Favourite French Soap Brands

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, we’ve all been doing a lot of hand washing. But this task that we have to perform many times a day doesn’t have to be a chore. France has always been renowned for soap-making. The tradition dates back to the 17^th century, originating from the Provence region – particularly the port city of Marseille. So bring a little luxury to your hand washing routine with some of these lovely artisanal French soap brands. But first, what is the famous savon de Marseille?

For a soap to be classified as savon de Marseille, or Marseille soap, it must be 100% natural and contain 72% vegetable oil, particularly olive oil. It must not contain any animal products or additives such as artificial fragrances, coloring, or preservatives. “72%” is often stamped on the soap along with the words “savon de Marseille” so you can recognise it as authentic. You can also tell by the amount of ingredients. Marseille soap should only contain four ingredients: vegetable oils, water, salt, and soda.

Marseille soap is traditionally made using the “Marseille method,” a five-step saponification process. The ancient manufacturing technique involves boiling the soap in cauldrons, and was undertaken by a master soap maker or maître savonnier. There are currently only four soap makers left in Marseille and Salon-de-Provence that continue to use this method. They are: Savonnerie Fer à Cheval, Savonnerie du Midi, Savonnerie du Sérail, and Savonnerie Marius Fabre. Head over to HiP Paris Blog to read more.