside the city in traveler-settling areas called the ‘khans’, they learnt to make soap from natural materials. However, the time was not ripe for the economic opportunities that laurel soap had to offer and it initially had limited reach in Europe.

Further down the line, due to the harsh war conditions in Aleppo, directly affecting the soap industry in the city, many soap manufacturers transferred their industry to other countries, perhaps the most important of which are Turkey, Egypt, France and Canada. Many factories were established in these countries and soap production took place there in order to meet the increasing demand for the product.

In the last three decades, laurel soap has been transformed from a local industry in the city of Aleppo that exports mainly to neighboring countries, especially Iraq, to ​​a product that is exported to all parts of the world. It is important to note that laurel soap did not gain its global fame from transformations and improvements made by its manufacturers. The laurel soap industry has not changed for more than 1,200 years and has maintained its traditional method of production and natural components.

What has changed, however, is the world's view of laurel soap, and the main motivation for this was the "wave of return to nature." In the last quarter of the last century, civil society organizations, human rights organizations and green parties have been active in raising awareness of the dangers of non-natural products, rediscovering the great benefits that come from the use of products extracted from natural materials. In the Arab region itself, the laurel soap has become one of the main products for skin and hair care, mainly in the Arab Gulf states.