What was the first soap made from? Secrets of natural soap

Using soap several times a day has become a habit of modern civilized people. Us with early childhood taught to wash hands with soap before eating and after returning from the street. Therefore, it is now difficult to imagine that just two centuries ago soap was a luxury and, as I put it, German chemist Justus Liebig, “the measure of the welfare and culture of the state.”

There is no exact information about when and where soap was invented. It is believed that he was already known in beginning of III millennium BC e. in Ancient Sumer and Babylon. Mesopotamian clay tablets discovered during excavations describe the technology of making soap. Similar information is found in Egyptian papyri from the mid-2nd millennium BC. e. The ancient Romans, according to legend, discovered soap while washing clothes in the Tiber River near Mount Sapo, where sacrifices were made to the gods. Animal fat, mixed with wood ash from fires, fell into the river with rain streams, and its water acquired amazing properties: clothes were washed much easier in it. It is from here, historians believe, that arose Latin word"soap" sapo.

Be that as it may, the main components of soap, fat and wood ash (lye), have been known to people since ancient times, although they were not always used as a detergent. The Gauls, for example, made hair pomade from goat fat and beech ash, and the Egyptians used the soap they discovered as medicine.

For many centuries, soap was not widely used.

The process of its manufacture was long and complex. To make soap, it is not enough to mix fat and wood ash; you must force the substances to enter into a chemical reaction, which is called the saponification reaction. In order for the fatty acid to form a sodium salt, it was heated and mixed with lye (this method was called direct). The result was the so-called soap glue or adhesive soap, a homogeneous viscous liquid that thickened when cooled. The resulting substance was quickly washed off and was inconvenient to store and transport. In addition, adhesive soap contains a lot of impurities, does not smell very pleasant and irritates the skin.

And yet, soap making began to develop, although the impetus for this was not so much cosmetic as industrial needs. Soap was needed for washing, for bleaching homespun fabrics, and later for the growing sailing and linen industries. Already in the Middle Ages, textile workers began to create special finishing mixtures that gave fabrics strength, wrinkle resistance and a beautiful shine. They also included soap.

The first guilds of soap makers appeared in the 7th century. in Naples, a century later soap making spread to Spain in the 11th century. Marseille became the center of soap production. In the 10th century soap making was also known in Byzantium, and from there it spread to Ancient Rus'. Archaeologists have found Novgorod birch bark letters from the 14th century, indicating the use of soap in the manufacture of linen. The collection “Counting Wisdom,” dating back to the 15th century, offers problems in which barrels of liquid soap are mentioned.

Making soap in artisanal conditions. New Mexico, USA. 1939

From that time on, soap making in Russia developed very actively, to the point that at the end of the 18th century. Catherine II approved the coat of arms of the city of Shui: a bar of soap is depicted on a red field.

The reason for the rapid development of soap making in Rus' was the abundance of resources. If one of the main components of soap, fat, was widely available, then difficulties arose with lye in Europe. To saponify fats, colossal volumes of potassium carbonate, obtained from a solution, were required wood ash. In Rus', rich forest resources, there were no problems with ash, moreover, in the 17th century. potash became one of the main export products. But this led to massive deforestation, and already during the reign of Peter I in Russia, as in Europe, the question of replacing potash with cheaper and more accessible raw materials arose.

Such a replacement was found in Italy back in the 15th century; it was natural soda ash (sodium carbonate). In nature, soda is found in a number of minerals, such as sodium or thermonatrite, accumulations of which are found in so-called soda lakes. Cheaper than potash, soda in Europe began to be used in soap making everywhere. This not only reduced costs, but also made it possible to produce solid soap. In Russia, the reserves of natural soda ash are extremely limited, so potash continued to be used for soap production, and most of the volume was liquid soap.

