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Story of Soap Evolution and development

Updated: Nov 17, 2022


Soaps have been around for a long time, and they've evolved over time to become more effective and better for the environment. From animal fats and oils to plant-based oils, soap has come a long way since its introduction into society.

Soaps were introduced years ago.

Soaps were introduced in the early 1800s. They were made by hand and cost expensive, but they were still used to cleanse and disinfect the skin. In addition, soap was used in hospitals for sterilization purposes.


How was soap manufactured?

Soap was made from animal fat and oils. The soap maker would add lye to the mixture, which would melt the fats and oils. The melted fat was then poured into a pot, where it boiled in order to remove any impurities or excess water. This process produced a lot of waste; as much as 30% of all soap production went into making scraps to be discarded by manufacturers.


Animal fats and oils were used.

Animal fats and oils were used to make soap. The fat from animals was obtained by boiling the animal's carcass, which released grease and tallow. This grease was then mixed with lye (a basic chemical compound that can be made from wood ash or sodium hydroxide), which reacted with the fat molecules to form an emulsion of glycerol plus fatty acids.

The process worked well enough to give us a cheap way to produce soap on our own farms, but it had its drawbacks: animal products were expensive and hard to come by until industrialization came along.


Development in Soaps

The development of soap making had a number of positive impacts on society. Soap making was made easier and more effective, resulting in a much wider range of products that could be sold. As well as this, soaps have been improved beyond recognition over the last few centuries and are now available at affordable prices throughout the world.

In addition to this, environmentally friendly alternatives have been developed which allow you to use less water