Nablus Olive Oil Soap

100% olive oil soap made traditionally in Palestine since the 10th century

Nablus soap is made from three ingredients - olive oil, water, and lye. It is soaked and cooked slowly in a cauldron for several days until all the lye is removed, then cooled on a stone floor and cured in chimney-shaped towers for up to 8 months to create a hard, long-lasting, and pure bar of soap. Healthy for the skin, and famous for the purity of its olive oil, Nablus soap is also often considered by those who've used it to be the best soap in the world.

Nablus soap is known for its smooth lather that washes away without leaving a film, and for its ability to clean without harming. It is prescribed in the Mediterranean for skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis, rashes, dandruff, acne, cold sores, and itchiness. Just as strong-cleaning as it is mild, it can be used for almost any kind of washing whether household or medical. Its simplicity makes it a special kind of product that can clean a stain as well as heal a wound.

Nablus soap continues a soap tradition dating back 4500 years to ancient Syria and Iraq: a hot-cooked soap made solely from olive oil. Europeans adapted the Nablus soap recipe after discovering it during the Crusades, producing the famous vegetable soaps of Castile and Marseilles. Nablus soap is the higher-quality precursor to those better-known descendants.

About:

The Land:
'The Land' is made by the Women's Soap Co-operative of Beita, just south of Nablus. The newest of the Nablus soap brands, al-Ard are true gems. Since they work in relatively small batches and are connected with many local small producers, their olive oil is often among the very best. The cooperative's equipment is all stainless steel and run electrically, compared with other brands which use gas or wood burning furnaces to cook their soap. Rather than hand stamping their bars, the Co-op uses a press machine that makes a deep and visible imprint. Al-Ard's main market is in northern Palestine, in the areas around Nazareth and Jenin.

The Olive:
From the Tbeleih family's Nablus Soap Company, dating to the 1600s.

Theirs is the only soap made with certified organic olive oil. Like The Land, it is certified Fair Trade as well.

The Two Keys:
The Two Keys imprint is made in the historic Touqan family workshop in Nablus. Their original factory, as well as their family company, is more than 800 years old and a famous institution of Palestine, located in the center of the old city of Nablus. If al-Jamal has the greatest international recognition, the Two Keys imprint are the most locally famous and are known for the generous size of their bars are on average larger than all the other brands. The Two Keys' main market is in central Palestine in the areas around Nablus.

Pairs with the sustainable oak soap dish