The History of Soap Making

byRuby1806

223 followers

11 years ago

The exact history of soap making is, still to this day, debatable by many historians.

It is believed by many that soap was first made around 2800 B.C. by the Babylonians. Historians found clay containers from this time, containing a soap-like substance and inscriptions on the containers read that the contents were created by mixing animal fats with boiled ashes.

The soap-like substance was originally used in the textile industry for cleaning wool and cotton and used medicinally to treat skin diseases for at least 5000 years before it was ever used for bathing and personal hygiene.

The Ebers Papyrus (Egypt, 1500 B.C.) reveals that Egyptians used both animal and vegetable fats mixed with alkaline salts to produce a soap-like substance.

Soap became popular during the Roman times. An entire soap factory was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, one of the cities destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. However, it is unknown was the whether the soap factory supplied the textile industry or medical professionals or both!

The Celts produced soap from animal fats and plant ashes. They called this 'Saipo', from which the word soap was derived.

The Arabs produced soap from vegetable oils, such as olive oil. Sodium Lye NaOH formula was used for the first time and still used to this day in soap making.

Aleppian soap makers, produced soap by mixing olie oil, sweet bay oil and water mixed with sodium hydroxide, they called this 'Aleppo' soap and is reported to be the first hard bar of soap ever made. The mixture was heated up and then left to cool. Cut and left to 'age' in the shade for between 6-9 months, during which the soap hardened and the colour of the soap changed from green to gold/brown at which point they knew that the soap was ready for use.

Soap made by 100% olive oil, became popular across Spain as olive oil was available in abundance, especially in the region of Castile. Bay oil was not so available and so, the dropped it from there recipe and named the soap Castile soap. It was popular with the Spanish royalty and later other royal houses of Europe.

Soap first reached the England market during the mid 1500's, when it was imported in high quantities via sea. Even now, castile soap is one of the best natural and bio-degradable soaps manufactured by hand.

It wasn't until the 19th Century that soap for bathing became a separate commodity and was used less for cleaning, as many preferred alternatives to soap became available. Milder soaps were produced, packaged and sold for personal use.