The process of producing bar soap is called the indirect method. It is difficult to say when and by whom it was discovered; most likely, a happy accident occurred: when fat and soda were combined, the concentration of the latter was exceeded. As a result, the resulting viscous liquid separated. The substance found in top layer, the so-called soap core, surpassed in its qualities the already known adhesive soap and was much cleaner, since all the contaminants remained in the lower layer of soap lye. Later, this method was called “salting out”, since not only soda was used for its implementation, but also concentrated solution table salt. The soap core, or core soap, was subjected to mechanical processing. It was cooled, dried and pressed. Drying and pressing soap was a very difficult task, requiring powerful mechanical devices.

Soap was quite expensive, and for a long time Its main consumers remained in manufacturing, and in everyday life people continued to use natural cosmetics and detergents.

Coat of arms of the city of Shuya.

A bar of laundry soap.

The revolution in soap making was made by the discovery of the French chemist Nicholas Leblanc, who in 1789 obtained soda from table salt. But the Great One broke out french revolution, and a simple and cheap way to produce artificial soda did not spread immediately. Its industrial production was established only 20 years later, and in order for soap makers to believe in the properties of artificial soda, at first it was sold to them practically free of charge. Soon there were no doubts left: free from natural impurities, the cheap reagent made it possible to repeatedly increase the production of soap and significantly improve its quality.

Chemically, soap is a mixture of soluble salts of higher organic fatty acids, such as stearic, palmitic, lauric or oleic. Most often, the salts are sodium, less often ammonium or potassium, for example in liquid soap. The uniqueness of salts of this kind lies in the fact that they combine both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. Hydrophobic substances are substances that are not wetted by water and do not interact with it. This is how pollutants manifest themselves, which is why they are difficult to wash off with water.

J. B. S. Chardin. Laundry. 1735

Soap deals with pollution because the hydrophobic part of the soap molecules (hydrocarbon radicals) comes into contact with the surface of the pollutant, and the hydrophilic part (carboxyl group) interacts with water and carries away the pollution particles attached to the hydrophobic end.

In the 19th century The quality of soap was constantly and rapidly improving. In 1830, the European soap industry received at its disposal a new raw material of excellent quality, coconut oil, which has the ability to easily turn into soap even with slight heating. A few decades later, a method was discovered for clarifying vegetable oils, which were then used to produce soap of higher quality, purer and more fragrant.

Chemical experiments have proven that the quality of soap greatly depends on the percentage of fat. If adhesive soap contained fats from 40 to 60%, then in sound soap their share was at least 60%. To further improve this indicator, a method of mechanical processing of the soap core was used, later called leading. The dried kernel soap is ground on the rollers of a sawing machine, then pressed again. In this way, the content of fatty acids can be increased to 73%; in addition, peeled soap is more resistant to drying out, rancidity and high temperatures.

At the beginning of the 20th century. German technologist Schicht created a molding machine for soap, completely mechanizing the pressing process.

French chemist M. Chevreul, who explained the nature of saponification of vegetable and animal fats.

At the soap factory. French lithograph late XIX V.

From this point on, the cost of soap production was significantly reduced, and from a “measure of well-being” soap turned into an everyday product of vital necessity.

The past century has greatly changed the area of ​​soap consumption. Rapid development chemical industry, which created a variety of synthetic materials, including detergents and new finishing mixtures, displaced soap from the position of a product primarily necessary for production. The bulk of soap currently produced is used for hygienic and cosmetic purposes.

The main concern of modern soap makers is to create a product that effectively cleanses but is gentle on the skin. To do this, new additives, both natural and synthetic, are introduced into the composition.

One time special attention focused on the development and production of antibacterial soap, which not only mechanically removes contaminants, but also actively affects pathogenic bacteria thanks to special additives triclosan or triclocarban. However, doctors sounded the alarm. According to the latest research, excessive use of antibacterial soap can lead to unpleasant consequences: allergies and bacterial imbalance, leading to fungal and viral infections. However, ordinary soap should not be used with fanaticism, since excessive zeal not only deprives the skin of its natural oil protection, but also leads to a decrease in overall immunity.

