Marseille soap vs household soap

We are regularly asked what the difference is between our household soap and Marseille soap. Let's clarify!

Marseille Soap

It comes from an ancestral manufacturing process. Although it is not subject to any official protection, Marseille soap meets 3 precise criteria:

It must be made in the Marseille region.
It is composed of vegetable oil without additives: 72% olive, palm, or coconut oil.
Its saponification is done hot, in a cauldron, following 5 stages: embedding, salting out, cooking, washing, liquefaction.

The process remains the same, at least for the "true" Marseille soaps, those made in the city's last four soap factories; they have grouped together under the name UPSM, Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille, which guarantees adherence to ancestral processes.

The functions of Marseille soap

Highly versatile, it is useful for both the home and personal hygiene! Rinsing removes impurities and glycerin from the soap, which is naturally created in the saponification reaction.

However, while it is formidable against dirt, Marseille soap is a little less gentle and moisturizing for your skin.

The manufacture of Marseille Soap

It is a true craft that combines both technique and know-how. Did you know, for example, that the master soap maker literally tastes the soap to know if it is ready during the cooking phase? However, this process has a very significant ecological footprint for 3 major reasons:

First, it is VERY energy-intensive. The cauldrons sometimes contain several tons of soap paste and are heated for several hours over 8 to 10 days. The amount of energy required is colossal and poses a real problem, especially in times of necessary energy sobriety.

Secondly, it consumes a lot of water. Several rinses are carried out during manufacturing, which requires tons of water, from which another problematic aspect arises: the discharge of water polluted by impurities.

Finally, the vegetable oils used are very often coconut or palm; they come from afar and are often obtained under very questionable social conditions: no label truly ensures that the working conditions of the workers are good.

And Senza household soap

It clearly has multiple advantages:

Composed of 100% organic olive oil
Enriched with soda crystals for a degreasing boost
Cold saponified for a minimum of 8 weeks
Made in our workshop in Paris

Formidable against dirt and grease; it washes dishes and floors, removes stains from laundry, and even whitens tile grout... Its production requires very little water and no energy: it's simple and economical!