France has a long history of soap making and there are dozens of amazing French soaps to choose from for your everyday cleaning needs. The southern French city of Marseille is the epicenter of French soap production. Savon de Marseille is a hard soap made from vegetable oils that has been produced in the region for over 600 years!
In the 17th century, King Louis XIV declared through the Edict of Colbert that only olive-oil based soaps could legally call themselves “Soap of Marseille,” but that has since been amended to include other oils.
In the early 20th century, around 132 companies were producing soap in the Marseille area of Bouches-du-Rhône, France.
While the soaps can be used for many tasks like household cleaning and hand washing delicates, we’re gong to focus on the best French body soaps today so you can take care of your personal hygiene the French way!
Everyone deserves to pamper themselves and the French know this better than anyone! While Parisians can’t always head out to a spa and get away from city life, they can find a beautifully crafted bar soap or liquid soap who’s aromas will whisk them away from everyday troubles.
Sometimes you have to remember to take care of yourself! With these breathtaking French soaps you will feel revived and rejuvenated as if you were in the south of France.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Soap
Sometimes people avoid bar soaps because they can leave the skin dry compared to body washes. L’Occitane Soap will do no such thing. Because this bar soap is enriched with shea butter and crushed almonds, it will leave the skin not only smelling beautiful but also feeling soft and clean.
The benefits of almond oil include its richness in Omega 6 and 9, which nourish the skin. L’Occitane Shea Butter Soap is best suited for those with normal to dry skin. L’Occitane uses almonds that are cultivated in France. The crushed almonds help exfoliate the skin by gently removing dirt and dead skin cells.
Panier des Sens Liquid Hand Soap
Panier des Sens Liquid Hand Soap is designed to cleanse and nourish the hands while providing a pleasant fragrance. Made with natural ingredients, it typically contains moisturizing agents to help keep the skin hydrated and prevent dryness.
Panier des Sens Orange Blossom Liquid Hand Soap, 16.9 fl oz
Check Price on AmazonThe soap is enriched with essential oils and botanical extracts, which offer additional benefits such as soothing properties and a refreshing scent. It’s suitable for regular use and is packaged in an aesthetically pleasing bottle, making it a popular choice for both personal and decorative use in bathrooms and kitchens!
Pré de Provence Artisanal French Soap Bar
Most soaps that are French-milled are milled three times, but the soaps at Pré de Provence are quad-milled to achieve superior smoothness and a rich lather. Milled in Provence, France —Pré de Provence Rose Petal is a soap bar that exudes luxuriousness. It is enriched with shea butter and uses only pure natural ingredients.
Pre de Provence Artisanal French Moisturizing Soap Bar, Shea Butter Enriched, Quad Milled for Long Lasting Rich Smooth Lather, 5.3 Ounce, Honey Almond
Check Price on AmazonPré de Provence does not use GMOs, mineral oils, phthalates, shellac, plasticizers, or micronized titanium dioxide. Rose Petal is available in 150g or 250g and is the epitome of french milled soap. To experience Pré de Provence Rose Petal is to be transported to a place of peace, relaxation, and vitality.
La Chatelaine Luxury Exfoliating Bar Soap
With a gentle scent of sweet almonds, the La Chatelaine Luxury Exfoliating Bar Soap is the perfect addition to your soap collection. It’s made in France and comes in beautiful packaging.
La Chatelaine Luxury Exfoliating Bar Soap | Natural Shea Formula (Sweet Almond, 7 oz)
Check Price on AmazonRoger & Gallet Perfumed Soap
The French perfume house of Roger & Gallet produces a pack of gently scented soap bars, whose fragrance was inspired by a trip to a Bengal Garden. It is an elegant and delicate aroma with notes of rose and Damascus. The rose bar soap is soft, intoxicating, and brings you to a quiet, meditative place.
ROGER & GALLET Perfumed Soap Bar – French-Milled Gentle Cleansing Soap with Citrus & Aromatic Fragrance, 99% Natural Origin Ingredients (Jean Marie Farina | 3 Pack x 3.5 oz)
Check Price on AmazonIt is a light and delicate scent that is perfect for a self-care day to treat yourself. This French soap bar has a sublime aroma that helps remove you from your everyday worries and responsibilities. Roger & Gallet founded in 1862, has perfected the art of soap making and understands what makes a bar soap luxurious.
Le Petit Marseillais Unscented Savon Brut
The Le Petit Marseillais Savon Brut, an unscented 10.5 oz French Marseille soap bar priced affordably. The soap holds a high rating, with customers praising its versatility for cleaning makeup brushes, treating sensitive skin, and its long-lasting, fragrance-free formula.