DIY soap

In the 21st century one of the fashionable hobbies has become homemade soap boiling Fans of natural cosmetics make their own soap based on ready-made baby soap or from scratch, saponifying with alkali vegetable oils high quality. You can add it to homemade soap essential oils, sea ​​salt, coffee, cereals that will look like decoration and have an additional cleansing effect. Your own soap is not cheap, but you can rest assured of its quality.

Humanity has been using soap since time immemorial: the history of soap making goes back at least six thousand years. In Homer's time, soap was not yet known. The ancient Greeks cleansed the body with sand, especially fine sand brought from the banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians washed their faces with a paste of beeswax dissolved in water. For a long time, wood ash was used for washing.

The honor of inventing soap is attributed to several ancient peoples. The Roman scientist and politician Pliny the Elder argued that humanity owes its acquaintance with detergents not to the highly civilized Egyptians, nor to the resourceful Greeks or Babylonians, but to the wild Gallic tribes, with whom the Romans “became closer” at the turn of our era.

According to the historian, the Gauls made some kind of miraculous ointment from the lard and ash of the beech tree, which was used to cleanse and dye hair, as well as to treat skin diseases. Colored the product - red paint - was obtained from clay. They lubricated their long hair vegetable oil to which paint was added. If water was added to this mixture, a thick foam formed, which cleanly washed the hair.

In the second century, this “ointment” began to be used to wash hands, face and body in the Roman provinces. The ancient Romans added ash to this mixture marine plants, and real high-quality soap came out. And before that, the ancient peoples had to “get out”, as luck would have it: some used ash brewed in boiling water for washing, and others used the juice of soapwort, a plant that became famous for its ability to foam in water.

However, recent discoveries by scientists do not coincide with this version. Not long ago detailed description soap making process has been found on Sumerian clay tablets dating back to 2500 BC. The method was based on a mixture of wood ash and water, which was boiled and fat was melted in it, obtaining a soap solution.

Another version of scientists says that soap was invented by the Romans. According to legend, the word soap itself (in English- soap) was formed from the name of Mount Sapo, where sacrifices were made to the gods. Melted mixture animal fat and wood ash from the sacrificial fire were washed away by the rain into the clayey soil of the banks of the Tiber River. Women who washed clothes there noticed that thanks to this mixture, clothes were washed much easier.

So, gradually they began to use the “gift of the gods” not only for washing clothes, but also for washing the body. By the way, the first soap factories were also discovered by archaeologists on the territory of Ancient Rome, and more precisely, among the ruins of the famous Pompeii. During the archaeological excavations of Pompeii, soap factories were found. Soap at that time was semi-liquid.

Soap has long been a luxury item and was valued along with expensive medicines and potions. But even wealthy people could not afford to wash their clothes. For this we used different clays, plants. Laundry was a difficult task and was mostly done by men. So, the debate about to whom humanity owes the invention of soap is still not completed.

However, it is known that the production of detergents was put on stream in medieval Italy. A hundred years later, the secrets of this craft reached Spain, and from the 11th century, Marseille became the center of soap making, then Venice. Only from the end of the 14th century did Marseille soap give way to Venetian soap in international trade. In the 15th century in Italy, in Sevone, they began to produce solid soap industrially for the first time. In this case, the fats were combined not with ash, but with natural soda ash. This significantly reduced the cost of soap, and therefore transferred soap making from the category of handicraft production to manufactory production.

True, it cannot be said that the medieval inhabitants European countries they abused cleanliness: only representatives of the first two strata - nobles and priests - used soap, and even then not all of them. The fashion for cleanliness was brought to Europe by knights who visited during crusades in Arab countries. That is why the production of detergents began to flourish in the 13th century, first in France and then in England. The business of soap making was taken with extreme seriousness.

When this craft was learned in England, King Henry IV even passed a law that prohibited the soap maker from spending the night under the same roof with other artisans: a method of soap making was kept secret. But soap making developed on a large scale only after the development of industrial soap production.

Beginning in the 14th century, soap factories began to appear in Germany. To make soap, they used beef, lamb, pork, horse fat, bone, whale and fish oil, and fat waste from various industries. Vegetable oils were also added - linseed, cottonseed.

