According to legend the process of Saponification – soap making – was first discovered on the island of Lesvos in the North East Aegean Sea and recorded by the Ancient Greek poet Sappho (620-565 BC). As the rains washed away the animal fat and ashes (residues from animal sacrifices to ancient gods), it gave a yellowish colour to the river. Housewives doing their laundry further down the stream noticed the dirt was removed from their clothes more easily and that’s how it all started – by pure chance! 

When we make our batches of olive oil soap here at Nefysi, we use the cold process method of soap making. We mix olive oil and lye and begin the chemical reaction of saponification.

In the 17th century, Cretan soap was equally well known as Marseille soap because of the Cretan olive oil used. Cretans not only used to export olive oil to Marseille but also used to export bars of soap all around the Mediterranean basin, to Syria, the Middle East and Asia Minor. Ever since the Minoan times, olive oil was heavily used for cosmetic purposes.

All our artisanal soaps include our hero ingredient, Cretan olive oil. The soap bars retain all the natural moisturizing properties of olive oil, are smooth, totally healthy, rich in vitamin E and antioxidants and suitable for all skin types. We further enrich our soaps with wild herbs, essential oils, other oils, butters, goat's milk and clays.