Cleaning Up: A Short History of Soap

All soaps are made using lye as part of a chemical process called "saponification" where the lye solution (base) interacts with the oils (acids) to create soap! Human beings have been using soap for thousands of years, and there are several stories out there to explain the origins of soap. According to Wikipedia, in Ancient Babylon, there is a recipe inscribed on clay tablets for soap made from alkali, water, and cassia oil dating from 2200 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians made hygiene a priority, and bathed in soaps made from alkali, animal and vegetable oils. A common (but very likely untrue) origin story discusses the women of ancient Rome who washed clothing at the base of Mt. Sapo, a volcanic mountain where animals were sacrificed. They noticed that clothes became cleaner with a minimum of scrubbing when they were washed in the water where the volcanic ash mixed with the animal fat as it washed downhill. Regardless of the actual beginning of soap, we know that soap has been a staple of humankind through thousands of years. Biblical accounts suggest that the Israelites used a mix of oil and ashes to cleanse their bodies.

Soapmaking grew in popularity in Europe through the 7th Century, and grew commercially as a business and an art throughout England during the reign of King James. In 1608, professional soapmakers came to Jamestown, Virginia, when two professional soapmakers sailed on the second ship, although making soap remained essentially a domestic activity through the American pioneer period. During the World War II years, the practice of making commercial soaps as a "detergent" bar began when the oils and fats used in soap went to war. From that time on, commercial soap production has centered upon the production of detergent rather than true soap. According to Wikipedia: "Handmade soap differs from industrial soap in that whole oils containing intact triglycerides are used and glycerin is a desirable byproduct. Industrial detergent manufacturers commonly use fatty acids, which are detached from the gylcerol heads found in triglycerides. Without the glycerol heads, the detached fatty acids do not yield glycerin as a byproduct."

This naturally retained glycerin is soothing and nourishing to the skin mantle, which explains one reason that commercial soap, in general, is far less moisturizing than a good handmade soap. The first time you use handmade soap, you may be surprised by the "silkiness" of the lather and the softness of your skin after use.

Unlike commercial "bath bars" (which are actually detergent bars), soaps handmade through the cold-process or hot process are rich in this glycerin that is produced as a by-product of the soapmaking process. This glycerin is a natural humectant and draws moisture to your skin as it lubicates with the rich vegetable oils that make up our bars.