IN Western Europe The craft of soap making was finally formed only at the end of the 17th century. Not unimportant The geographical factor played a role in the development of soap making. The ingredients for making soap varied depending on the region. In the north, animal fat was used when making soap, and in the south it was used olive oil, thanks to which the soap was of excellent quality.

As for Rus', the secrets of soap making were inherited from Byzantium, and their own master soap makers appeared only in the 15th century. It is known that Gavrila Ondreev opened a “soap kitchen with a soap cauldron and all the equipment” in Tver; there was a soap row in Moscow. Industrial production soap was established under Peter.

In the 18th century, the factory in the city of Shuya became famous for its soap. Even the city's coat of arms depicts a bar of soap. The soap from the Lodygin factory was very famous; it was considered the best after Italian. It was cooked in cow and almond oil - white and colored, with or without perfume. Tar soap was also offered - “for bestial ailments.”

Craftsmen learned to make soap from potash and animal fats. Thus, the production of this much-needed product in everyday life was established in every home. The number of small soap-making workshops expanded, especially since Russia had all the resources necessary for this, and primarily wood, since potash was based on ash.

Potash became a major export product, which led to massive deforestation. By the beginning of the reign of Peter I, the question of finding a cheaper substitute for potash arose. The problem was solved in 1852, when the French chemist Nicolas Lebman was able to obtain soda from table salt. This excellent alkaline material replaced potash.

Due to special economic conditions, the first soap factories began to appear in Russia only in the 18th century. In Moscow at that time there were two known: in the Novinskaya and Presnenskaya parts. By 1853, in the Moscow province their number had grown to eight. Numerous cloth, cotton-printing and dyeing factories became consumers of soap factories. In 1839, at the highest request of Emperor Nicholas I, the Union for the production of olein and soap was founded.

The famous Moscow perfume factory "Volya" was founded in 1843 by the Frenchman Alphonse Rallet. The factory was then called “Ralle and Co” and produced soap, powder, etc.

Children love soap in unusual forms: vegetables, fruits, animals. It turns out that such fancy soap was produced already in the 19th century. Brocard's factory produced it in the form of cucumbers. The soap looked so much like a real vegetable that it was hard for the buyer to resist the funny purchase.

The founder of the factory, Heinrich Afanasievich Brocard, was the king of perfumery in Russia, and he started his business from scratch. The original equipment of his factory consisted of three boilers, wood stove and a stone mortar. At first he made cheap, penny soap, but trade went so quickly that Brocard soon began producing expensive perfumes, colognes and soaps. The factory has largely replaced manual work.

At the beginning of the 20th century, soap making became industrial almost everywhere. Cost of soap made industrially, became more and more accessible to consumers, and gradually, soap making at home became a rare phenomenon. IN recent years soap as a cosmetic product for mass use is increasingly used in liquid form.

Many buyers were happy to buy soap that does not sink in water. It kept afloat well due to the air cavity inside the soap bar.

May 22nd, 2013

IN everyday life We are surrounded by a lot of things that we are so accustomed to that we don’t think about their origin. How often when washing our hands do we ask ourselves the question: “Where did the soap come from?” And really, what is soap? Where did it first appear? How did our ancestors do it? And by the way, what is 72%

So, soap is a washing mass soluble in water, obtained by combining fats and alkalis, used as a cosmetic product for cleansing and caring for the skin, or as a detergent household chemicals. The word “soap” comes from the Latin “sapo”, among the British it was transformed into soap, among the Italians - sapone, among the French - savon.

There are several versions of the appearance of soap.

According to one of them, the first mentions of “soap solution” were confirmed on clay tablets dating back to 2500 - 2200 years. BC BC, found by archaeologists during excavations in Mesopotamia. They contain a method of preparing a soap solution by mixing wood ash with water, boiling this mixture and dissolving fat in it. However, Egyptian archaeologists claim that soap production began about 6,000 years ago. During excavations in the Nile Delta, papyri were found that contain recipes for making soap by heating animal or vegetable fats along with alkali salts.

