Cleopatra Soap

During the early 1960s, Colgate-Palmolive set out to develop a luxury beauty soap designed specifically to appeal to women aged 18 to 49. The goal was clear: to create a premium product that could rival Dove, which had long held the title of the most expensive and prestigious brand in the soap category. After considerable research and product development, Colgate-Palmolive introduced Cleopatra, a soap inspired by the legendary Egyptian queen’s opulent beauty rituals and aura of timeless allure.

The soap was developed in France, where it was carefully formulated with some of the finest ingredients available. Central to its appeal was a beauty cream base comprising 15% of the formula—mirroring Dove’s own signature innovation, but with a distinctly luxurious European touch. The fragrance, also created in France, was composed of high-quality essential oils and was praised for its “unforgettable” scent—a sensory element designed to evoke sophistication, sensuality, and exotic elegance.

Cleopatra soap distinguished itself not only through its ingredients but also its presentation. The bar itself was sculpted for comfort, shaped ergonomically to rest naturally in the hand. Each bar was stamped with the Cleopatra logo, reinforcing its identity and brand cachet. For the Canadian market, the company made a conscious decision not to adapt or alter the product, preserving the integrity of the French formulation and design. However, the packaging for North America was elevated even further: instead of the simple paper wrapper used in France, the Canadian version came in a gilded gold-colored carton, projecting a sense of affluence and refinement unmatched by competitors.

As part of its positioning strategy, Colgate-Palmolive made a deliberate choice not to discount Cleopatra soap. It was marketed as a high-end beauty item, not a generic commodity. Each case contained 48 units, sold at a fixed wholesale price of $41.71. Importantly, Cleopatra was priced higher than Dove—signaling Colgate-Palmolive’s intent to position it as the new premium benchmark in personal care.

This marketing strategy was bold for its time. Rather than compete on cost, Colgate-Palmolive chose to elevate Cleopatra above the price-sensitive soap category, appealing instead to women who viewed beauty and skincare as rituals of self-expression and luxury. It was a declaration that Cleopatra soap wasn’t just a cleanser—it was an experience, a daily indulgence wrapped in the mystique of history and the elegance of modern French perfumery.

Canadian Debut:

The Cleopatra soap, originally well received in France, made its North American debut in Quebec—a region whose largely French ancestry made it a natural first market for the brand in Canada. Recognizing this cultural alignment, Colgate-Palmolive chose to launch the soap there before expanding to English-speaking provinces. Their strategy was to spark demand organically, driven directly by consumer interest rather than merely shelf presence. To achieve this, the brand required maximum visibility, which meant prioritizing a robust and sustained media campaign—particularly through television, the most influential medium of the time.

Colgate-Palmolive set a clear target: to capture a 15% “share of voice” for Cleopatra soap. They used the same visually evocative commercial that had aired in France, adapting it slightly to suit the North American audience. The imagery of luxury, sensuality, and exotic beauty remained intact, reinforcing the brand's identity and appeal. In tandem with television advertising, Colgate-Palmolive launched a series of direct-to-consumer sales promotions, designed to put the soap into as many hands—and homes—as possible.

One of the most effective of these was the distribution of “Free Bar Coupons” to a quarter of a million households. Research indicated that once consumers experienced the quality and fragrance of Cleopatra soap, 64% of them would continue to purchase it. This insight drove the company to emphasize sampling. In addition, a unique promotional campaign, the Cleopatra Gold Collection and Sweepstakes, invited consumers to purchase affordably priced jewelry in the Egyptian style. Every purchase provided entry into a grand prize drawing for a 14-karat gold necklace designed in the Cleopatra fashion, capitalizing on the enduring popularity of Elizabeth Taylor’s portrayal of the queen in the 1963 epic film Cleopatra. That film had ignited a cultural fascination with Egyptian-inspired fashion, influencing designers, jewelers, and beauty experts around the world.

Another ambitious promotional effort was the “Cleopatra Dreamstakes,” a contest brimming with lavish prizes. The grand prize was a 21-day luxury Mediterranean cruise for two aboard the American Export Liner Constitution. The trip included airfare to New York, a three-day stay at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a glamorous itinerary featuring stops in Casablanca, Rome, Monaco, and Cannes. Travel arrangements were handled by the prestigious Thomas Cook & Sons. The winner would enjoy accommodations in a double suite with a veranda, fresh flowers daily, and round-the-clock room service, all accompanied by a mink-trimmed robe and gown by Seamprufe and a year’s supply of perfume.

