Aleppo vs Marseille vs Castile Soap: What Is the Difference?

Three soaps, three cities, one family. Aleppo, Marseille and Castile soap are all descended from the olive oil soaps of the medieval Mediterranean, and they are often sold side by side. But the names now mean quite different things.

Here is what is in each, how each is made, what the rules say, and what you pay. For the background, see the history of Aleppo soap.

Key takeaways

• Aleppo soap is olive and laurel berry oil, dried for 6-9 months or more (UNESCO).
• Marseille soap is a vegetable-oil cauldron soap; the makers' rules allow olive pomace, coconut and palm oil (UPSM specification).
• Castile soap began as a white Spanish olive oil bar (Wikipedia) and now often means any vegetable-oil soap (Dr. Bronner's).
• The "72%" on Marseille cubes refers to oil content, not to olive oil share.
• No name is protected. INPI lists the Marseille makers' geographical indication application as rejected (INPI).

The short answer

Aleppo soap is made from olive oil and laurel berry oil and dried for months. Marseille soap is a cauldron-cooked vegetable-oil soap from the Marseille area, often made with coconut and palm oil today. Castile soap was originally a white Spanish olive oil soap, but the name is now used for almost any vegetable-oil soap, bar or liquid. None of the three names is legally protected.

One family, three soaps

By the 13th century, soap was a major industry in Aleppo, Damascus, Nablus and Fes, and Syrian soap was exported to Europe. As olive oil replaced animal fat in European soap, production moved to the olive-growing Mediterranean, and by the 15th century Castile and Marseille were among Europe's leading soap centres (Wikipedia, "Soap").

The three at a glance

Aleppo soap

Aleppo soap is made from olive oil, laurel berry oil, water and lye. It is cooked, poured across the factory floor, cut, stamped by hand and stacked in open towers to dry for six to nine months or more (UNESCO). The outside turns pale gold while the inside stays green (Wikipedia).

The laurel oil is what sets it apart: it gives the scent, and its share, from 0% to 40% or more, is printed on the bar. Read our guide to the laurel oil percentage, what is in a bar and why it is cured for months.

Marseille soap

Marseille's first documented soapmaker dates to about 1370, and in 1688 the Edict of Colbert limited the name to olive oil soaps. That rule was later relaxed (Wikipedia).

Today the four remaining traditional makers belong to the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (UPSM). Its specification allows only vegetable oils, naming olive pomace, coconut and palm oil, and bans animal fat, perfume, colourants and additives. The soap must be made in the Bouches-du-Rhône by the five-stage "procédé marseillais" in a cauldron, which spans several days, and only natural green or beige colours are allowed (UPSM specification).

After cooking, the soap dries quickly by comparison. Marius Fabre describes a 48-hour drying period (France Today).

What "72%" means

Many Marseille cubes are stamped "72%". Traditionally this refers to the bar's oil content, measured as fatty acids (Techno-Science), not to 72% olive oil: some bars marked 72% also contain coconut oil (Truffaut). The UPSM specification itself sets a minimum of 63% fatty acids (UPSM specification).

Is Marseille soap protected?

Not yet. France's intellectual property office lists the UPSM's geographical indication application as rejected (INPI), and a rival application was refused in 2018, a decision upheld by France's highest court in 2022 (Banque des Territoires). In practice, much soap sold as "Marseille soap" is not made in France (Connexion, 2024).

Pro Tip: For a traditional Marseille soap, look for a maker in the Bouches-du-Rhône and a short ingredient list. For a green olive Marseille cube, check whether coconut or palm oil is listed too.

Castile soap

Castile soap traces its start to the Levant. Early Spanish makers could not easily get laurel oil, so they left it out, kept the olive oil and, using brine, made the first white hard soap, which hardened further as it aged (Wikipedia).

The modern meaning is much broader. Dr. Bronner's, the best-known brand using the name, defines Castile soap as "any vegetable oil-based soap" as opposed to tallow-based soap (Dr. Bronner's FAQ). Its liquid soap is made with water, coconut oil, potassium hydroxide, palm kernel oil, olive oil and others (Grove), and its bars combine coconut, olive and palm oils (Dr. Bronner's).

A solid, olive-heavy Castile bar made today is usually cured for six months to a year (Wholesale Supplies Plus). For the liquid versions, see our guide to liquid Aleppo soap, which explains why liquid soap needs a different lye.

Drying time compared

The biggest practical difference is time. Marseille soap is cooked for days and then dries for about two days; Aleppo soap cooks and is then left for six to nine months or more. A long cure gives a harder, denser bar; see how to use Aleppo soap to keep it that way.

What each costs

On 4 October 2026, a 600 g Fer à Cheval olive Marseille cube cost €8.30, about €1.38 per 100 g (Greenweez), and a 400 g Marius Fabre bar €4.99, about €1.25 per 100 g (Truffaut). A Dr. Bronner's Castile bar cost $5.19 for 5 oz, about $3.60 per 100 g (Dr. Bronner's). Traditional Aleppo bars with 20-40% laurel cost €4.45-5.60 per 100 g in our survey; see where to buy Aleppo soap.

The gap is mostly laurel oil, which is scarce, and months of curing, which tie up stock. Our best Aleppo soap guide compares brands.

Try the one that kept the laurel. Four strengths: Pure Olive, 10%, 20% and 40% laurel. See all Aleppo soaps. Free EU shipping over €50.