According to another version, the invention of soap is attributed to the ancient Romans. The most reasonable theory seems to be that the first mention of soap is associated with the name of Mount Sapo (“soap” - soap), on which in Ancient Rome they made sacrifices to the gods. According to legend, the animal fat melted during the action was mixed with the ash from the sacrificial fire and flowed down to the banks of the Tiber River, where women rinsing their clothes over time noticed that thanks to this mixture, the clothes became cleaner. It is not surprising that in the end the first soap was considered a gift from the gods, which they brought to humanity in exchange for generous sacrifices. Confirmation of this fact can be found in the treatise of the Roman writer and scientist Pliny the Elder “Natural History”.

There is another interesting version, according to which the composition for washing was invented by the Gallic tribes. They prepared an ointment from beech tree ash and tallow, which they used to wash and dye their hair. When combined with water, it turned into thick soap foam. Later, the Romans, after conquering the Gallic tribes in the 2nd century AD. e., they began to use this ointment when washing their hands, face and body. And by adding sea plant ash to it, we got real high-quality soap.

Soap was invented a long time ago, but many peoples still continue to use lye, bean flour, pumice, and clay for washing and washing. Why? First reason: soap is enough expensive pleasure, which even wealthy people could not afford. And Scythian women made washing powder from cypress and cedar wood, which they mixed with water and incense. The resulting mass, which had a delicate, subtle aroma, was rubbed over the entire body. After that, the solution was removed with special scrapers, and the skin became clean and smooth.

The second reason: the persecution of the Inquisition, which was rampant in the Middle Ages. It was considered seditious to pay special attention to one’s own sinful flesh.

A reliable fact is that in 164 AD. The ancient physician Galen described in detail the “correct” composition (fat, water, lime) and production technology (using saponification of fats) of soap, as well as the method of its use. However, further historical events- the fall of the developed Roman Empire - provoked a big “break” in the history of soap making, when personal hygiene was completely forgotten, which is why this time in Europe was called the “dark time”. Unsanitary living conditions led to many terrible diseases and caused the spread of the plague. In the Middle Ages, the situation was aggravated by the ferocity of the Inquisition, which punished people for increased attention to their own flesh.

However, even a “black streak” several centuries long could not last forever. A “ray of light” in the important issue of hygiene was the return of knights to France from the Crusades with war trophies in the form of natural Syrian soap. The reign of Louis XIV in France, a famous lover of cleanliness and luxury, favored the emergence of local soap making in the country, which soon grew in scale into an entire industry, under the protection and control of the Government. The city of Marseille became the center of this process due to the close geographical location of the sources of olive oil and soda - two essential components of soap.

Gradually all medieval Europe acquired its own first factories for the production of soap, the composition of which varied depending on geographical location and available resources: in the north animal fat remained the main component, while in the south they used a vegetable substitute - olive oil. In Germany, beef, pork, horse, lamb fat and even fish oil were used as an animal fat base, and cottonseed, almond, flaxseed, sesame, coconut and palm oils were used as a vegetable fat base. In Spain (province of Castile), ash from seaweed(barilla), and the famous high quality soap was obtained - “Castile soap”.

But still, the fashion for cleanliness moved to Europe along with medieval knights who brought soap as a trophy from the Crusades Arab countries. The art of soap making was passed on from the Arabs to Spain. Here on the coast Mediterranean Sea, people have learned to make solid and beautiful soap by adding olive oil and sea plant ash. Alicante, Carthage, Seville, and Venice became famous soap-making centers.

In 1790, the French chemist Nicolas Leblanc obtained a new substance from table salt - soda, which became widely used everywhere as a cheaper substitute for ash, and not only determined the entire subsequent history of soap making, but also helped prevent mass deforestation forests

In the 15th century, soap was first produced industrially in Savona (Italy). Instead of ash, natural soda ash was used, which led to a reduction in the cost of soap.

