FAQ

The name "Marseille soap" is not, to date, protected. For our soap factory, a real Marseille soap is: a soap composed exclusively of saponified vegetable oils, without chemical additives, preservatives or perfumes, a manufacturing in cauldrons according to the Marseille process comprising 5 manufacturing stages, a geographical origin of the Marseille region.

You can recognize it by the “Savon de Marseille” logo of the Union of Marseille Soap Professionals (UPSM).

Le Fer à Cheval is one of the founding members of this association which works for the certification of genuine Marseille Soap.

There are two types of Marseille soap: Green Marseille Soap and Beige Marseille Soap. They are both saponified using the same process in cauldrons by our Master Soap Makers. The difference between the two lies in their composition of vegetable oils.

Green Soap is obtained from 100% olive pomace oil for its nourishing properties.

The beige cube is obtained from 20% RSPO palm kernel oil and 80% RSPO palm oil used for over 200 years and imported at the time via the French colonies. They improve the solid consistency of the soap for more practical use. Both soaps (green and beige) are recommended for both washing and household cleaning (floors, etc.).

We have removed coconut oil from our Savon de Marseille formula to use only olive oil. The properties of Savon de Marseille do not change. This historical formula does not change the detergent or cosmetic properties of authentic Savon de Marseille. It is therefore still recommended for washing your hands, removing stains from clothes, making laundry detergent or even washing surfaces. It remains multi-purpose.

Please note that we pay great attention to our choice of vegetable oils to offer you an excellent quality Marseille Soap. We have been following the same manufacturing process and using the same varieties of oils for over two centuries, which is what makes our Marseille Soap authentic, sought after and appreciated for generations. Our oils come from around the Mediterranean for olive oil (Greece, Spain, Italy, and Morocco), and mainly from Southeast Asia (Philippines, Malaysia among others) but also from Latin America (Colombia, Honduras among others) for copra, palm kernel and palm oils (RSPO certified).

The Soap is made up of a minimum of 72% active ingredients made from oil or oil extracts and a maximum of 28% water. The words 72% oil are written on the sheath of our Soaps on the upper side.

Marseille olive soaps have a rather particular smell. Savonneries have always used olive pomace oil from a second pressing of olives; the first pressing is used to supply the agri-food sector. This oil gives this characteristic smell to Marseille soap.

This smell also depends on the percentage of olive pomace oil present in the Soap. The higher the percentage, the stronger the smell. In addition, the fresher the Soap, the stronger the smell. Our vegetable Marseille Soaps with palm oil do not have this specific smell.

Our Marseille Soaps have a PH of around 10, they differ from soaps with a neutral PH closer to PH 7. Generally speaking, soaps with a neutral PH are formulated without a washing base, and often contain many preservatives and other synthetic products. Our Marseille Soaps on the contrary have a higher PH and are recognized for their hyper-washing properties.

In addition, made exclusively from 100% natural vegetable oils, our soaps are extra pure and hypoallergenic because they contain no preservatives, perfumes, colorants or other synthetic products.

Marseille Soap is a living material with a unique color and shape that can vary over time, and depending on its exposure to air and light. It will nevertheless keep all its qualities and effectiveness. Our grandmothers also let it dry for many months in their cupboards so that it becomes extra dry and lasts longer in use. Soap is made up of active ingredients made from oils or oil extracts and a maximum of 21% water.

By losing this water, they lose some of their weight. This is why we state on the packaging "Net weight when packaged". Our quality department ensures that the grammage is respected at the end of production.

The stain remover soap is made from recycled soap scraps and the ends of Marseille soap cauldrons with olive oil or palm oil that we recover. The composition is the same as any Marseille soap, namely that there are only vegetable oils, no addition of chemical additives such as perfume, coloring, preservative, or animal fat. On the other hand, as we mix different formulas to make a household soap, we are not able to indicate the exact percentage of each variety of oil.

