Three soaps, three cities, one family. Aleppo, Marseille and Castile soap are all descended from the olive oil soaps of the medieval Mediterranean, and they are often sold side by side. But the names now mean quite different things.
Here is what is in each, how each is made, what the rules say, and what you pay. For the background, see the history of Aleppo soap.
Key takeaways
- Aleppo soap is olive and laurel berry oil, dried for 6-9 months or more (UNESCO).
- Marseille soap is a vegetable-oil cauldron soap; the makers' rules allow olive pomace, coconut and palm oil (UPSM specification).
- Castile soap began as a white Spanish olive oil bar (Wikipedia) and now often means any vegetable-oil soap (Dr. Bronner's).
- The "72%" on Marseille cubes refers to oil content, not to olive oil share.
- No name is protected. INPI lists the Marseille makers' geographical indication application as rejected (INPI).
The short answer
Aleppo soap is made from olive oil and laurel berry oil and dried for months. Marseille soap is a cauldron-cooked vegetable-oil soap from the Marseille area, often made with coconut and palm oil today. Castile soap was originally a white Spanish olive oil soap, but the name is now used for almost any vegetable-oil soap, bar or liquid. None of the three names is legally protected.
One family, three soaps
By the 13th century, soap was a major industry in Aleppo, Damascus, Nablus and Fes, and Syrian soap was exported to Europe. As olive oil replaced animal fat in European soap, production moved to the olive-growing Mediterranean, and by the 15th century Castile and Marseille were among Europe's leading soap centres (Wikipedia, "Soap").
The three at a glance
| Aleppo soap | Marseille soap | Castile soap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oils | Olive and laurel berry oil | Vegetable oils: olive pomace, coconut, palm | Originally olive; today any vegetable oil |
| Process | Cooked, poured on the floor, cut, stamped | Five-stage cauldron process over several days | Originally boiled with plant-ash soda; today often cold process or liquid |
| Drying | 6-9 months or more | About 2 days after cooking | 6-12 months for a solid olive bar (modern guide) |
| Where | Aleppo, plus makers in Turkey and France | Bouches-du-Rhône (UPSM rule) | Anywhere |
| Rules | No protected name found | Union specification; no granted GI | No rules |
| Colour | Gold crust, green core | Green (olive) or white/beige | White (original) or varies |
| Price per 100 g | €4.45-5.60 (20-40% laurel, EU) | About €1.25-1.40 (large cubes) | About $3.50-3.65 (Dr. Bronner's bar) |
Aleppo soap
Aleppo soap is made from olive oil, laurel berry oil, water and lye. It is cooked, poured across the factory floor, cut, stamped by hand and stacked in open towers to dry for six to nine months or more (UNESCO). The outside turns pale gold while the inside stays green (Wikipedia).
The laurel oil is what sets it apart: it gives the scent, and its share, from 0% to 40% or more, is printed on the bar. Read our guide to the laurel oil percentage, what is in a bar and why it is cured for months.
Marseille soap
Marseille's first documented soapmaker dates to about 1370, and in 1688 the Edict of Colbert limited the name to olive oil soaps. That rule was later relaxed (Wikipedia).
Today the four remaining traditional makers belong to the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM). Its specification allows only vegetable oils, naming olive pomace, coconut and palm oil, and bans animal fat, perfume, colourants and additives. The soap must be made in the Bouches-du-Rhône by the five-stage "procédé marseillais" in a cauldron, which spans several days, and only natural green or beige colours are allowed (UPSM specification).
After cooking, the soap dries quickly by comparison. Marius Fabre describes a 48-hour drying period (France Today).
What "72%" means
Many Marseille cubes are stamped "72%". Traditionally this refers to the bar's oil content, measured as fatty acids (Techno-Science), not to 72% olive oil: some bars marked 72% also contain coconut oil (Truffaut). The UPSM specification itself sets a minimum of 63% fatty acids (UPSM specification).
Is Marseille soap protected?
Not yet. France's intellectual property office lists the UPSM's geographical indication application as rejected (INPI), and a rival application was refused in 2018, a decision upheld by France's highest court in 2022 (Banque des Territoires). In practice, much soap sold as "Marseille soap" is not made in France (Connexion, 2024).
Pro Tip: For a traditional Marseille soap, look for a maker in the Bouches-du-Rhône and a short ingredient list. For a green olive Marseille cube, check whether coconut or palm oil is listed too.
Castile soap
Castile soap traces its start to the Levant. Early Spanish makers could not easily get laurel oil, so they left it out, kept the olive oil and, using brine, made the first white hard soap, which hardened further as it aged (Wikipedia).
The modern meaning is much broader. Dr. Bronner's, the best-known brand using the name, defines Castile soap as "any vegetable oil-based soap" as opposed to tallow-based soap (Dr. Bronner's FAQ). Its liquid soap is made with water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, palm kernel oil, olive oil and others (Grove), and its bars combine coconut, olive and palm oils (Dr. Bronner's).
A solid, olive-heavy Castile bar made today is usually cured for six months to a year (Wholesale Supplies Plus). For the liquid versions, see our guide to liquid Aleppo soap, which explains why liquid soap needs a different lye.
Drying time compared
The biggest practical difference is time. Marseille soap is cooked for days and then dries for about two days; Aleppo soap cooks and is then left for six to nine months or more. A long cure gives a harder, denser bar; see how to use Aleppo soap to keep it that way.