Only in 1808 did soap receive its modern composition. It was developed by the French chemist Michel Eugene Chevreul at the request of the owners of a textile factory.

During the Renaissance, soap making in Europe was practically brought to perfection. The fashion for fragrances added a new dimension to the soap-making process: the use of natural fragrances based on essential oils soon made the fragrant product not only an item of personal hygiene, but also a symbol of special chic. Fragrant soap was made in Venice and Damascus different forms, with brand names... the famous “fragrant balls” were brought as gifts from abroad to their beloved ones.

In Russia, until the 18th century, potash was widely used as a detergent - wood ash, which was boiled to obtain lye, from which water was then evaporated. The peasants washed themselves in the bathhouse with a simple mixture of ash and water, steamed in the oven. Since ancient times in Rus', people had the habit of regularly going to the bathhouse, where they took lye with them. They learned to make soap back in the pre-Petrine era from potash and animal fats. Entire villages were engaged in the “potash business”: felled trees were burned in cauldrons right in the forest. Lye was made from the ash, and when evaporated, potash was obtained. Not only artisans began to make soap, but also ordinary people at home. Master soap makers appeared only in the 15th century. Valdai and Kostroma masters were especially popular.

During the reign of Peter I, soap making was given considerable importance: entire fields were devoted to plants that were used as components; Potash began to be mixed with animal fats to make solid soap. Only half a century has passed, and 8 soap factories were already operating in Russia. However, unfortunately, until the mid-19th century, industrial soap remained not only very unattractive, but also contained traces of untreated alkali, which irritates the skin. There have been cases of soap being produced that had such a high percentage of fat that the skin became greasy after using it. Much later, soap factories learned to use fragrances for a pleasant aroma and overseas oils - palm, coconut. This has significantly increased consumer demand.

In the 18th century, soap made at a factory in the city of Shuya was famous throughout the country - this is evidenced by a bar of soap located on the coat of arms of this city. It was prepared in almond and cow butter, with and without perfume, white and colored. This soap was considered the best after Italian. And at the famous Moscow perfume factory they made figured soap.

The most amazing thing is that the whole variety of soap-making products was obtained practically “experimentally”, and only at the beginning of the 18th century were the Swedish chemist Carl Scheele reliably described those chemical reactions, due to which the process of saponification of fats and the formation of the well-known glycerol occurs. The development of the chemical industry has brought many changes to the soap-making industry, giving soap any properties, colors and smells. However, there is still nothing for human health better than that what is created by nature itself; therefore, there is a gradual process of returning to the roots of soap making - awareness of the benefits of cold process soap, low-component “Castile soap” based on olive oil. Today's interest in natural soap based on vegetable glycerin is quite justified and predictable, because such soap not only cleanses the skin, but also makes it healthier, moisturizes, and nourishes with various natural ingredients. Vegetable soap, which contains essential oils, also has an aromatherapy effect and has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

Yes, I completely forgot about the first picture. What is this 72%?

This is the percentage of fatty acids in laundry soap. Soap is a liquid or solid product containing surfactants, used in combination with water either as a cosmetic product for cleansing and caring for the skin (toilet soap); or as a means of household chemicals - detergent (laundry soap) (from Wikipedia).

Soap is salts of sodium, potassium and fatty acids. Fatty acid + sodium = solid soap. Fatty acid + potassium = liquid soap.

Soap is obtained very simply - fats are heated in cauldrons, soda (sodium or potassium) is added and boiled again. And then they peel off. And the hard part is ground.

As a result of the soap itself (fatty acid salts), the resulting product contains 40-72% (these are the numbers written on pieces of laundry soap). What's the rest? Unreacted components of the reaction and by-products of the reaction are soda, fatty acids, glycerin.

Neither soda nor fatty acids are harmful to humans. Accordingly, laundry soap is also harmless to humans.

