Olive oil soap FAQ: use, care, shipping, returns
The short answer: Baraké is traditional olive oil soap from the mountains and valleys of Lebanon, sold online in the United States. A bar is $15 at the founders' price on the first 500 bars of batch 001, with free shipping and 25% off the next order, and $20 once the batch ships in January 2027. Preorders are charged today and refunded in full any time before they ship. Shipping within the United States is free on every founders' order. Anything else: staff@barakesoap.com.
updated 16 October 2026
What is Baraké?
Baraké is traditional olive oil soap from the mountains and valleys of Lebanon, sold online in the United States. Batch 001 is the original bar and two small runs made with laurel oil, all from olive oil, water and a handful of natural ingredients, hand-cut, stamped and aged for weeks before they ship. Baraké is Lebanese for blessing, said bah rah KAY, and is sometimes written Barake.
Is it really all natural?
Yes. Olive oil, water and a handful of natural ingredients. No sulfates, no synthetic fragrance, no dyes, no preservatives. If we ever scent a bar, it is with natural essential oils only; if we ever color one, it is with clays and plants only.
Which bar should I choose?
Batch 001 is the original bar, origin no. 1, Lebanon, and two small runs made with laurel oil, one at 5% and one at 10%, 50 bars each. Choose a bar, then the pack size: a single bar, a 3 pack or a 6 pack of the same bar. A laurel bar is sold out once its 50 are gone. The musk bar is sold out: choose it in the buy section and leave your email to hear when it is back. New origins and new batches come one at a time and are announced by email.
How big is a bar?
One square bar weighs 5.3 to 6.2 oz (150 to 175 g) and measures about 2.75 by 2.5 by 1.75 inches (70 by 64 by 44 mm). Each bar is cut by hand, so small differences in shape and weight are normal.
Is it cold pressed or cooked in the kettle?
Some batches are cold pressed, some are cooked in the kettle. It depends on the batch and the season. Every batch is labelled with its method and its date, and this page always shows the batch we are selling now. Batch 001 is cold pressed.
Can I use it on my face?
Yes. That is the point. One bar for face, body and hands.
Does olive oil soap lather?
Yes, softly. Olive oil soap makes a creamy, low lather, not a big foam. Wet the bar and your hands, rub for a few seconds, and use a washcloth if you like more.
How do I make a bar last?
Let it dry between uses. Keep it on a dish that drains, out of the stream of the shower. A bar that dries well lasts much longer than one left in a puddle.
Why did my bar go soft?
It sat in water. Olive oil soap softens when it stays wet and firms up again when it dries. Keep it on a dish that drains, out of the stream of the shower, and let it dry between uses.
Does olive oil soap go bad?
It can, slowly. Kept somewhere hot or steamy for a long time, any soap made from oil can turn stale or show orange spots. Keep spare bars in their paper in a cool, dry cupboard.
Is bar soap hygienic?
Yes. Soap cleans itself every time you use it. Keep it on a dish that drains and it stays clean and lasts longer.
How much does a bar cost?
At the founders' price, on the first 500 bars of batch 001: $15 a bar, $37.50 for the 3 pack and $75 for the 6 pack, with free shipping and 25% off your next order. After those bars, and from January 2027: $20, $50 and $100. It costs more than a supermarket bar because it is soap, not detergent: made slowly, in small batches, from olive oil, and aged for weeks.
What is the founders' price?
Founders are the buyers of the first 500 bars of batch 001. They pay 25% below the January 2027 price while those bars last: $15 a bar, $37.50 for the 3 pack, $75 for the 6 pack; an order that crosses the line is honoured in full. The discount is applied at checkout and shows on your receipt. Every founders' order ships free, a single bar too, and earns 25% off your next order. One code per founders' order, sent with your shipping email and shown on your order page the day your bars ship. It takes 25% off one later order, any size, for 6 months from that day. One use, not combined with another discount, no cash value, and it ends if the order that earned it is refunded. After those bars, and for every bar once the batch ships in January 2027, the price is $20 a bar, $50 the 3 pack and $100 the 6 pack.
How does preorder work?
You order and pay today, like any order. Batch 001 ships in January 2027, the date shown at checkout and in your confirmation. If that date moves, we tell you and offer a full refund.
What does shipping cost, and where do you ship?
Ships within the United States, free on every founders' order, a single bar too. Sales tax is added at checkout. Preorders ship in January 2027. In-stock orders leave within two business days and arrive in three to seven.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Not yet. Baraké ships to addresses in the United States only.
Can I cancel a preorder?
Yes. Cancel for a full refund any time before your bars ship, by replying to your confirmation email, or writing to staff@barakesoap.com from the address you ordered with.
What is your return policy?
If a bar arrives damaged or you are unhappy with it, write to staff@barakesoap.com within 14 days of delivery and we replace it or refund it to your original payment method. We may ask for a photo; used bars are not sent back. A preorder can be cancelled for a full refund any time before it ships.