Thankfully, Abdullah’s family weaving workshop has stood the test of time and continues to produce beautiful cotton textiles, staying true to their old traditions of using a wooden loom, high-quality organic cotton from across Syria, and hand making each piece with love.
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Hammams or bathhouses hold a special place in the daily life and traditions of peoples across the Arab world. Although hammams can be visited and experienced in many places including in Morocco, Turkey and Jordan, little is known and said about the hammam experience in Syria. This two-part blog series will explore hammam experiences from Morocco to Syria.
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Growing up, I didn't know much about Syria. I was never exposed to Syrian culture. I had never been to Syria. All I was reading about and hearing about was the war. I appreciated what they were trying to do. Mint + Laurel is trying to change the narrative that Syria is not only about the recent war, there's culture that goes back thousands of years that we need to preserve. “I was there for Mint +Laurel’s first pop up event. I was there when the founders were getting started, to growing the brand, and now to actually be selling things!”
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Across the Arab world, rose water is used in a myriad of ways including as a key ingredient in deserts and in many beauty care products and rituals, its antibacterial and antioxidant qualities do wonders for the skin. Our Damask Rose Soap Body Bar is imported from Aleppo, Syria, made with dried rose petals, rose oil, laurel oil and olive oil. Each purchase supports an at-risk artisan community and their families.
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Last year we introduced soap samplers, giving our customers a single use soap slice from each fragrance of our Aleppo organic soaps. The samplers were intended for boutique hotels, AirBnBs and environmentally conscious frequent travelers who would enjoy high-end single use soap bars and not feel wasteful using a large bar provided by traditional hotels.
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Syrians want the right to earn their income. Social Impact business trumps nonprofit handouts. While there is room for donating to nonprofits who help millions, Syrians are entrepreneurial and Syrian artisans are passionate craftsmen and women who desperately want to keep their traditions alive.
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Let me share a brief of history of my homeland, Syria , one of the oldest civilizations of the world, and why our work with artisans across the globe matters.
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Listening to Guy Raz’s “How I built this”, I am always intrigued by how co-founders meet. My Mint+Laurel cofounders came together with a gentle nudge from the universe and the laws of attraction.
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Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 21 in the Middle East, marking the start of spring. A mother’s scent is what children recollect the most. Years after separation, children will recall their mother’s scent when they remember moments with them even as adults. Laurel soap scent is one of these common scents that most Syrian children remember when they think of their mothers.
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Growing up in the Middle East, we had no access to hand sanitizer and we relied on the old fashion soap and water. In countries like Syria and Egypt with dense populations and widespread communicable diseases, people relied on good old fashion hand washing, soap and common sense hygiene principles.
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A year later and the three of us are together celebrating the Mint+Laurel anniversary. Me and my confounding ladies of this lifestyle social impact brand have no regrets, only 7 lessons learned that social impact, women led businesses can benefit from:
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Our shipments of hand crafted bath goods from Syria finally made it to LA! It took us three months of hard work, patience, negotiation and seeking impossible solutions working in a country that is currently sanctioned by the U.S. But it was all worth it.
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According to the UNHCR, the coastal region in Syria and mainly Tartous and Latakia, is responsible for most of the greenhouse vegetables produced in Syria. An area especially know for citrus fruits. Storms and conflict have affected many greenhouses and farms on the Syrian coast in Tartous and Latakia.
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Our His + Hers Love Box is inspired by the book, The Forty Rules of Love, written by the Turkish female author Elif Shafak. A favorite here at M + L headquarters and a must read! It's a book that encourages you to transform your life and fill it with love. The Love Box comes in our two top selling soap scents and body mitt loofah. All imported from Syria.
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Aleppo soap is organic, good for the skin, good for the environment and has social impact on the community. So as a social and environmental entrepreneur and impact investor, getting into the business of Aleppo soap seemed obvious. What I didn’t realize was how great the impact is for the communities we are serving
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Traveling in Dubai this month, I was reminded of the countless artisanal gems and the beautiful places to find handmade goods made by local artisans from the region.
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Aleppo soap - widely considered to be the first soap ever made - is popular across the Middle East and far beyond. But the intense fighting is making business in Syria's second city all but impossible - and the soap's future is uncertain.
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