7 Antioxidant Rich Olive Oil Soaps
Study after study has shown that consuming olive oil can have a number of benefits, from decreasing inflammation and regulating cholesterol, to preventing bone loss, lowering blood pressure and increasing longevity.
But researchers have discovered that olive oil doesn’t just keep us healthy on the inside. Applied topically to the skin, olive oil’s high levels of antioxidants can also reduce the cancer-causing damage of ultraviolet light. According to a study published last year in the scientific journal Nutrients, extra virgin olive oil may even be helpful in promoting the regeneration of soft tissue cells.
The data confirms something those in the Mediterranean have known for thousands of years: Olive oil is one of the best natural ingredients for making soap.
In addition to antioxidants, olive oil is rich in vitamins A, D, K, and E and its antibacterial properties can help to decrease acne. Perhaps most seductively, unlike most soaps, those made with olive oil are high in ultra-hydrating fatty acids that moisturize the skin so well, a single bar can do double duty as both a soap and a lotion.
Hailing from some of the world’s oldest olive oil soap traditions as well as indie beauty brands and culinary olive oil producers, these olive oil soaps are antioxidant-rich, skin-softening game changers.
Savon de Marseille photo courtesy of Savon de Marseille
In 1688, King Louis XIV of France declared that, to be a “savon de Marseille,” an olive oil-rich cleanser crafted in Southern France since the Middle Ages, a soap must meet certain qualifications: It must be cooked in a cauldron during the summer months, it must be stamped with the manufacturer’s name, it must be made of at least 72% olive oil, and it can’t contain any animal fats, perfumes, dyes, or chemical additives. More than 300 years later, the rules still apply. Originally used for washing linens, today the luxurious, moisturizing soap is recommended by dermatologists as a delicate, hypoallergenic option for even the most sensitive skin. In its classic block form, hand-cut Marseille soap is biodegradable, sold with little to no packaging, and lasts an exceptionally long time, whether it’s used as a hand soap, facial cleanser, or mild laundry soap. A number of small manufacturers produce the soap, several of which, including the aptly named Savon de Marseille whose soap is available online in a variety of sizes, ranging from 30 grams to 35 kilos.
Nablus Soap
$3.50
Nablus soap courtesy of Palestine Soap Cooperative
Purported to be the world’s first soap for bathing, kettle-fired Nablus soap dates back 4,500 years to ancient Syria and Iraq. The predecessor to and inspiration for Marseille’s famous formula, it is still made by small, family-owned factories in the West Bank city of Nablus, where they cook the ingredients for five to six days before pouring them into molds on the ground and cutting them into squares. The Palestinian Soap Cooperative sells the handmade wares of several factories (including Al-Zaytoon, an eco-certified organic factory established in 1611), each of which wraps their bars in simple paper stamped with their unique Arabic logo. The camel-labeled Al-Shakaa Soap Factory, which has been producing soap for more than 180 years.
Olive oil bar soap courtesy of Kiss My Face
Early adopters of cruelty-free and clean beauty standards, Kiss My Face has been a trusted name since it was founded on a Hudson Valley, New York farm in 1981. A most affordable olive oil soap on the market at less than $5 for an eight ounce bar, Kiss My Face’s vegan version contains 86% olive oil and aloe vera to deeply moisturize and nourish skin. Plus, it’s free of parabens and phthalates, and is made in Greece from non-GMO certified olive oil.
Frantoio Grove soap photo courtesy of Frantoio Grove
For the purest olive oil-rich soap, go straight to the source. Frantoio Grove is the first regenerative, organic-certified olive farm and mill in California to produce robust, high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil from Tuscan cultivars. Some of that estate-grown oil is reserved just for the grove’s Superfat soap. With just one ingredient (olive oil), Frantoio’s soap is extra moisturizing with a generous dose of unsaponified oil that adds a layer of protection. Superfat lathers richly but cleanses gently, leaving even sensitive or dry skin soft, refreshed, and supercharged with natural antioxidants.
Papoutsanis Traditional Green Olive Oil Soap photo courtesy of Papoutsanis
Grecian olive oil soap may not have the same strict regulations as savon de Marseille but it is no less storied, dating back to ancient times. Soapmakers Papoutsanis aren’t quite that old—they opened in 1870—but they’re faithfully keeping this bit of Mediterranean heritage alive with their Traditional Green Olive Oil Soap. Sold in 125g and 250g sizes, Papoutsanis’ soaps are vegan, free from mineral oils and synthetic colors, and have been dermatologically tested for use as a facial cleanser, a rich body wash, and even as a shampoo.
Body Scrub Bar photo courtesy of Meow Meow Tweet
Olive oil is the first ingredient in tongue-in-cheek beauty brand Meow Meow Tweet’s body soap and body scrub bars. But the small indie crafters also tuck a world of organic and fair trade fragrances and exfoliators inside their products, from scrubs with black walnut hull, lavender and vetiver or cornmeal, lime, juniper, and ylang ylang to rich, detoxifying soaps with violet leaf and pinyon tree and grapefruit and mint. Vegan, cruelty-free, and low-waste, Meow Meow Tweet’s soaps are made in small batches, and they donate a portion of their profits monthly to BIPOC and queer grassroots organizations.
Face and body bar photo courtesy of Olivella
Italian cult classic Olivella’s olive oil soap is so popular, its exact formula is protected by an international patent. Olive oil is the first and only ingredient in its Olive Oil Soap Classic, making it a powerful, antioxidant rich cleanser and moisturizer for both face and body. Dermatologically tested and free from petroleum, palm oil, parabens and animal products, Olivella’s affordable bar soap is wonderfully hydrating for all skin types.