How do I choose the solid soap that suits me?
Gone are the days when solid soaps were perceived as being unsensory and aggressive! Today, thanks to specific manufacturing processes and high-quality ingredients, these soaps can even be adapted for facial cleansing. So follow the guide!
From Aleppo and Marseille: two types of traditional hot soaps
The art of saponification, or "soap making", is ancestral: it was invented in Syria about 3000 years ago . It is a chemical reaction between vegetable oils or butters ("triglycerides of fatty acids") and a "base" . This can be either soda (to obtain a solid soap) or potash (in the case of liquid soap).
The oldest type of soap is Aleppo soap , made from soda, olive oil and bay berries . Made hot in a cauldron, it is then dried for many months.
Marseille soap , according to tradition, is also made in a cauldron. It contains at least 72% vegetable oil (usually olive) and soda . Multi-purpose, it can be used to wash the body, hair, in household products or even to make laundry detergent.
Thanks to the olive oil they contain, these soaps remain gentle and suitable for sensitive skin.
What does the term “superfat” mean?
The "superfatted" soap has the particularity of being extremely gentle : thanks to the addition of vegetable oils at the end of the manufacturing process, the soap is non-aggressive and even strengthens the skin's hydrolipidic film for better daily protection!
So, when you get out of the shower, your skin is comfortable and doesn't feel tight.
The principle of cold saponification
During the cold process, the ingredients are not cooked: the oils or butters are mixed with the base, the soda, until a paste is obtained . Molded, it hardens in 24 hours then rests for about a month and a half .
This slow saponification allows the glycerin (very moisturizing) which forms naturally to be preserved , but also to preserve all the qualities and benefits of the vegetable oils which make up the soap.
The cold process soap that suits you best
All you have to do is define your skin's needs to find the most suitable cold soap:
- For a guaranteed detox , opt for the Emir with purifying charcoal or the Tea Tree .
- For a delicate exfoliation , Le Gecko and its small poppy seeds are perfect, as are Le Cajoleur and the Guava Granité with patchouli.
- Do you have very sensitive skin , as fragile as that of babies? Opt with your eyes closed for Le Bambain by Lîdjeu, Derma by Olila, Le Chérubin or Le Suisse by Clémence et Vivien.
- To intensely nourish very dry skin , L'Olive de Marseille or Le Bain de Jouvence with sweet almond oil are ideal.
At Lîdjeu , a traditional soap factory in Liège, you will also find soaps designed for certain specific profiles : Le Savon du Sportif helps to energize and then soothe muscles after sport , Le Savon du Bricoleur makes even the dirtiest hands immaculate, and Le Savon du Randonneur can also be used for laundry and dishes without polluting the environment!
You may also like...