Our expertise
Marseille-based soap factory, guaranteeing soap-making expertise for over 130 years.
Maître Savon de Marseille manufactures its products in the heart of Marseille, at the Savonnerie du Midi, one of Marseille's last traditional soap factories. On these premises, we handcraft Marseille soaps according to the rules laid down by Colbert in 1688.
A brief history of Savon de Marseille
It was Louis XIV who regulated the manufacture of Savon de Marseille with the Edict of Colbert. This decree limited the use of the name 'Savon de Marseille' to soaps made from olive oil in the Marseille region. In fact, genuine Marseille soap is guaranteed to contain 72% vegetable oil, thus banishing animal fats.
Perpetuating the traditional Marseille soap-making process, Maître Savon de Marseille, through Savonnerie du Midi, has been awarded the label Living Heritage Company label in 2020. This distinction attests to the excellent craftsmanship of our Marseille soaps and other soaps for cosmetics and the home.
We are proud to have received this distinction and this mark of support.
All our teams are committed to upholding exceptional expertise at all times.
Guillaume Fiévet
President of the family-owned Prodef group, which took over from the Savonnerie et Maître Savon de Marseille several years ago.
How to recognize
genuine Marseille soap?
Through its manufacturing process, its geographical origin
and its composition
Maître Savon de Marseille, committed to the defense of genuine Marseille soap
Today, the name 'Savon de Marseille' is not protected and can be applied to any type of soap, whatever its geographical origin, method of production or manufacture.
Since 2011, the Savonnerie du Midi, with the help of 3 other soap factories in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, has asserted its claim to the ancestral Marseille soap-making process within the UPSM.
The aim? To award a GI PIA (Indication Géographique des Produits Industriels et Artisanaux - Geographical Indication for Industrial and Artisanal Products) to Marseille soap, to differentiate genuine products and bring greater transparency to the end consumer.
At the soap factory in Marseille
Marseille soap has been made by our master soapmakers for over a century, around 5 cauldrons. The know-how has been handed down from generation to generation, perpetuating this mastery over the decades, while taking into account today's challenges such as sustainable development.
Maître Savon de Marseille's product range today includes Ecocert-labeled Marseille soaps, all made using the traditional Marseille soap-making process.
Ecocert certification to the COSMOS standard guarantees the manufacture of organic or natural cosmetics using processes that respect human health.
The charter of the Union des Professionnels du Savon de Marseille (Union of Marseille Soap Professionals) includes several points that are essential to differentiating Marseille soap.
Discover our authentic Marseille soaps
