What Is “Soap” Anyway?
Soap—real soap—has been around since Babylonian days, and maybe longer. It’s really fascinating how soap is created. Basically, you mix an alkaline (good, old fashioned lye) and a fat, oil, or combination of both together and soap is born, containing neither the alkaline nor the oil that made it in the first place. In fact, there is no such thing as true soap made without lye!
Most of us think that when we go to the grocery store, we’re buying soap. But in reality the “soap” that we buy over-the-counter is actually detergent…not real soap! Detergent surfactants were developed in response to a shortage of animal and vegetable fats and oils during world war I and world war II. In addition, a substance that was resistant to hard water was needed to make cleaning more effective. At that time, petroleum was a plentiful source for making these surfactants. Today, detergent surfactants are made from a variety of petrochemicals (derived from petroleum) and/or oleochemicals (derived from fats and oils). Gross!
All of our soaps are hand-crafted using the highest quality ingredients and time-honored traditions. Because they are made from natural ingredients, they are biodegradable and more environmentally friendly than man-made detergents. The result is a product that looks, feels, and smells great. Why depend on artificial chemical ingredients when you can get right next door to nature?
How We Make Our Scented Soaps
Our sense of smell is strong and we know that many of us love to use soaps and lotions that smell terrific! In the soaping world, achieving “all natural” status is next to impossible—unless you want nothing in your soap besides lye and water. Essential Oils are wonderful and provide a variety of benefits and we use many of them in our products. However, they have a difficult time keeping their scent during the saponification process.
That’s why you will see in the description of some of our products “nature-identical” essential oils. These oils have the same constituents of that found in nature, but are produced in a lab. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing! A lab environment is sterile and ensures that the essential oils created do not contain any contaminants or by-products that are found in a natural environment, such as lead. This allows us to craft natural soaps that feel great and smell absolutely fantastic!
We also have a line of soaps that are fragrance and color free, as well as soaps that are colored with nothing but herbs and spices! Something for everyone!
A Little More History of Soap
The first records of soap date back to around 2800 B.C. with the Babylonians. These first soaps were thought to be used for cleaning textiles and fabric rather than the body. Soap for bathing the body seems to be credited to both the Romans and the Celtics who may have both independently discovered the benefits of hygiene around the beginning of the second century.
The first of the famous Roman baths, supplied with water from their aqueducts, was built about 312 B.C. The baths were luxurious, and bathing became very popular. By the second century A.D., the Greek physician, Galen, recommended soap for both medicinal and cleansing purposes.
Italy, Spain and France had a ready supply of raw materials, such as oil from olive trees, making them early centers of soap manufacturing. The English began making soap during the 12th century. The soap business was so good that in 1622, King James I granted a monopoly to a soap maker for $100,000 a year! Well into the 19th century, soap was heavily taxed as a luxury item in several countries. When the high tax was removed, soap became available to ordinary people, and cleanliness standards improved!