Bar soap has a rich, alluring history — the earliest recorded recipe was found on a tablet in ancient Babylon, dating from 2200 BC, which consisted of three basic ingredients: water, an alkali (also called lye), and oil of Cassia. From there, it spread to ancient Rome and across Europe, though bathing wasn’t as popular in the U.K. until soap-makers emerged in the 12th century. With the advent of the railroad, the heavily taxed item became a full-fledged industry by the 19th century.
Since then, bar soap has not only become an essential everyday item — it’s also had a bit of a renaissance lately. Loewe, Soft Services, Topicals, and Glossier have all launched bar soaps recently, and some people are taking to eBay to buy bar soaps that are no longer in production. But you don’t have to bid on old soaps on eBay to get ones from brands that have been around for centuries. Plenty of very old companies, like Santa Maria Novella and Roger & Gallet, are still making their classic formulas — and they happen to make great gifts, too. Sure, a nice body gel is practical, but there’s just something more appealing and gratifying about giving a bar of soap with a decades-old story behind it.
And so may I suggest: Give them a 150-year-old bar of soap this holiday season. From the smell to the ingredients and lathering factor, it’s an especially satisfying gift. Here, I’ve rounded up some of the best ones out there, many of which have been around for over a century (at least).
Reportedly found throughout illustrious homes across Europe since the 19th century — Catherine de’ Medici’s gave its oldest scent as a wedding gift to her future husband, Henry II of Valois — the Santa Maria Novella brand refers to its solid soaps as “small pieces of extraordinary craftsmanship.” It’s not wrong — the soaps themselves are beautifully shaped with the scent name carved elegantly onto the bar, and they work well for sensitive skin. Offering 25 different types of soap, the Florentine soap-maker is known for making bars that are long lasting both in the shower and out — you might even consider leaving a bar of its Melograno soap in your lingerie drawer to keep underwear smelling fresh.
Originating in Porto, Portugal, the soap brand Claus Porto has been in business since 1887. It offers 30 different soaps, which you can get in curated box sets with soaps that have scents inspired by the Portuguese landscape. Each soap is made with natural oils that create a luxe-feeling lather, and some soaps come on ropes (pictured above), which make them easier to hold or hang up after using. They make especially eye-catching gifts — like this three-piece set with a soap dish — thanks to their colorful, eclectic wrapping.
Genoese soap-maker Valobra has been around since 1903 and blends a combination of three simple ingredients — soda, coconut oil, and tallow — using an ancient technique called “levata da lisciva” to ensure that the soap is free from impurities. To make the “finest” soap in the world, it is then matured for two months before it’s sold to customers. The ergonomic shape is “intentionally designed to nestle seamlessly in the palm of the hand, allowing for a pleasant grip that releases a fragrant, dense lather,” according to C.O. Bigelow, the West Village apothecary that was founded in 1838, where you can find Valobra soaps.
Since 1840, Klar Seifen has been producing vegan soap by using a mix of modern manufacturing techniques plus handmade craftsmanship using molds that are nearly 100 years old. The brand’s thick and dense soaps come wrapped in beautiful floral paper, and are also available in the form of shampoo and conditioner bars. They even have this clove-scented Christmas special that would make a particularly festive gift.
According to Roger & Gallet, a brand that launched its first soap in 1879, this soap is made in a cauldron (!). This one in particular has a candied-ginger scent with notes of berries and pomegranate. Overall, it’s warm and sensual — and it comes in a gorgeous little box. You can find this one at C.O. Bigelow, too.
Caswell-Massey has been around since before the founding of the United States. Its plant-based, triple-milled soaps produce an “ultrarich” lather and come in old-timey (but very nice!) scents like lavender and sandalwood. The soaps are sold individually and as sets. According to the brand, Caswell-Massey’s signature scent, Number Six, is the longest continuously manufactured American fragrance.
Cella Milano has been selling its cream beard soap since 1899 — and, in fact, was awarded the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Milan in 1906 and the Grand Cross of Industrial Merit in 1908. Its “surprisingly gentle” beard soap has a lovely almond scent and can be lathered up to create a creamy, soft, firm foam that helps a blade glide over the skin to ensure an irritation-free shave and fresh skin.
[Editor’s Note: If you prefer to give this cream soap in bar form, Cella offers a refill bar for the container above.]
Established in 1760, Creed offers hand-milled soaps infused with the brand’s best-selling fragrances, including Aventus and Green Irish Tweed. Creed actually has several royal connections — in an 1860 article in the Army and Navy Gazette, it was noted that James Henry Creed, the founder of the brand, was awarded a special appointment to Queen Victoria and principal courts in Europe. Plus, he also worked in D’Antin in Paris, for the tailors Messrs Harris & Co., which is where he would have created garments for European royalty. Additionally, Creed created a riding habit for Queen Victoria in 1885 that can be found in the Kyoto Museum, which inspired the brand’s campaign for its best-selling female fragrance, Aventus for Her. All of that is to say: Give this very old soap to the Anglophile on your list.
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