This is not the case for other soaps produced in cubes, bars or soap bars for which we dedicate specific cauldrons.

We would first like to assure you that we pay great attention to the composition and manufacture of our Marseille Soaps to offer you an authentic and excellent quality product. The saponification of the soap is in fact made in a cauldron according to the traditional Marseille process passed down by our Master Soap Makers from generation to generation. As for its composition, it is formulated with vegetable oils, without the addition of preservatives, perfumes or colorants. Among these oils is palm oil, which has been used for over 200 years and was imported via the French colonies; it not only gives the soap its vegetable beige color but also improves its consistency for practical use. Fully aware that there is a great deal of public concern about its environmental impact, and although this mainly concerns the agri-food industry, we have been sourcing RSPO (Certified Sustainable Palm Oil) palm oil since April 2019, in line with our values ​​of sustainable and responsible development. Furthermore, we inform you that our range of Olive Soaps does not contain palm oil.

At present, we can only wait for the official response from the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property) regarding the creation of a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) to protect real Marseille soap.

In fact, three specifications were submitted to this institute concerning the definition of a real Savon de Marseille. If their verdict is positive in relation to our specifications, this will allow us to obtain a PGI.

Marius Fabre, the Sérail, the Corvette and our Savonnerie are the founders of the UPSM (Union of Marseille Soap Professionals).

In our opinion, a real Marseille soap must be:

• Made exclusively from vegetable oils

• fragrance free

• without coloring

• preservative free

• without additives

• manufactured using a Marseille process defined by the Edict of Colbert of 1688

• made in the Marseille region.

A year ago, in order to support our case with the INPI, a petition was online on the website of our UPSM association . However, it is now closed. The INPI was supposed to give its verdict a few months ago, but unfortunately we still have not received a response to this day.

If you find this symbol on a Marseille soap, it means that it has all the characteristics mentioned above.

Our Marseille soaps and shavings are not certified glycerin-free. In fact, during the manufacture of Marseille soap using the Marseille process, glycerin is naturally formed from the mixture of oils and soda. We eliminate this glycerin through various washes of the soap paste. Once molded, our Marseille soaps contain almost no glycerin (less than 1%).

Our Vegetable Oil Soaps and Olive Oil Soaps can be used as they both have the same washing properties.

After grating your soap, simply dilute 20 grams of shavings to make 1 liter of detergent. We also remind you that it is recommended to use between 75 and 100ml of detergent for 5kg of laundry.

We recommend Marseille soap for your laundry because it is ideal for skin that has allergy problems.

Our Marseille soap is fragrance-free, colouring-free, preservative-free and additive-free. You can get soap in the form of shavings in different formats, or you can grate a cube or other soap yourself (knowing that you need 20g of shavings to make 1L of laundry detergent).

Our Marseille Soaps are formulated exclusively with vegetable oils, without the addition of preservatives, colorants, perfumes or animal fats. Made from 100% natural ingredients and certified COSMOS Natural, they are guaranteed hypoallergenic.

If you prefer liquid soap, we recommend the “fragrance-free” one which is also hypoallergenic and ideal for gently washing sensitive skin.

Since babies' skin is particularly delicate, we advise you to seek the advice of a pediatrician.

On the other hand, you can use Marseille Soap in cubes or shavings for baby laundry care. Our Soaps are formulated exclusively with vegetable oils, without preservatives, colorants, perfumes or animal fats.

With its 100% natural ingredients, our Marseille Soap is generally recommended for skin that is prone to allergies. However, we advise you to seek the advice of a dermatologist in order to find the product best suited to your skin.

We recommend using a wire or a large, sharp, toothless knife that has been previously run under hot water.

Marseille Soap does not expire, you can use it several decades later without any problem. Our Marseille Soap is a living material with a unique color and shape that can vary over time, and depending on its exposure to air and light. It will nevertheless keep all its qualities and effectiveness.

