Palestine is said to be the birthplace of Olive Oil with some of the world's oldest olive trees, some as old as 5,000 years old. Using this olive oil as the base for the Nabulsi soap, the Al-Jamal Soap was established in 1880, making it one of the oldest soap factories in the West Bank. Started and continues to be a family run company, passed down from generation to generation but always keeping its quality and tradition.
The same formula has been used over the centuries, despite the availability of modern chemical compounds now found in most manufactured soaps. Ingredients (virgin olive oil, water, and caustic soda) are mixed in a large vat over low heat for approximately five days, before the mixture is poured over a large floor space. Shortly afterward, casts are laid down to cut the soap into individual blocks, which are then stamped with the traditional seal of the factory.
In Nablus, the tradition of olive oil soap-making evolved into a major industry and an art. As early as the 10th century, the traditional olive oil soap from the city’s factories was exported across the Arab world, and as far as Europe, where it is said that "Sabon Nabulsi" (Nablus Soap) was the soap of choice for Queen Elizabeth of England. Combined with its clean ingredients straight from the West Bank, it makes this soap truly unique.