Marius Fabre Olive Oil Soap
Aleppo soap is a handmade hard soap made from cooking olive oil and bay laurel berry oil. Marius Fabre, Bay Laurel Aleppo soap is simmered in a cauldron, as this is the original saponification process for Aleppo soaps.
Marius Fabre Olive Oil Marseille Soap Savon de Marseille Set of 3 (3x100gms)
Check Price on AmazonBay laurel berry oil is an antioxidant, has wound-healing properties, and is anti-inflammatory. You can use Bay Laurel Aleppo soap on your body, hands, and face. This soap is great for all skin types, but really it is a very soothing soap for those suffering from painful skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Savonnerie Fer à Cheval Marseille Soap
Aromatic soaps often deter those with sensitive skin because they are worried it will cause a painful and uncomfortable reaction. This is why the Savonnerie Fer à Cheval created a basic Marseille Soap with all of the benefits and none of the irritations. This unscented soap is made up of a mild formulation that is suitable for all skin types, including people who have extremely sensitive skin.
Fer à Cheval Pure Olive Toilet Marseille Soap Bar - Authentic Savon De Marseille, Natural and Hypoallergenic French Olive Oil Soap (250 g/8.82 oz, Single)
Check Price on AmazonSavonnerie Fer à Cheval’s Marseille Soap is made of sweet almond oil extract, shea butter, and coconut oil. These ingredients combined form a gentle foamy soap that is easily rinsed off. You can find versions with notes of white tea infused with yuzu that will relax your senses during every shower.
Compagnie de Provence Savon de Marseille Extra Pure Liquid Soap
Lavender is synonymous with calm and relaxation. Liquid Marseille Soap in Aromatic Lavender is exactly the liquid shower soap you need. If you shower in the morning, it calms any nerves you may have about the day, and for those who shower at night, it is the perfect scent to wash away the day’s stressors.
Compagnie de Provence Savon de Marseille Liquid Soap, Aromatic Lavender
Check Price on AmazonOther aromas in this lavish liquid soap include olive wood, fig of Provence, wild rose, and mimosa flower, among others. Savon de Marseille Extra Pure Liquid Soaps are packaged in recyclable plastic containers that are unbreakable for the earth-conscious buyer!
Fragonard Parfumeur Jasmin Perle de Thé Perfumed Soap
Inspired by thirst-quenching green tea, Fragonard created Jasmin Perle de Thé bar soap. Two of the soap’s main ingredients include argan oil and sunflower seed oil. Argan oil not only nourishes the skin but is also an anti-aging component of the bar soap. The inclusion of sunflower seed oil will help hydrate the skin and enhance the skin repair barrier.
Fragonard Parfumeur Jasmin Perle de Thé Perfumed Soap - 150 g
Check Price on AmazonFragonard seeks for Jasmin Perle de Thé to be the epitome of femininity with its heady notes and aroma. Established in 1962, the company has polished its expertise in perfumery, but more specifically, soap making.
Savon De Marseille Soap Cube
A cubed, French-milled soap made in Marseille that is hypoallergenic and is exclusively based on vegetable oils, a La Corvette soap cube is made in the traditional cooking method. Not only is it a rich and carefully crafted soap, but it is also biodegradable and an environmentally friendly product.
La Corvette Marseille soap cube OLIVE, boxed; ECOCERT 500g
Check Price on AmazonBecause this La Corvette soap is hypoallergenic, it is suitable for all skin types and sensitivities. What’s amazing about this soap is that it is not only safe for showering with, but is also a great soap for doing your laundry. La Corvette soap is a well-rounded product that will keep you wanting more.
Et voila! I hope your bathroom or kitchen smells a little more French thanks to this article!
2 comments
Hi, I really enjoyed reading your post. I need a little help finding a specific soap. My mom (passed away a few years ago) really loved lemon soaps and they came in the shape of lemons. Round and yellow and smelled really wonderful. She used them perhaps 60 years ago. I live in the US and can’t seem to find them. I saw the pictures on this post showing lemon-shaped soap bars and I was wondering where I can buy them from. I am thinking of giving them as wedding favors to our guests when my daughter gets married in January 2025. It’ll be a great way to honor my mom. Thanks for your help. Merci!!
Hi! You could get small lemon soaps on Amazon here. It looks like they even sell wedding sets, too!
Hope that helps!
FGB