Ayvacık is a small district in Çanakkale province, in the north-west corner of Turkey. It sits on the Biga peninsula between the Kaz Mountains (Mount Ida in the old texts) and the Aegean, with the ruins of ancient Assos on its southern coast. The coast along the Gulf of Edremit, from Ayvacık round to Ayvalık and Edremit, is one of Turkey's best known olive oil regions.
Why olives grow so well here
The north Aegean has the dry summers and mild, wet winters olive trees like. Many groves sit on hillsides between the mountains and the sea, and a lot of the trees are old. Families in the villages around Ayvacık and the gulf have pressed olives for generations, and the harvest still runs from roughly October to January.
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How olive oil soap is made
Real soap comes from a reaction called saponification: oil is mixed with lye (sodium hydroxide), and the two turn into soap and glycerin. In olive oil soap, most or all of the oil is olive oil. The traditional cold process works at low heat, then the bars are cut and left to cure for several weeks so they harden and become milder.
Pure olive oil soap is known for a creamy, low lather and a gentle feel. Soapmakers often add a little coconut or other oil for more bubbles, or herbs like thyme, rosemary or lavender for scent.
What to look for on the label
- Sodium olivate near the top of the ingredient list. That is the name for olive oil after it has become soap.
- A short ingredient list. A handmade bar rarely needs more than oils, water, lye and a scent or herb.
- Hard, dense bars. A well-cured olive oil bar lasts a long time if it can dry between uses.
Our olive oil soap
Our handmade olive oil soap bars come from the Aegean side of Turkey, in 130 g bars scented with rosemary, thyme, lavender or goat milk. For guest bathrooms there are also wrapped olive oil guest soaps.
Keep a bar on a draining dish so it dries between uses. Sitting in water is what makes handmade soap go soft.
More on soap in types of soap and what handmade soap is.