Soap plays an important role in our everyday lives, and surprisingly, it has an extensive history. It is hard to imagine life without soap -and who would want to? For obvious reasons, soap makes the world a better place to live and it not only makes us feel wonderful when we use it, we are thankful other people use it too!
Because we are people of the now who appreciate modern-day innovations, it is hard to imagine a life without soap. It is equally difficult to picture ancient civilizations developing a soap-making process and mastering the art of creating different kinds of soap. According to legend, Babylonians had already perfected the art of soap making in 3,000 B.C. and soap supposedly got its name from Mount Sapo in Rome, which means the Romans also used soap.
In its early beginnings, soap making was an exclusive technique used by obscure groups of soap makers. The demand for soap was high, but the product was expensive and, in many areas, there was a monopoly on soap production. Over time, soap recipes became more widely known, but soap was still expensive. Back then, the main ingredients of soap were plant byproducts and animal and vegetable oils. It was not until 1791 when a Frenchman by the name of LeBlanc discovered a chemical process that allowed soap to be sold for significantly less money.
Another Frenchman named Chevreul made an important discovery more than 20 years later, identifying the different relationships between glycerin, fats and acid. His findings marked the beginning of modern soap making. With yet another method of making soap ingredients discovered in 1800, soap became even less expensive. Since that time, there have been no major discoveries and the same process of yesteryear typically makes the soap we use and enjoy today. In the mid-19th century, bathing soap became a separate commodity from laundry soap, with bar soap being packaged, sold and made available for personal use.
Today, there are all kinds of different soaps made for a vast array of purposes. There is handmade, homemade and commercially produced soap. It is available for personal, commercial or industrial use. There is soap used to wash clothes, dishes and cars. There is soap for your pet, soap for your carpet and soap for your child. There is novelty soap made not just to clean but to entertain, such as crayon shaped soap that writes on the walls of the shower, designed for children. There is also beauty soap, which contains things like Shea butter and promises to produce certain effects, like anti-aging, for example. There is guest soap, made for single-serving occasions; dish soap designed to make glasses spot-free in the dishwasher and laundry soap, which cleans your clothes. It really is amazing when you think of the evolution soap has undergone in 5,000 years!
Nevertheless, the solid bar of bath soap is the most commonly used form of soap on the market today. There are varieties of different types of soaps made with an assortment of components for all sorts of different uses. The industry offers bar soaps with different scents that serve a diverse range of purposes. There is antibacterial soap, soap for dry, sensitive or hypo allergic skin and soap with relaxing or soothing properties. There’s bar soaps of all different colors, sizes, shapes and scents. There is also the organic option. All natural soap made with unrefined products, certain herbs and essential oils makes for a luxurious bathing experience.
Not many people know it, but making your own soap at home is a cinch. Soap recipes are readily available and ingredients are inexpensive and easy to accumulate. When you make your own soap, you can select a recipe specific to your skin type to make the soap that is right for you. Making homemade soap is also a fantastic opportunity to avoid potentially dangerous chemicals often used in the modern cosmetic industry.
Most people do not realize that commercially produced soaps are typically made of synthetic detergents. Often, soap companies remove glycerin from their bars and sell it separately because they make a better profit that way. Homemade soaps retain almost all of the glycerin in each bar, which attracts moisture and make for a better product.
Elements Bath and Body provides wholesale waterproof labels, soap making supplies, toiletry supplies and soap making molds. When you’re formulating your own soap, body lotion, lip balm, bath salts, or perhaps a special flax seed pillow, we have the supplies you need at wholesale prices. Visit online for more information.