Next, the resulting soap with 40-72% of the active substance is processed - cleaned, flavored, bleaches, glycerin and other things are added. It turns out to be cosmetic soap. To wash them would only waste money on fragrances. Therefore, for washing it is proposed to use cheap laundry (washing) soap - safe for humans.

And I will remind you and

The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

We all use soap in everyday life, but not every one of us understands what this strange substance is that helps wash dirt off our hands and other parts of the body.

What is soap and what is its composition?

Soap is a solid or liquid substance containing so-called surfactants (surfactants). It may also contain special flavorings called fragrances and some other ingredients.

What kind of surfactants are these? Answering this question intelligibly in simple, human language is not an easy task. If we state that surfactants are nothing more than chemical compounds, capable of reducing the force of surface tension, concentrating on the interface between thermodynamic phases, some of our readers will have a stupor, others will have a lot of additional questions about thermodynamic phases and surface tension forces, and only excellent students-crammers with doctors of science in tactfully they nod their heads in understanding.

Let's try to translate this insanity into human language.

In order for water to have the opportunity to wash away everything unnecessary from a particular surface, it must get to it, figuratively speaking, or, more simply, moisten it.

What does this depend on? From the properties of the material that is wetted and the properties of the liquid that wets.

And what, strictly speaking, is wetting itself? This is when adhesion exceeds cohesion... Well, this is for the smart ones... For a general audience, let's just say: when the molecules of a liquid are attracted to the molecules of the wetted substance more strongly than to themselves. And the force of mutual attraction between liquid molecules is precisely determined by the very coefficient of surface tension discussed above.


The whole thing is that the surface tension coefficient clean water is 72.86 mN/m, but as soon as you add a certain amount of ordinary soap to it, this figure will drop by almost half - 43 mN/m. But that’s not all, if we remember the ability of surfactants to concentrate at the interface of thermodynamic phases (even if they are three times wrong), then we can say that the effect is threefold.

Thanks to this, water molecules become more favorable to molecules of substances that they previously could not stand - wax, stearin, fat, oil and others from their company.

So, we figured out that the main component in soap is surfactants, we figured out how they work, now let’s get personal - let’s name the main representatives of this “brotherhood”.

If we are talking about solid soap, then the monopoly is held by representatives of soluble salts of higher fatty acids - potassium and ammonium salts of oleic, stearic, palmitic, myristic and lauric acids. Respecting the needs of smart people, we present one of the most common chemical formulas solid soap: C17H35COONa.

As we have already mentioned, soap may also contain (and usually does, if it is not a laundry soap) fragrances or fragrances, as well as powders and dyes.

What is laundry soap made from?

If we resort to analogies, laundry soap occupies the same place in its category as felt boots in the shoe category: minimum aesthetics and maximum efficiency. This is a product uncomplicated by any aromatic delights, captivating with its primitive, brutal charm.

What is this “Neanderthal” made from? Heated animal or vegetable fats are processed in special digesters with caustic alkali (usually sodium hydroxide), resulting in the so-called soap glue or adhesive soap. When cooled, the adhesive soap slowly but surely turns into laundry soap - all that remains is to chop it into pieces.

What is tar soap and how is it useful?

This type of soap is obtained by adding tar to a regular soap base in a volume of up to 10% of total mass. Tar soap is an amazing product.


It can repeatedly increase the regenerating properties of the skin, fight fungi and lice, and have an almost instant anti-inflammatory effect: it helps with herpes, ulcers, boils, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and much more.

What is baby soap made from?

Baby soap is not fundamentally different from other types, except that the effect of alkali on the skin is minimized by special additives - glycerin, lanolin, oils plant origin, juices medicinal herbs that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the child’s skin.

Also, children's soap does not contain traditional soap additives that reduce the hypoallergenicity and environmental friendliness of the product.

What is glycerin soap used for?

Glycerin has the property of retaining moisture. It is not difficult to guess that glycerin soap is used to moisturize the skin.


As a rule, it is suitable for all types of skin; in addition, like tar, it helps get rid of acne, blackheads, eczema, psoriasis and other representatives of this unpleasant company.

