Rampal Latour
Traditional Marseille soap, organic cosmetics and natural household products, Provençal manufacturing since 1828
Philosophy
Ten days of cauldron cooking. Not five, not seven, ten. That's what it takes to make real Marseille soap, and that's the time Rampal Latour still takes. The rest, organic, natural, Provençal, those are words. The cauldron is the proof.
History
In 1828, the Rampal family started making soap in Provence. Not in a big factory, in a workshop, like everyone else at the time. Provence was full of soap-makers: olive oil was there, soda came from the sea, the sun dried the bars. In 1907, Pierre Rampal made it official and founded the Rampal-Fils soap factory in Salon-de-Provence. The process hasn't changed since Colbert's time: oil and soda cooked in copper cauldrons for ten days. Wash, pour, cut. That's what Marseille soap is, not a complicated recipe, but a cooking time nobody wants to respect anymore. The house passed from father to son. Pierre, then his son, then René. In the 1990s, René Rampal had no family successor. Jean-Louis Plot took over and added his wife's name: Latour. The soap factory diversified, organic cosmetics, natural cleaning products, but didn't cheat on the essentials. The cauldrons are still there. In 2025, the EPV label finally came. Nearly 200 years to be officially recognized. The soap hadn't waited.
Rampal Latour guards a technique the industry abandoned: cauldron saponification. Where 99% of manufacturers use automated continuous processes (12 hours start to finish), Rampal Latour cooks each batch for 10 days in open cauldrons. The result is a gentler, naturally more glycerin-rich soap with a texture industrial production can't replicate.
The Salon-de-Provence factory is open for visits, and that's the best proof of their honesty. Prices are reasonable: €5-15 for a soap, €10-30 for a gift set.
Iconic Products
Savon de Marseille Extra Pur 72%
The classic cube. 72% olive oil, cauldron-cooked for ten days, hand-stamped. Has existed forever, will never change. Washes, cleans, removes stains, the Swiss army knife of Provençal housekeeping.
Savon Liquide de Marseille
Liquid version of the classic. Same base, olive oil, cauldron-cooked, in pump format. For those who find the cube too rustic. The modern compromise without concession.
Copeaux de Savon de Marseille
Grated Marseille soap for laundry. Grandmother's recipe making a comeback with zero waste. One kilo of flakes replaces litres of industrial detergent.