Additional prizes continued the luxurious theme. The second prize was a $1,000 diamond ring—one full carat in the Sarong Twilight Design Setting, crafted by Caribe Diamond Works of Puerto Rico. Prizes three through six featured a wardrobe of fine lingerie by Seamprufe, valued at $200 and known for exquisite lace and exceptional craftsmanship. Finally, 500 winners received a bottle of Le Dix by Balenciaga, packaged in an elegant spill-proof atomizer and billed as “the essence of elegance…the fragrance to melt a heart of stone.”

Altogether, the Cleopatra soap campaign blended product quality, media visibility, aspirational luxury, and seductive storytelling to craft an image of indulgence and femininity. It was more than a soap—it was an entry into a glamorous lifestyle, meticulously orchestrated to resonate with the modern woman of the 1960s.

United States Launch:

In 1963, Cleopatra soap made its debut in the United States, beginning with a high-profile launch in Florida. Colgate-Palmolive chose to introduce the soap not just as a new product, but as a glamorous beauty experience—and they needed a face to match. They found their ideal spokesperson in Broadway actress Tina Louise, who was on the brink of television stardom (soon to be known worldwide as Ginger from Gilligan’s Island). Her sultry presence, red hair, and hourglass figure made her the perfect embodiment of the sensual allure the brand wanted to convey. Touring the state in support of the soap, Tina served as the living symbol of Cleopatra, captivating the press and consumers alike.

Colgate-Palmolive’s press agent described her as “lush looking,” a descriptor that suited both the actress and the branding of the soap. Though Louise herself confessed to feeling “a little silly about the whole thing,” she embraced the spectacle, saying, “I just wanted to be a little different to give you something to write about.” With her characteristic self-assurance and wit, she helped steer the Cleopatra campaign into the realm of pop culture performance.

Her Cleopatra costume was nothing short of theatrical. The centerpiece was an elaborate headdress, inspired by the Egyptian queen’s iconic crown. Designed by milliner John Fredericks, the headpiece consisted of a shimmering network of golden leaves stitched onto a delicate net base. The dress, created by New York designer Elgee Bove, echoed the ancient theme with a modern flair—a white silk-linen sheath that bared her back nearly to the waist and featured a triangular bib collar, described as having a “modern Cleo feeling.”

Accessories completed the transformation. A gilded metal snake coiled around her right arm, its eyes glinting with menace and glamour. Her neck was adorned with strings of green and gold beads, which were connected to a wide mesh panel of gold draped low over her décolletage. The only element of the ensemble not borrowed from antiquity was her choice of shoes—low-heeled white pumps. “I always wear one-inch heels,” Tina explained with practical charm. “I don’t really like to be taller than men and I find with that size heels I’m only a little taller than the average man.” At 5 feet 8½ inches tall, her decision reflected a calculated balance between stage presence and relatability.

Perhaps most iconic of all was her makeup. Louise applied it herself, invoking the sultry style of Cleopatra with heavy black kohl liner drawn straight across the eyelid and winged at the corners to create the illusion of enlarged, almond-shaped eyes. Her eyeliner also exaggerated a natural blemish on her left cheek, which she darkened into a dramatic beauty mark. When asked by reporters if the bold “eyelines” were part of the costume, she confidently replied, “No. This is always the way I wear my makeup.”

Tina Louise’s Cleopatra wasn’t just a character—it was a carefully crafted persona that merged the ancient allure of a legendary queen with the glossy drama of 1960s celebrity. Her presence gave the soap campaign a sense of theatrical luxury, infusing it with a flair that resonated with consumers and helped Cleopatra soap step confidently into the American beauty market.

As the living embodiment of Cleopatra for Colgate-Palmolive’s soap campaign, Tina Louise wasn’t merely a glamorous spokesmodel—she was also tasked with sharing rich, evocative details of the legendary queen’s beauty practices. On her press tour, Louise dove into the historical lore of ancient Egypt, connecting it to the everyday realities of modern women. She pointed out that Cleopatra’s environment—characterized by scorching sun, desert heat, and dry winds—presented similar beauty challenges to those faced by women in Florida: sun exposure, high humidity, and skin dryness.

