Soap, Glorious Soap


soap and water

Whenever we ask our readers what they use on their skin, the answer is always soap and water!

Soap is a staple of many British women’s beauty regimes, no matter how many new products are introduced to the market. It is estimated that soap was first used by the Babylons and Romans, and soap is mentioned twice in the Bible.

The Romans can be credited with the rise and fall of hygiene, famous for their baths, this declined with the fall of the Roman empire. Soap is not mentioned again until the 7th century when Italian and Spanish soap makers are using goat fat and olive oil respectively.

Wider spread bathing didn’t come into fashion until the 18th century when it was decided that regular good hygiene might mean less disease. Can you just imagine not cleaning daily? Oh, how far have we come.

Meanwhile in the Middle East

The Middle East was ahead in their soap making, using spices and herbs to nourish and scent the skin. Now, thanks to Azara boutique we can lavish in the ancient bathing secrets of The Arab world.

Created by a homoeopath with 25 years of experience, each Azara Boutique soap is chemical free, organic and cruelty-free. It uses raw ingredients to gently lift and nourish the skin. Each soap is created by hand using rare middle eastern ingredients sourced by the founders – such as frankincense, zamzam and camel’s milk.

Some of the soaps and their benefits include:

  • Anti-ageing: The Frankincense and Myrrh bar combines rare treasures of the Middle East that are known for their potent healing properties and purity. This regal combination is known to tighten the pores, lift the skin, smooth out wrinkles and clear the complexion.
  •  Fight cellulite: The Arabic Coffee, Cardamom and Ginger bar contains traditionally harvested and processed Arabic coffee from Yemen. The soap has high levels of caffeine and anti-oxidants and is rich in regenerative ingredients.

azara boutique

  •  Revive skin: The Madina Rose and Cinnamon bar takes inspiration from Cleopatra’s beauty regime, delicate pink rose petals from the Saudi Arabian cities of Madina and Taif are combined with organic cinnamon from Yemen. This soap removes dead skin cells and revives the skins ability to retain moisture.  
  •  Restore damaged skin: The Charcoal and Black Seed bar includes organic black seeds from Saudi Arabia, known by Arab’s as ‘the blessed seeds.’ They are an important ingredient in the traditional Arab’s skincare routine because they are rich in antioxidants and restore health to damaged skin.
  •  Alleviate skin ailments: The ingredients in the Neem and Sidr bar are obtained from wild organic neem and sidr trees in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. These miraculous ingredients have been used throughout the ages to alleviate skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis.

The full range of soaps can be seen at www.azarabeautique.com.

Karlie Simmonds

Karlie has worked in Digital Media for over 10 years, she is passionate about health and wellbeing and lives in Edinburgh with her partner, children, and Pug, Poppy.