There are products you sell, and there are those you carry within you. For me, Aleppo soap is the second kind. Before it was my job, it was my childhood, my city, and everything the war took from me. I wanted to tell you where I come from, because it is also where each of our soaps comes from.
A childhood in Aleppo
I was born in Aleppo, Syria, into an Armenian family, the youngest of six children. My childhood was made of scents, flavours, and loud, warm family gatherings. At 18, I joined a large import company, where I learned international trade in the field, not on school benches. I say it without any complex: I did not spend five years studying business. I learned by doing, by watching, by making mistakes.
For years, my life had the taste of simple happiness. A husband, a huge family, friends, a job I loved. I thought it would last forever.
Losing everything, then starting over
The war tore all of that apart. I had to leave my homeland. The uprooting was a kind of violence I still struggle to put into words. I left behind my sisters, the children, my friends, my social life, my work. I have often said something that sums it all up: for me, true wealth was never money, but my family, my friends and my life. And that is exactly what I lost.
In France, I started from scratch. With a scientific high-school diploma and fifteen years of experience in international trade, but no network, no landmarks, none of the warmth of my loved ones. Rebuilding at that stage of life, in a language and a country that are not those of your childhood, takes an energy you did not know you had. I never let go of my dream. Sometimes you have to step back to leap further.
Why Maison du Laurier exists
Today I run Organic Bio Tech, the company behind Maison du Laurier. I founded it for one simple reason: to preserve the heritage of Aleppo soap, this treasure of Syria. It is not just another business project. It is my way of keeping a piece of home alive.
Three things matter deeply to me and guide everything I do.
First, protecting consumers. The market is full of imitations, often poor in quality and overpriced. I want to offer a truly authentic Aleppo soap at a fair price.
Second, protecting a heritage. Aleppo soap is a thousand-year-old tradition, much imitated and rarely equalled. Our soaps are made exclusively in Aleppo, by my partner the master soap maker, following the original method.
Finally, and this is what moves me most, supporting Syrian women. The war left widows, single mothers and broken families. Committing to offer them work and support is a way to turn some of the pain of the past into hope.
A piece of Syria, in your hands
When you pick up one of our soaps, you hold more than a hygiene product. You hold a story of resilience, the know-how of a city rising again, and the work of women rebuilding their lives. That is the connection I want to share with you.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we keep alive a piece of nature, and a piece of Aleppo.
Discover the soaps this whole story gave birth to at maisondulaurier.fr.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Maison du Laurier soaps made?
Exclusively in Aleppo, Syria, by our partner master soap maker, following the traditional method.
What is Maison du Laurier’s mission?
To offer authentic Aleppo soap at a fair price, preserve a thousand-year-old heritage, and support Syrian women affected by the war.