Our grandmothers would let it dry for many months in their cupboards so that it would become extra dry and last longer in use.

However, in the case of purchasing a bar, we generally advise our customers to cut it upon receipt using a wire or a knife without teeth previously passed under hot water. Indeed, over time, the water contained in the soap evaporates and the bar hardens. Regarding Marseille soap crumbs, we advise you not to throw them away.

In fact, you can find many uses for them on our blog.

We do not have a vegan certification, however we can confirm that our Marseille Soaps comply with European Directive 1223/2009. Indeed, we do not carry out any testing on animals. In addition, we do not use animal fats, only vegetable oils.

Soap-free cleanser, the ally of sensitive skin:

Less drying and with a pH close to that of the skin, the soap-free cleanser is recommended for fragile and reactive skin: ideal for children's skin and dry skin, it can be used daily without the inconveniences of so-called traditional soaps.

It can be used for skin prone to all kinds of skin reactions such as eczema. Its washing agents are natural surfactants that produce a generous foam.

Superfat, clean without drying out:

The cleanser is superfatted, it is enriched with superfatting nourishing agents such as sweet almond oil or shea butter for example, which allows it to clean the skin without ever drying it out. It moisturizes and softens the skin by allowing it to retain its natural moisture.

By maintaining skin hydration, it helps soothe and prevent itching sensations. And contrary to what you might think, the superfatted cleanser can of course be used on the body as well as on the face.

Marseille soap is made with vegetable oils, water, salt and soda. The oils are saponified hot in a cauldron. Under the action of soda and heat, the fatty substances are gradually transformed into soap.

Even though it has the shape of a classic bar, the solid cleanser does not contain soap. In fact, it is not produced by saponification and therefore cannot be called a Soap. In this sense, the solid cleanser is closer to liquid shower gel than to Soap.

The solid cleaner is formulated from vegetable oils.

The addition of mild surfactants then allows the formula to be thickened and a solid texture to be obtained. The composition of a solid cleanser is more concentrated and contains less water.

Fresh water is not very concentrated and loaded with alcohol, it is therefore less irritating for the skin. It is comparable to a mist for its lightness and its more diffuse and invigorating scent. More recommended in spring or summer, its concentration is 5% maximum and lasts more than 2 hours on the skin.

Eau de toilette, softer and less concentrated than a perfume, is ideal if you are looking for a discreet scent, more subtle than perfume or eau de parfum. Its alcohol concentration is 5 to 15% and lasts on the skin for an average of 2 to 3 hours.

Eau de parfum is half as strong as classic perfume, but still remains the most concentrated version after perfume (10 to 20% concentration). It absorbs more easily into the skin and fabrics for a scent that lasts all day.

Perfume or perfume absolute is the most concentrated substance (20% pure perfume) that exists.

Alcohol is the essential ingredient for fresh waters. Our plant-based alcohol from beetroot is painless and thus allows the perfume concentrate to be fixed and enhances the essences.

In perfumery, alcohol-based perfumes use ethanol which is denatured by synthetic and chemical ingredients. Our alcohol is a more natural alternative to the alcohol more commonly used in the perfume industry.

Sugar beet alcohol is produced by the fermentation and distillation of sugar beet syrup.

sugar. This alcohol is used in spirits (vodka, brandies, liqueur), as a preservative for the production of vinegar or as a solvent for dyes or flavors. It is also used for pharmaceutical products, medicines, perfumes or cosmetic and beauty products.

At very low temperatures and particularly in winter, liquid soap can solidify due to its composition rich in vegetable oils. This crystallization is only temporary and does not in any way alter the qualities of the soap.

Black soaps are made from olive pomace oil, copra (coconut) oil, potash, water, salt and preservative. Liquid and soft black soaps are made in a cauldron and have the same cleaning qualities. Soft black soap is, however, more concentrated (about 36% soap for 20% for liquid soap), it is more economical to use.