“Surprisingly enough,” she remarked during interviews, “the beauty problems imposed by nature in Cleopatra’s Egypt were strikingly similar to those right here in Florida: sand, sun, heat, and high humidity.” The key to overcoming those challenges, according to Miss Louise’s research, was the Egyptian queen’s emphasis on oils and fragrance. “Oils and scents were therefore the most important parts of Cleopatra’s beauty ritual—bathing,” she explained. Drawing from Plutarch, Louise elaborated on how Cleopatra reputedly sent camel caravans thousands of miles to India and Madagascar to procure lemongrass oil, jasmine, and rare white blossoms of ylang-ylang. These luxurious ingredients were then blended by temple priests into mysterious perfumes that were used to scent the queen’s warm bathing pools.

Tina Louise emphasized that the Egyptians were pioneers of the warm bath, but it was Cleopatra who elevated bathing into a refined art of personal care. “To Cleopatra, beauty was not a vanity—it was a weapon,” Louise noted. “She constantly maintained it as her armament.” Her beauty regimen included more than just perfumed soaks: exfoliating sand scrubs were used to cleanse her pores, and immersions in mule’s milk helped soften and nourish the skin. Afterward, her handmaidens would anoint her with neroli oil to maintain suppleness and youthfulness. These rituals, as Louise described them, made beauty into something sacred and strategic.

Channeling Shakespeare, the actress recited the playwright’s description of Cleopatra’s arrival by barge: “Purple were the sails, and the air was so perfumed that the winds were lovesick with it.” This intoxicating scent, she suggested, may have been one of Cleopatra’s most powerful tools of seduction—used, legend says, to ensnare Mark Antony.

Of course, Louise also grounded these opulent tales in practical advice for modern women. “The modern woman hasn’t the pocketbook to send a camel caravan to India, nor does she have the time for such folderol as sand washes or mule’s milk baths,” she said with a wry smile. “However, the care of her skin is just as important to today’s housewife as it was to Cleopatra.” She cautioned women against using scalding hot water for bathing—“The water should be slightly warmer than body temperature”—and encouraged the use of scented, oil-based soaps, such as Cleopatra, as a modern equivalent of the queen’s lavish ritual.

Louise even shared some inventive uses for the soap outside the bath. A bar of Cleopatra soap, she said, made a lovely sachet when tucked into a lingerie drawer, and could even double as a body freshener. “Simply rub the dry soap on your arms, neck, and behind your knees,” she advised, “and you’ll discover the jasmine fragrance remains with you for hours.” It was, she concluded, “a delightful and easy way to be as bewitching as Cleopatra—between baths.”

A 1963 advertisement for Cleopatra Beauty Soap from Colgate-Palmolive took a bold, sensual approach in promoting the new product, clearly aimed at captivating the imagination—and senses—of the modern woman. The ad opened with a compelling invitation: “Take the plunge and lose yourself in the subtle, sultry mysteries of five fragrant oils!” Drawing heavily on the mystique of ancient Egypt and the legendary seductiveness of Queen Cleopatra, the soap was presented as more than a simple cleanser—it was positioned as an experience of indulgent self-care and alluring transformation.

The ad emphasized the soap’s formulation, highlighting the presence of five fragrant oils, said to be inspired by Cleopatra’s own beauty rituals. These oils, according to the copy, caressed the skin and enveloped the body in a “rich, creamy lather” that delivered both intense moisture and unmistakable softness. The language was deliberate and evocative, with phrases such as “every female inch of you” and “new softness flow over” suggesting not just luxury, but sensual liberation. The fragrance—dominated by jasmine—was touted as “the most provocative fragrance a woman ever tangled with,” further building on the image of Cleopatra as a timeless symbol of feminine power and seduction. The final lines leaned fully into the fantasy: “Plunge into a flirtation with the forbidden… the soap that whispers you’re a woman.” It was a far cry from the functional messaging of most soaps of the time; Cleopatra soap offered a scented escape into exotic luxury and hinted at hidden power.

By 1964, the campaign shifted tone slightly to emphasize ease and instant gratification, while maintaining the product’s opulent aura. A succinct but impactful advertisement that year read: “Cleopatra Beauty Soap, instant luxury, just add water.” The phrase distilled the essence of the brand’s appeal into a single concept—luxury made effortlessly accessible. The soap was described as “ivory tinted beauty bars from Colgate-Palmolive for bath, for beauty, for bubbles,” reaffirming its purpose as both a beautifying agent and a pleasurable indulgence. This was soap not just for cleansing, but for transforming the ordinary routine of bathing into something lush, fragrant, and unmistakably feminine.

