The most common mistake new Aleppo soap users make is over-enthusiasm. A new bar arrives, it smells beautifully herbal, the results seem immediately promising — and they use it twice daily on face and body and hair from day one. By week two, their skin feels unusually dry, or their scalp has gone the other direction and become oily. They conclude the soap does not work for them.
The soap was working. The frequency was the problem.
Different skin types, different areas of the body, and different skin conditions all call for different usage frequencies. Here is the guide.
For the body
For most skin types, once daily body washing with Avlia is appropriate and beneficial. The antibacterial laurel oil is active at each wash; the olive oil base prevents the drying that comes with over-washing.
Twice daily body washing is reasonable for people in hot climates, athletes, or anyone engaging in work or exercise that produces heavy sweating. Avlia's formula is gentle enough for twice-daily use on most skin types at body-washing frequency.
The recommended bar for daily body washing: the Avlia 16% Bar for most people. The Avlia 30% Bar for oily skin or those using the soap specifically for body odour control.
For the face
Once daily is the standard recommendation for face washing with Avlia. Morning or evening — choose one initially.
For oily or acne skin, twice daily is appropriate: morning to clear overnight sebum and bacteria; evening to remove the day's pollution and surface debris before sleep.
For dry or sensitive skin, once daily or even every other day. Dry skin does not benefit from being washed twice daily with any soap, regardless of how gentle.
The rule: if your face feels tight or dry within two hours of washing, reduce frequency. If it feels acceptably moisturised, you are at the right frequency.
For hair and scalp
Start with twice weekly. Not daily — even with gentle Aleppo soap, the scalp needs time to recalibrate from the stripping patterns of previous shampoo routines. Twice weekly gives the scalp wash days and rest days.
After three to four weeks, most people find a natural frequency: some oily-scalp types end at three times weekly; some normal scalps settle at twice. Very dry scalps or very coarse hair types may find once weekly sufficient.
For eczema, psoriasis, or reactive skin conditions
Begin at two to three times per week with the Avlia 5% Bar. This is the cautious introduction frequency — it allows the skin to adjust from synthetic-product exposure and assess tolerance without over-challenging reactive skin.
After two weeks without negative response, increase to every other day. After four weeks, move to daily if the skin is tolerating well.
For babies
Two to three times per week maximum for newborns. This is about respecting the developing skin barrier rather than the soap's gentleness — newborn skin does not need daily washing. Three times weekly for infants up to six months; daily becomes reasonable after the skin barrier has matured toward the end of the first year.
The listen-to-your-skin principle
These frequencies are starting points, not fixed rules. Skin communicates. Tightness or dryness within two hours of washing = reduce frequency or drop to a lower-laurel Avlia bar. Oiliness by mid-afternoon = may need to increase frequency or increase laurel percentage.
The Avlia range spans from the 100% Olive Oil Bar (zero laurel, maximum moisture) through the 5%, 10%, 16%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 75% Laurel Oil Bars. If a bar at a given percentage feels too active at daily use, dropping one level in the range — rather than reducing frequency — is often the better adjustment.
The full Avlia range is at avliahome.com, made by Syrian Sabonji artisans in Turkey.