What each costs
On 4 October 2026, a 600 g Fer à Cheval olive Marseille cube cost €8.30, about €1.38 per 100 g (Greenweez), and a 400 g Marius Fabre bar €4.99, about €1.25 per 100 g (Truffaut). A Dr. Bronner's Castile bar cost $5.19 for 5 oz, about $3.60 per 100 g (Dr. Bronner's). Traditional Aleppo bars with 20-40% laurel cost €4.45-5.60 per 100 g in our survey; see where to buy Aleppo soap.
The gap is mostly laurel oil, which is scarce, and months of curing, which tie up stock. Our best Aleppo soap guide compares brands.
Try the one that kept the laurel. Four strengths: Pure Olive, 10%, 20% and 40% laurel. See all Aleppo soaps. Free EU shipping over €50.
How to choose
- Want olive and laurel, long-cured? Aleppo soap. Check the laurel percentage and the origin.
- Want an inexpensive olive or vegetable-oil cube for the home? Marseille soap. Check the maker and the oils listed.
- Want a liquid, all-purpose vegetable soap? Modern Castile soap. Read the full ingredient list.
Pro Tip: Whatever the name on the front, the ingredient list on the back tells you which soap you are holding. Our guide to spotting fake Aleppo soap shows how to read one.
Frequently asked questions
How does Aleppo soap differ from Marseille and Castile soap?
Traditional Aleppo soap combines olive oil with laurel berry oil. Traditional Castile soap is associated with olive oil, although modern products using that name may contain other vegetable oils. Marseille soap has its own cauldron-making tradition and recipes can include several vegetable oils. Compare actual ingredient lists and manufacturing origin rather than assuming the names mean identical formulas.
What is traditional Aleppo soap made from?
Traditional Aleppo soap is made using olive oil, laurel berry oil, water and sodium hydroxide, which reacts with the oils to form soap. ALEPO also offers a pure olive oil bar with no laurel oil. The oil blend describes the starting oils; ingredient names such as sodium olivate describe the soap formed from them. Check the ingredient information for the specific formula you are buying.
What do 10%, 20% and 40% laurel oil mean?
The percentage describes the laurel berry oil share of the oils used to make the soap. A 20% bar uses 20% laurel oil and 80% olive oil; a 40% bar uses 40% laurel and 60% olive. It does not mean that 20% or 40% of the finished bar is raw laurel oil. Our pure olive bar contains no laurel oil.
Which Aleppo soap should I try first?
Choose pure olive oil for the mildest scent, 10% laurel for a light bay note, 20% for a more noticeable bay scent, or 40% for the deepest bay scent in our range. If you want to compare before choosing a favourite, the Discovery Set contains one of each. Choose by scent, ingredients and budget; a higher percentage is not a skin-treatment rating.
The bottom line
Aleppo, Marseille and Castile soap share an ancestor, but not much else today. Aleppo soap keeps olive and laurel oil and a months-long cure. Marseille soap is a regulated cauldron soap from one French department, often with coconut and palm oil. Castile soap has become a general name for vegetable-oil soap.
None of the names is legally protected, so read the oils, the origin and the process on the label. To start with ours, see what Aleppo soap is and how it is made.
Compare strengths side by side. Our soap collection includes all four laurel percentages. Free EU shipping over €50.
Sources
- Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille. Specification and statutes (via INPI). https://base-indications-geographiques.inpi.fr/sites/default/files/Cdc_UPSM%20%2B%20statuts.pdf
- INPI. "Savon de Marseille" geographical indication record. https://base-indications-geographiques.inpi.fr/fr/detail-ig/savon-de-marseille-IG15-003
- Banque des Territoires. "Toujours pas d'indication géographique pour le savon de Marseille." 2022. https://www.banquedesterritoires.fr/toujours-pas-dindication-geographique-pour-le-savon-de-marseille
- Connexion. "Most Marseille soap not made in France and likely to remain that way." 3 June 2024. https://connexionfrance.com/news/most-marseille-soap-not-made-in-france-and-likely-to-remain-that-way/656881
- Wikipedia. "Marseille soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_soap
- Wikipedia. "Castile soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap
- Wikipedia. "Soap" (history section). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap
- Wikipedia. "Aleppo soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_soap
- Techno-Science. "Savon de Marseille." https://www.techno-science.net/fr/definitions/savon-de-marseille
- France Today. "Savon de Marseille: Marius Fabre and the secrets behind the famous French soap." https://francetoday.com/culture/made_in_france/savon-de-marseille-marius-fabre-secrets-behind-famous-french-soap/
- Dr. Bronner's UK. FAQ. https://drbronner.co.uk/pages/faq
- Grove. "Dr. Bronner's pure-castile liquid soap" (ingredients). https://grove.co/products/pure-castile-liquid-soap
- Dr. Bronner's. "Peppermint pure-castile bar soap." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.drbronner.com/products/peppermint-pure-castile-bar-soap
- Wholesale Supplies Plus. "Simple secrets to making solid castile soap." https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/blogs/articles/simple-secrets-making-solid-castile-soap
- Greenweez. Fer à Cheval "Savon de Marseille cube 100% olive, 600 g." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.greenweez.com/produit/savon-de-marseille-cube-100-olive-600g/1FERA0046
- Truffaut. Marius Fabre "Savon de Marseille 400 g vert." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.truffaut.com/savon-de-marseille-400-g-vert-a-l-huile-d-olive.html
- UNESCO. "Craftsmanship of Aleppo Ghar soap." 2024. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/craftsmanship-of-aleppo-ghar-soap-02132