Together, these advertisements reveal Cleopatra soap’s branding strategy: to transcend the idea of soap as a mere hygiene product and instead present it as a gateway to timeless beauty, sensuality, and mystique—qualities the legendary Egyptian queen was thought to embody.

The Original Scent:

As you bring the scent closer, the first note that captures your attention is the lush, intoxicating aroma of jasmine. It is rich and floral, almost narcotic in its intensity, with a creamy sweetness that feels both warm and sensuous. Jasmine’s unmistakable opulence carries a honeyed nuance, lending the fragrance a regal elegance that instantly transports you to sun-drenched gardens blooming in twilight.

Intertwined with jasmine, you detect the bright, sparkling freshness of neroli, the delicate blossom of the bitter orange tree. Neroli brings a crisp, slightly green citrus lift that is subtly floral yet vibrant, adding clarity and lightness to the bouquet. This floral-citrus brightness offsets the jasmine’s deeper warmth, creating a harmonious balance between lushness and airiness.

Beneath these florals, the exotic, heady ylang ylang unfolds with its rich, creamy, and somewhat fruity facets. It offers a voluptuous, almost tropical aroma that is simultaneously sweet and slightly spicy. Ylang ylang’s complex scent bridges the floral sweetness with a faint hint of muskiness, enhancing the soap’s overall sensual character. It is this note that deepens the floral accord, giving the fragrance an exotic, almost hypnotic allure.

Complementing the florals is the fresh, invigorating zest of lemongrass, which brings a sharp, green citrus note with an earthy undertone. Its grassy, lemony aroma is crisp and uplifting, injecting a natural vibrancy that refreshes the senses. Lemongrass cuts through the sweetness of the other florals, providing a lively brightness that energizes the blend and lends it a clean, almost sparkling clarity.

Finally, grounding this composition is the soft, creamy essence of copra — the essence of coconut oil. Copra contributes a subtle gourmand sweetness with a silky, smooth texture that evokes warm tropical sands and sunlit beaches. Its gentle coconut warmth balances the florals and citrus with a comforting, almost edible quality, wrapping the fragrance in a delicate veil of softness.

What elevates this classic blend further is the subtle presence of carefully chosen aroma chemicals, which work alongside these natural oils to amplify and refine the scent. For example, synthetic jasmine aldehydes often replicate the radiant facets of jasmine, highlighting its fresh, green-floral brightness while softening any overly indolic or heavy nuances. This synthetic element helps the jasmine note to feel more luminous and modern, ensuring it remains fresh and airy rather than overly sweet or heady.

Similarly, aroma chemicals such as nerolidol or linalool can be used to accentuate neroli’s floral-citrus sharpness and add a clean, slightly woody facet that deepens the overall complexity without overshadowing the natural essence. These synthetics enhance the freshness and longevity of neroli, making its crispness linger delicately on the skin.

For ylang ylang, synthetic components like ethyl maltol or methyl ionone may be subtly incorporated to smooth out its richer, sometimes animalic facets, lending a powdery or slightly fruity softness that enhances its sensuality. This synthetic augmentation makes ylang ylang less aggressive and more approachable, blending seamlessly with the other notes.

The lemongrass benefit from synthetics such as citral or geraniol, which sharpen the citrus edge and add a sparkling brightness, amplifying the herbaceous freshness that enlivens the soap’s aroma. These chemicals also contribute to the clean, almost soapy effect, making the fragrance feel crisp and revitalizing.

Copra’s creamy coconut essence is often complemented by synthetic lactones, such as gamma-undecalactone, which enrich the milky, tropical sweetness and add a soft, velvety roundness. These synthetics deepen the gourmand impression without becoming cloying, ensuring the coconut aroma remains light, fresh, and inviting.

Together, this exquisite blend of natural essential oils and carefully integrated aroma chemicals creates a complex yet harmonious fragrance. The jasmine, neroli, and ylang ylang form a rich, floral heart, while lemongrass adds a fresh, invigorating lift. The warm, creamy copra grounds the scent with a tropical softness. The synthetic elements enhance and clarify the natural aromas—lifting their brightness, smoothing their textures, and extending their presence—resulting in a soap fragrance that feels timeless, elegant, and enchantingly fresh. It is no wonder this blend was named after Cleopatra, evoking a beauty that is both radiant and irresistibly captivating.