In everyday life, we are surrounded by a lot of things that we are so accustomed to that we do not think about their origin.

How often when washing our hands do we ask ourselves the question: “Where did the soap come from?”

And really, what is soap? Where did it first appear? How did our ancestors do it?

So, soap is a washing mass soluble in water, obtained by combining fats and alkalis, used as a cosmetic product for cleansing and skin care, or as a household detergent. Wikipedia gives us this definition.

The word “soap” comes from the Latin “sapo”, among the British it was transformed into soap, among the Italians - sapone, among the French - savon.

There are several versions of the appearance of soap.

According to one of them, the first mentions of “soap solution” were confirmed on clay tablets dating back to 2500 - 2200. BC BC, found by archaeologists during excavations in Mesopotamia. They contain a method of preparing a soap solution by mixing wood ash with water, boiling this mixture and dissolving fat in it. However, Egyptian archaeologists claim that soap production began about 6,000 years ago. During excavations in the Nile Delta, papyri were found that contain recipes for making soap by heating animal or vegetable fats along with alkali salts.

According to another version, the invention of soap is attributed to the ancient Romans. A ritual of sacrifice to the gods was held on Mount Sapo. After burning the victim, animal fat, mixed with ash, was washed off by rain into the Tiber River. After washing in this river, the clothes became clean much faster. Confirmation of this fact can be found in the treatise of the Roman writer and scientist Pliny the Elder “Natural History”.

There is another interesting version, according to which the composition for washing was invented by the Gallic tribes. They prepared an ointment from beech tree ash and tallow, which they used to wash and dye their hair. When combined with water, it turned into thick soap foam. Later, the Romans, after conquering the Gallic tribes in the 2nd century AD. e., they began to use this ointment when washing their hands, face and body. And by adding sea plant ash to it, we got real high-quality soap.

Soap was invented a long time ago, but many peoples still continue to use lye, bean flour, pumice, and clay for washing and washing. Why?

The first reason: soap is a rather expensive pleasure that even wealthy people could not afford. And Scythian women made washing powder from cypress and cedar wood, which they mixed with water and incense. The resulting mass, which had a delicate, subtle aroma, was rubbed over the entire body. After that, the solution was removed with special scrapers, and the skin became clean and smooth.

The second reason: the persecution of the Inquisition, which was rampant in the Middle Ages. It was considered seditious to pay special attention to one’s own sinful flesh.

But still, the fashion for cleanliness moved to Europe along with the medieval knights, who brought soap as a trophy from the crusades in Arab countries. The art of soap making was passed on from the Arabs to Spain. Here, on the Mediterranean coast, people learned to make solid and beautiful soap by adding olive oil and sea plant ash. Alicante, Carthage, Seville, and Venice became famous soap-making centers.

In the 15th century, soap was first produced industrially in Savona (Italy). Instead of ash, natural soda ash was used, which led to a reduction in the cost of soap.

Only in 1808 did soap receive its modern composition. It was developed by the French chemist Michel Eugene Chevreul at the request of the owners of a textile factory.

I would especially like to talk about the history of the development of soap making in Russia.

Since ancient times in Rus', people had the habit of regularly going to the bathhouse, where they took lye with them. even in the pre-Petrine era from potash and animal fats. Entire villages were engaged in the “potash business”: felled trees were burned in cauldrons right in the forest. Lye was made from the ash, and when evaporated, potash was obtained. Not only artisans, but also ordinary people began to make soap at home. Master soap makers appeared only in the 15th century. Valdai and Kostroma masters were especially popular.

Industrial production of soap was established under Peter I.

In the 18th century, soap made at a factory in the city of Shuya was famous throughout the country - this is evidenced by a bar of soap located on the coat of arms of this city. It was prepared in almond and cow butter, with and without perfume, white and colored. This soap was considered the best after Italian.

And at the famous Moscow perfume factory they made figured soap.

Currently, the soap making process has not undergone significant changes. But in its production they began to use artificially created components. The only good news is that making soap at home is back in fashion.