Soap Makers in Lebanon: Tripoli Laurel and Modern Cold-Process

Tripoli's Khan al-Saboun has produced laurel-oil soap for over five centuries. The classic green-skinned cube cures for nine months before sale. Today, alongside heritage producers, a wave of small-batch makers in Beirut, Batroun, and the Chouf are reviving Lebanese soap craftsmanship.

The Tripoli laurel soap tradition

• Ingredients: olive oil, laurel berry oil (10–40%), water, lye.
• Process: hot-process in copper cauldrons, hand-cut, stamped, then cured for 6–9 months.
• Identification: green crust, beige interior, stamped with the maker's mark.
• Higher laurel content = pricier but better for sensitive skin and hair.

Modern cold-process makers

• Use olive, coconut, castor, shea, and essential oils.
• Cure for 4–6 weeks at room temperature.
• Variations: charcoal, goat milk, honey, herbal infusions.
• Often sold at souks (Souk el Tayeb) and concept stores.

How to recognise quality

• Hard bar that lasts 4+ weeks of daily use.
• Clean lather without skin tightness.
• Honest ingredient list — no "fragrance" without specifics.
• pH around 9–10 (alkaline but gentle on skin).

Where to visit

• Khan al-Saboun, Tripoli — buy direct from producers in the old khan.
• Bashir Effendi Sharkass: heritage Tripoli brand.
• Senteurs d'Orient: Beirut-based premium gift line.
• Weekend farmers markets across Beirut and Mount Lebanon.