Today’s Cleopatra soap carries forward the legacy of its iconic name with a reimagined formula that merges luxurious skincare with sensuous perfumery. This modern version is no longer just a traditional bar soap, but part of a collection that includes Shower Milk and Body Milk, formulated to deliver a pampering ritual that pays homage to the famed beauty queen’s legendary milk baths.

As you lather the luxury cream soap, you immediately notice the indulgent texture—rich and creamy, thanks to the inclusion of 15% face cream. This high content of emollient cream transforms the soap into more than a cleanser; it becomes a moisturizing treatment. The lather feels silken against the skin, gliding effortlessly and leaving behind a soft veil of moisture. It’s no surprise that the formula is also marketed as suitable for sensitive skin, as the high cream content cushions the skin from dryness, mimicking the nurturing effect of a milk bath.

At the heart of this modern formula is coconut milk, a nod to the original's use of copra, now enriched and refined. Coconut milk adds a velvety smoothness and a subtle, creamy sweetness to the lather, which not only enhances the skin’s softness but also deepens the olfactory richness of the perfume. Its presence supports the more delicate facets of the scent—especially the vanilla and musk—acting as a softening element that rounds out the more assertive notes.

The fragrance itself is oriental in character, composed of the most valuable natural essences, and unfolds in layers of warm, resinous, and sensual notes. Amber rises first—sweet, slightly powdery, and golden. It has a warm, glowing quality that envelops you like silk robes warmed by the sun. Amber is often constructed using synthetic blends of labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla-like materials, creating a resinous sweetness that lingers on the skin, enhancing longevity and depth.

Following the amber, the earthy, velvety richness of patchouli emerges. It’s deep and grounding, with woody and slightly spicy undertones. Modern perfumery often softens patchouli with synthetic molecules like patchoulol or clearwood, which strip away the dirtier, camphoraceous facets and reveal its smooth, balsamic core. This allows patchouli to act as both a backbone and a bridge, linking the sweetness of amber and vanilla to the more shadowy notes of myrrh and musk.

Myrrh introduces a mystical, ancient note—resinous, slightly smoky, and bitter-sweet. It deepens the composition with its incense-like aura, evoking temple resins and sacred rituals. To replicate and amplify this ancient note, modern perfumers may use molecules such as myrrhone or synthetic myrrh accords that lend a glowing, ambery warmth while retaining that unmistakable sense of antiquity and depth.

Next comes musk, the soft whisper that lingers on the skin long after the other notes fade. Modern musks are entirely synthetic—safe and cruelty-free—and include clean, powdery varieties like galaxolide or cashmeran, which give a skin-like warmth and sensuality. Musk in this formula acts as both a fixative and a final caress—wrapping the fragrance in a cozy, subtle glow that feels both intimate and long-lasting.

Finally, the vanilla adds a final flourish—a gentle, creamy sweetness that’s never cloying. Vanilla harmonizes beautifully with the coconut milk and musk, enhancing the fragrance’s edible warmth and reinforcing its comforting, sensual identity. Often built from vanillin or ethyl vanillin, these aroma chemicals bring the roundness of natural vanilla into sharper, longer-lasting focus, ensuring the fragrance stays creamy and inviting as it wears.

Altogether, today’s Cleopatra soap is not just a cleansing product but a multi-sensory experience—a creamy, fragrant indulgence that caresses the skin with softness while enveloping the senses in a rich, oriental composition. It remains loyal to its mythic inspiration, blending modern cosmetic science with the romantic allure of antiquity, allowing its users to feel, if only for a moment, as if they too are bathing in the legendary luxury of a queen.

Ingredients: Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Palm Kernelate or Sodium Cocoate, Aqua (Water), Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Chloride, CI 77891, Squalane, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamyl, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde."

Another bar has the following ingredients: Sodium Palm Kernelate, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Parfum (Fragrance), Coconut Acid, CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Linalool, Geraniol, Eugenol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Coumarin, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond Oil), Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citronellol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate.

 

Soap Base Ingredients & Texture Enhancers:

The first ingredients—Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, and Sodium Cocoate—are all soap salts, the result of saponifying fats or oils with an alkali (usually sodium hydroxide).

Sodium Tallowate (rendered animal fat) gives a firm, long-lasting bar and produces a dense, creamy lather. It is exceptionally mild and moisturizing due to its similarity to skin’s natural lipids.

