Syrian laurel soap
Al Arabiya.net – Rania Louka
Posted on: August 04, 2023: 10:25 AM GST Last updated: August 04, 2023: 10:37 AM GST
It is “laurel soap”, which was famous for its manufacture in the Syrian city of Aleppo 4000 years ago, and it still maintains its role in this field until today.
How was he able to maintain his position, and what are its real benefits for skin and hair?
During the Middle Ages, the Crusaders carried this soap with them from Syria to Europe, and its use then spread in the East and West, starting from the fifteenth century.
The good types of this soap do not have a greasy formula, and its color tends to be brown on the outside and green on the inside, while its aroma is mixed with notes of olive oil and laurel oil.
Making this soap:
Laurel soap is distinguished by its 100% natural ingredients, and it is still made today in the same way that was developed more than 2,000 years ago. Its professional makers use the same artisanal methods as their ancestors.
As for the ingredients of his original recipe, they are: olive oil, water, vegetable soda, and laurel oil.
This soap is made by heating water and soda in a copper pot, then adding olive oil and leaving the mixture on fire for 12 hours before leaving it to rest.
The next day, the mixture is heated again at a temperature between 80 and 100 degrees Celsius, stirring, then adding laurel oil.
When the mixture turns into a soap paste, it is rinsed several times with salted water to remove any trace of soda.
All these steps are part of the manufacture of this soap through a natural chemical reaction between the oil and soda, which transforms the mixture into soap particles, where the soap paste is spread on the ground in the open air and left to dry before being cut manually in the form of cubes of a size that ensures ease of use.
Benefits of laurel soap:
Laurel soap provides special care for the skin, as it nourishes it, refreshes it, and protects all types of skin, which explains the high demand for its use around the world. Laurel oil is the magic ingredient in this soap, and its moisturizing power increases the higher the percentage of this oil in its formula.
For skin care that lacks vitality and sensitivity, it is recommended to choose types that contain 12% of laurel oil, while dry skin needs types that contain 30 or 40 percent of laurel oil, which provides exceptional hydration. There are some types of skin lotions or shower gels available in the market that contain extracts of laurel soap, to which other ingredients are added that enhance their effectiveness, most notably:
• Lavender: Known for its unique floral fragrance and calming properties, it also has an invigorating and rejuvenating effect on the skin.
• Black Seed Oil: It is characterized by its nutritional properties due to its richness in fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, and vitamins of group B and E. This oil provides many benefits to the skin and is indicated for the care of dry and brittle hair. The combination of laurel soap with black seed oil allows hair softening and scalp health care.
• Argan oil: This oil consists of about 75% of unsaturated fatty acids (omega 6 and 9). It is rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. This oil helps combat hair loss and promote hair growth.
• Dead Sea salts: help restore skin tissues and treat acne, eczema, and psoriasis problems. When combined with laurel soap, it enhances its effect in solving skin problems.
Its characteristics and advantages:
Laurel soap takes care of dry and very dry skin due to its softening and nourishing effect of olive oil and laurel oil, which helps to renew the hydrolipidic membrane of the skin. It is also ideal for sensitive skin care and prone to skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, and fungal infections due to its antiseptic and anti-allergic effect. This soap can be used to wash the body, hands, and even children’s skin, as it does not contain perfumes, colorings, or preservatives. It is available in the form of a liquid lotion in addition to its classic formula. This soap can be used to wash the facial skin, as it deeply nourishes and moisturizes it. It can also be used on acne-prone and sensitive skin.
It is noteworthy that laurel soap has beneficial properties for hair as well, as it moisturizes and softens it. It is also available in a shampoo formula that is easy to use on long hair, but the traditional soap cube can easily be used to wash the hair by leaving it on wet hair.
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2023-08-04 06:25:00
