Compagnie De Provence Cube of Marseille Soap 400 g Olive

I swore off bar soap for years because of how drying, irritating, and itchy it is for my skin. It was a no-go regardless of the time of year, even during the summer. However, I was intrigued by this soap because of the straightforward ingredients and high olive oil content. I was very pleasantly surprised when I tried it; it really is moisturizing and I'm quite surprised; I fully expected it to be as drying as everything else I have tried. No irritation or itchy skin after my shower and my skin feels softer. It does have an unexpected smell when you first open it, but as another reviewer noted, it is an earthy smell, and seems to me to be of the olive oil. The soap does not stink up my bathroom or house. I don't mind the scent at all and I appreciate the fact that the natural ingredients aren't covered up by perfumes or additives. I like being able to use a soap that has a handful of ingredients v. the long lists in body washes and other bar soaps. I will definitely continue to order and use this! It's definitely worth trying, especially if you are a skeptical soap user as I am!

I was worried that I wouldn't like the smell of this soap as it's not full of normal soap perfume. But I absolutely love the scent! The olive oil based soap smells green, earthy, and warm. It invokes the word "homestead." But I can totally understand why people wouldn't like it. If you're sensitive to earthy smells or you associate soap with strong flower scents--you might want to pass on this bar. But if you're like me and love natural scents of a country cottage--buy this immediately.Oh! And it left my skin feeling super clean and NOT tight, dry, or itchy. I have dry skin and I am in a hot/dry environment. After my shower I even went without putting moisturizer on my legs. This is my new favorite product.

For those of us who prefer unscented, simple soap, this large cube excels. While there is a slight scent, probably borne of the olive oil in this bar, it washes away immediately and leaves no residue. This soap is incredibly "creamy" and lathers like crazy. 16 (yes, I counted) swipes on a shower loofa sponge will more than lather up enough to do a full body cleanse in the shower. There is also the appeal of a big chunk of soap (if you're into that sort of thing), much more tactile-y pleasant than shower gel. And these cubes tend to last for months of daily washing. Great stuff.

The smell is terrible and does not go away after 48 hours like some people said. Nor does it smell good on your skin. It has a coal tar or petro smell and is not at all like the light earthy smelling savon de marseille olive oil soap I purchased in Marseille a month ago. It was, however, hydrating, but I don't think it is good to inhale the petro chemical and had to return it. Also, the cubic size is really awkward and it oozed olive oil down the shower wall.

Works really well for removing grease stains on the stove and dishes. On the other hand not ergonomic at all for gripping especially when wet. But- it is very aesthetic. The smell was not as bad as people said it was and dissipated after a week or 2. Smelled closest to earthly gasoline but not... chemically. I didn't notice much change in the eczema on my hands using it. But it did not bother or sting it either.