A search for 'Aleppo soap' on a major online marketplace returns hundreds of results with prices ranging from two dollars to forty dollars, sellers from seven different countries, ingredient lists ranging from three items to fifteen, and customer reviews that range from 'life-changing for my eczema' to 'smells terrible and didn't lather'.
These are not all the same product with different marketing. They are different products with different ingredients, different production methods, and different levels of authenticity — all wearing the same name.
The landscape of what is actually available
Mass-market sellers: bars with vague provenance, often made from palm and coconut oil bases with synthetic laurel fragrance, priced to undercut authentic producers. The ingredient list will include sodium palmate, parfum, and multiple additives. These are the fakes discussed in the previous article.
European artisan producers: French, Italian, and Spanish producers who make genuine olive and laurel oil soap in the Aleppo tradition, typically using cold-process rather than the traditional hot-process method. The quality varies. The bars are often very good; they are not made by Syrian craftspeople and the traditional hot-process character differs from Aleppo-produced bars.
Turkish producers using Syrian artisans: after the conflict, many Sabonji masters relocated to Turkey and continued production there. This is where Avlia sources its bars. The craft is the same — traditional hot-process, genuine olive and laurel oils, hand-stamping. The craftspeople are Syrian. The geography is Turkey.
Remaining Syrian producers: a small number of Aleppo factories resumed production after 2016. Bars produced in Aleppo by Syrian makers are among the most authentic available, though supply is limited and international distribution is challenging.
What to look for when buying from any seller
Ingredient transparency: can you read the complete INCI ingredient list before purchasing? If the seller does not provide this, do not buy.
Provenance statement: does the seller state specifically where the soap is made and by whom? 'Made in the Levantine tradition' or 'inspired by Aleppo' are not provenance statements. 'Made by Syrian artisans in Turkey using traditional hot-process' is.
No synthetic fragrance: any bar with parfum or fragrance on the label is not authentic Aleppo soap.
Customer reviews that describe the scent accurately: reviews that describe 'earthy, herbal, slightly smoky' scent are describing authentic laurel oil. Reviews that describe 'nice floral smell' or 'fresh and clean' are likely describing synthetic fragrance added to an inauthentic base.
Why to buy Avlia specifically
Avlia's Syrian Sabonji artisans are 4th and 5th generation soap-makers from Aleppo. They left their city carrying the same recipes that their fathers and grandfathers used in Aleppo's historic sabun khans. They are not Turks who learned to make Levantine-style soap; they are the Levantine soap-makers, relocated by necessity.
The full Avlia range — 0% to 75% laurel, plus Nablus, Musk, Amber, and Oud bars — is available direct-to-consumer at avliahome.com. Wholesale for retailers is available via Faire.
Ingredient transparency: every bar's full INCI list is on the product page. Three to four ingredients. No parfum. No palm oil. No surprises.
This is what authentic Aleppo soap looks like.