The creation process of the Gamila Cleansing Bar

Our part in sustainability

Gamila Secret is a 100% handmade and natural skin care brand. Our production processes were designed with strict environmental, social and economic sustainability criteria. Located in Galilee, Israel, our soaps, creams and oils are produced locally.

Founded by Gamila Hiar, our brand shares the philosophy of its creator: “everyone deserves to have healthy and soft skin and preservation of the right balance”. We aim to provide good skincare and contribute to a fairer and more sustainable world. An uplifting world in harmony with nature.

The Making Off the Cleansing Bar

The origin of Gamila Secret started with the Original Cleansing Bar. The magic formula is still prepared the same way as it was created, by hand. The process is long, with many stages but if you’ve used our bars before, you know it is worth it. The result is a beautifully hand carved 100% natural soap that provides nourishment and care for all skin types.

It all starts in the mountains of Galilee, where nature’s beautiful secret lurks. An exceptional combination of herbs is meticulously harvested to form the essence of the Gamila Secret cleansing bars. The whole process is a natural symbiosis between Gamila and mother nature.

The unique formula stands out from mainstream cleansing bars due to its natural composition and combination of oils. Contrary to most soaps, Gamila Secret’s formula uses not only high-quality virgin olive oil, but a vast variety of natural oils and herbs.

The Unique ingredients of The Cleansing Bar:

• The Secret herbal formula
• Syrian Olives
• Shea Butter
• Laurel Oil
• Grape Seed Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Lavender Oil
• Coconut Oil

When mixed together, these ingredients form a rich base for the cleansing bars. The oils simmer while the herbs undergo a secret process, which is the essence of our brand. All parts of the herbs are treated separately and carefully. Time and temperature are meticulously controlled, and this precision is crucial to activate the components within the herbs. Only in that stage are the herbs combined.

This potent herbal emulsion is cooked together with the oils in a traditional way at precisely 80 degrees. This process requires a lot of experience to ensure the ingredients combine perfectly. To turn the soft emulsion into a firm cleansing bar, a minimum amount of sodium is used and quickly rinsed out. After this process, the emulsion is firm and once again 100% natural. This completes the Gamila Secret base recipe which is now ready to be made into the original cleansing bar. Natural scented oils are added to the emulsion, giving our products their own distinct 100% natural fragrance.

The next step is tasting, this is how Gamila ensures all ingredients are perfectly combined before emptying the cauldron and leaving the formula to dry. When the emulsion reaches its perfect state, it is spread over special tables and left to dry for 24-hours. After this time the top layer has hardened enough to cut the cleansing bars to size and give them their distinctive stamp, all by hand. The blocks are then placed on racks for up to 6 months. The centres of the cleansing bars are still soft as butter and need time to properly curate and harden. This process is slow and dependent on the weather and atmospheric humidity.

The blocks are fashioned once they reach proper solidity. All curves are shaped by hand, giving the bars a nice feeling to the touch. The weight and shape of the bars are thoroughly inspected before they’re approved for the next step. Women of various ethnic backgrounds fashion the cleansing bars. Peace through development and collaboration, that is the philosophy of Gamila Secret.     

When everything is up to Gamila strict standards, the cleansing bars are shipped to Cyprus to be packaged. The Gamila philosophy applies here too. Recyclable, eco-friendly paper is used and women beautifully package everything by hand. The cleansing bars are now ready for shipment.

This luscious, rich formula is known all over the world and it has racked up a lot of prizes. If you haven’t tried it, we recommend you check out all the different cleansing bars we offer and find your perfect formula for you here.