Awaida Roots 1880 Pure Olive Oil Soap

This traditional first-press olive soap is made in Tripoli by Lebanon's oldest working soap factory, Masbanat Awaida, having operated since 1880. The soap is exceptional for the quality of the olive oil used to make it, sourced from the local orchards in and around Tripoli's hinterlands. Unlike imported olive oil from Italy or Spain that is filtered to contain only oleic acids, the orchard oil used by Awaida retains the full spectrum of its natural contents.

These Tripoli bars are similar to Nablus soap bars with a few subtle differences. They are about 25% larger than typical Nablus soap bars, while having a geometrically similar flat square shape. During manufacturing Awaida uses soap flakes from the previous batch to prevent the soap from sticking to the stone floor, whereas in Nablus factories paper is used. And while Nablus soaps come in a thin paper wrapper, Awaida soaps come in a slightly thicker recyclable colored craft paper.   

Weight: 182 grams; 6.42 oz +/- 5%
Price per weight: $0.30/g; $1.24/oz
Dimensions: 6.5 cm width, 6.5 cm length, 5 cm height
Volume: $$0.00021125{\text{cubic meters}}^{}$$ / 0.00746 cubic feet
Ingredients (what goes into the pot): Olive Oil and Lye Water
Ingredients (what comes out of the pot): Sodium olivate (saponified olive oil, 98% or more) and glycerin (1-2%).

The Palestinian Soap Cooperative is the distributor for Awaida's traditional soaps outside of Lebanon.