Sodium Palm Kernelate and Sodium Cocoate (from palm kernel and coconut oils) are responsible for the abundant foaming and quick rinse-off feel. Coconut-derived soap in particular gives a bright, clean scent with a faint nutty sweetness that plays beautifully against richer notes in the perfume blend.

Aqua (Water) is the solvent that allows all these elements to bind during manufacture, but it also lends a clean, neutral impression to the soap.

Lauric Acid and Stearic Acid are fatty acids naturally found in coconut and palm oils.

Lauric Acid boosts lather and cleansing, producing fine, fluffy bubbles. It may have a faint coconut-like aroma, but it's largely odorless in finished soap.

Stearic Acid, on the other hand, lends a luxurious creamy feel, giving the soap bar its firm, smooth texture. It enhances the silkiness of the lather and supports a longer-lasting soap.

Glycerin, a natural humectant, pulls moisture into the skin. It has a lightly sweet smell and gives the bar a soft, almost dewy slip, keeping skin from feeling stripped after use.

Sodium Chloride (common salt) hardens the soap and subtly influences its lather texture. In sensory terms, it gives a crispness—not in scent, but in feel.

CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide) is used for opacity and brightness. While odorless, it creates a milky, pure-white color that visually evokes the lushness of a milk bath and supports the soap’s identity as a rich, cream-based cleanser.

Emollients & Skin Conditioners:

Squalane, derived from olives or sugarcane, is a luxurious emollient that mimics skin’s own oils. It has no scent, but it lends a velvety richness and helps preserve skin’s softness post-wash.

Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides are silky, lightweight lipids derived from coconut oil and glycerin. These enhance spreadability, prevent the soap from feeling drying, and provide a subtle creamy undertone. Again, not perfumed, but these help emulsify the scented components evenly across the skin.

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, found in one version of the soap, adds gentle nourishment and a faint nutty sweetness. Its inclusion supports Cleopatra’s legend of luxurious skin treatments and adds depth to the creamy base of the fragrance.

Fragrance and Aroma Compounds:

Parfum (Fragrance) is a proprietary blend, but the listed aroma compounds provide key clues:

Benzyl Salicylate: A sweet, slightly balsamic floral note. Commonly used to extend the life of delicate floral notes like jasmine and lily.

Linalool: Has a light, fresh floral scent, reminiscent of lavender, with soft citrus facets.

Geraniol: Offers a rosy, slightly green floral scent, and likely supports the neroli or ylang ylang impressions.

Eugenol: Warm, spicy, and clove-like. Gives the soap an oriental richness, grounding the florals.

Coumarin: Smells like fresh hay or sweet almond, with warm, slightly powdery notes. It’s cozy and nostalgic.

Hexyl Cinnamal and Hexyl Cinnamyl: Green-floral with jasmine-like aspects. These enhance natural floral accords and bring out the soap’s perfume depth.

Citronellol: A rosy-citrus scent that supports the neroli/ylang axis and adds freshness.

Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Lilial) and Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (Lyral): Both are synthetic floral aldehydes used to evoke lily-of-the-valley, freesia, and dewy white flowers. Though controversial for allergies, their olfactory contribution is significant—adding sheer brightness and lift to the scent.

Benzyl Alcohol appears in the second formula as a preservative, but also has a faintly sweet, balsamic scent that complements the florals.

Botanical Extracts & Stabilizers:

Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract brings more than antioxidant benefit. It imparts a fresh, herbaceous sharpness that subtly cuts through richer florals and creamy vanillic notes, providing contrast and clarity.

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent that enhances soap performance and stability. It has no scent, but by preventing soap scum and discoloration, it preserves the purity of both lather and fragrance over time.

Overall Fragrance Impression:

Together, these ingredients build a fragrance experience that is both creamy and floral, rich with soft oriental undertones. The base of coconut, almond, musk, and vanilla-like warmth is softened with floral aldehydes and green rosy notes, while hints of clove and hay bring a comforting roundness. The rosemary provides a delicate aromatic lift, while the squalane and triglycerides leave the skin softened and subtly perfumed.

The modern Cleopatra Crème de Beauté soap remains a luxurious skin ritual—its formula grounded in traditional soapmaking, enriched with botanical extracts and emollients, and perfumed with a sophisticated accord of warm florals, creamy resins, and powdery musks, evocative of both ancient indulgence and modern elegance.

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