How to choose

• Want olive and laurel, long-cured? Aleppo soap. Check the laurel percentage and the origin.
• Want an inexpensive olive or vegetable-oil cube for the home? Marseille soap. Check the maker and the oils listed.
• Want a liquid, all-purpose vegetable soap? Modern Castile soap. Read the full ingredient list.

Pro Tip: Whatever the name on the front, the ingredient list on the back tells you which soap you are holding. Our guide to spotting fake Aleppo soap shows how to read one.

Dažniausiai užduodami klausimai

Kuo Alepo muilas skiriasi nuo Marselio ir Kastilijos muilo?

Tradiciniame Alepo muile derinami alyvuogių ir laurų uogų aliejai. Kastilijos muilas tradiciškai siejamas su alyvuogių aliejumi, tačiau šiuo vardu parduodamuose šiuolaikiniuose produktuose gali būti ir kitų augalinių aliejų. Marselio muilas turi savą virimo katiluose tradiciją, o jo receptūrose gali būti kelių rūšių augalinių aliejų. Lyginkite konkrečią sudėtį ir gamybos vietą, ne vien pavadinimą.

Iš ko gaminamas tradicinis Alepo muilas?

Tradiciniam Alepo muilui naudojami alyvuogių ir laurų uogų aliejai, vanduo bei natrio hidroksidas, kuris reaguodamas su aliejais sudaro muilą. ALEPO taip pat siūlo gryną alyvuogių muilą be laurų aliejaus. Aliejų santykis apibūdina pradines žaliavas, o tokie pavadinimai kaip „sodium olivate“ – iš jų susidariusį muilą. Tikrinkite būtent pasirinktos rūšies sudėties informaciją.

Ką reiškia 10 %, 20 % ir 40 % laurų aliejaus?

Procentai nurodo laurų uogų aliejaus dalį aliejų mišinyje, iš kurio gaminamas muilas. 20 % muilui naudojama 20 % laurų ir 80 % alyvuogių aliejaus, o 40 % muilui – 40 % laurų ir 60 % alyvuogių aliejaus. Tai nėra nepakitusio laurų aliejaus kiekis gatavame muile. Gryname alyvuogių muile laurų aliejaus nėra.

Kurį Alepo muilą rinktis pirmam kartui?

Jei norite švelniausio kvapo, rinkitės gryną alyvuogių muilą. 10 % muilas turi lengvą laurų kvapą, 20 % – ryškesnį, o 40 % – sodriausią mūsų asortimente. Jei norite palyginti visus, rinkinyje „Arabijos atradimas“ rasite po vieną kiekvienos rūšies muilą. Rinkitės pagal kvapą, sudėtį ir biudžetą; didesnis procentas nereiškia gydomojo poveikio.

The bottom line

Aleppo, Marseille and Castile soap share an ancestor, but not much else today. Aleppo soap keeps olive and laurel oil and a months-long cure. Marseille soap is a regulated cauldron soap from one French department, often with coconut and palm oil. Castile soap has become a general name for vegetable-oil soap.

None of the names is legally protected, so read the oils, the origin and the process on the label. To start with ours, see what Aleppo soap is and how it is made.

Compare strengths side by side. Our soap collection includes all four laurel percentages. Free EU shipping over €50.

Sources

1. Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille. Specification and statutes (via INPI). https://base-indications-geographiques.inpi.fr/sites/default/files/Cdc_UPSM%20%2B%20statuts.pdf
2. INPI. "Savon de Marseille" geographical indication record. https://base-indications-geographiques.inpi.fr/fr/detail-ig/savon-de-marseille-IG15-003
3. Banque des Territoires. "Toujours pas d'indication géographique pour le savon de Marseille." 2022. https://www.banquedesterritoires.fr/toujours-pas-dindication-geographique-pour-le-savon-de-marseille
4. Connexion. "Most Marseille soap not made in France and likely to remain that way." 3 June 2024. https://connexionfrance.com/news/most-marseille-soap-not-made-in-france-and-likely-to-remain-that-way/656881
5. Wikipedia. "Marseille soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille_soap
6. Wikipedia. "Castile soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap
7. Wikipedia. "Soap" (history section). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap
8. Wikipedia. "Aleppo soap." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_soap
9. Techno-Science. "Savon de Marseille." https://www.techno-science.net/fr/definitions/savon-de-marseille
10. France Today. "Savon de Marseille: Marius Fabre and the secrets behind the famous French soap." https://francetoday.com/culture/made_in_france/savon-de-marseille-marius-fabre-secrets-behind-famous-french-soap/
11. Dr. Bronner's UK. FAQ. https://drbronner.co.uk/pages/faq
12. Grove. "Dr. Bronner's pure-castile liquid soap" (ingredients). https://grove.co/products/pure-castile-liquid-soap
13. Dr. Bronner's. "Peppermint pure-castile bar soap." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.drbronner.com/products/peppermint-pure-castile-bar-soap
14. Wholesale Supplies Plus. "Simple secrets to making solid castile soap." https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/blogs/articles/simple-secrets-making-solid-castile-soap
15. Greenweez. Fer à Cheval "Savon de Marseille cube 100% olive, 600 g." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.greenweez.com/produit/savon-de-marseille-cube-100-olive-600g/1FERA0046
16. Truffaut. Marius Fabre "Savon de Marseille 400 g vert." Accessed 4 October 2026. https://www.truffaut.com/savon-de-marseille-400-g-vert-a-l-huile-d-olive.html
17. UNESCO. "Craftsmanship of Aleppo Ghar soap." 2024. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/craftsmanship-of-aleppo-ghar-soap-02132