A more than 4000 year old beauty product: Aleppo soap. At “Noble Soap”: Authenticity, quality, and sustainability comes together.
Text: Nada El-Azar, photos: Eugénie Sophie
Many businesses are constantly working to visionaries tomorrow by inventing new products just without taking care of our eco system or to the harmony of their new inventions with our environmental being, while our philosophy were quite simple: we looked backwards to examine and develop the essential products that has long proven itself in our civilisation in sustaining our wellbeing and eco living, then naturally produce it after developing and modernising it” says Ahmad Andoura, managing director of the soap manufacturing company Noble Soap. He has specialised in the sale of the Syrian natural aleppo soap, which consists of olive oil and laurel oil. Its tradition roots dates back to 2400 B.C., which makes the so-called “Aleppo Soap” one of the oldest soaps ever. “This soap is an over 4000 year old product that has supported our entire civilization, similar to bread, vinegar and wine”. The special thing about the Aleppo Soap is: The basis for the aleppo soap is the so-called second pressed olive oil produced from the residues of the first press olive oil, which makes Aleppo soap a great skincare circular product produced in a traditional environmentally friendly processes.
TRADITIONAL AND VALUE-ORIENTED
The Viennese company “Noble Soap” can best be described as a “vintage startup”, as it is a direct successor to the company of the same name, which was founded by Nabil Andoura with his son Ahmad Andoura between Damascus and Aleppo in 1998. Before the production facilities in Syria fell victim to the war in 2012, Noble Soap was the premium market leader in the field of Aleppo soap. Today, production has moved to southern Turkey, where it works with local olive growers and cooperation with their team members then The soap is packed and labeled in Vienna, completely without plastic. As always, each soap bar is handmade and is vegan as well as palm oil free.
AN INTIMATE PRODUCT
Soap particularly is an intimate personal product,” says Ahmad Andoura. In some parts of Syria, it was common to send a piece of soap in a box to wedding guests. “This is considered a friendly invitation to get dressed up and come to a wedding,” explains Ahmad. For sensitive skin or skin affected by diseases like eczema or psoriasis, the gentle Aleppo soap is a good alternative to conventional shower gels. The olive oil gently cleanses the skin of harmful bacteria, while the precious laurel oil has an antiseptic effect. In the Noble Soap assortment you will find, in addition to the classic, odorless Aleppo soap, variants with rose, saffron or lavender, and the product range continues to grow – it’s worth taking a look at the online store.
Check the full interview in the “Das biber” magazine page “German”:
