Soap Making (A History)

Archeological records indicate soap was first used in ealy civilzations approximately 600 B.C.. The exact date is uncertain, but we are sure both the Greeks and Romans used soap as part of their daily lives. Olive oil appears to be main ingredient in early soapmaking. It is speculated that because running water cascaded over volcanic ash near ancient Rome that early soap makers discovered the effects of three main ingredients to soap accidently. Water that has been drained through ash gives it the caustic properties required for it to make soap. Combine this water in the correct proportions with olive oil and you get soap. The first attempts at making soap must have been a complete hit or miss proposition. Only after many attempts would an ancient soap maker be able to produce a satisfactory soap product.

Initially soap was a luxury for upper levels of early societies. For both Greek and Roman society soap was definitely a luxury item. The extraction of caustic soda from table salt was perfected in 1790. This allowed for experiments that led to precise formulas to make soap mild and easy to manufacture. This was also about the time that the practice of adding fragrances to soap became common. As the manufacture of soap became more common the average consumer began to use many more types of soap more frequently. With the advent of the industrial revolution soap became available to general public. Todays large manufacturers of soap make a product that is unlike the soap that our pioneer predecessors made from draining water over wood ash and combinging it with lard. It is made in enourmous mixing vats of complex recipes that use modern day chemicals that combine to form a detergent bar. Not a very appealing product the consumer who cares about their skin care.

A movement to get back to natural soapmaking has taken the crafting movement by storm. There are estimates that over one million crafters have experimented with handmade soap crafting. The main aim of the crafter is to produce a more natural bar of soap that is both mild and fragrant. With the amazing variety of soap making oils and fragrances the combinations afforded the hobbiest are unlimited. Anyone can make a signature bar that is completely unique to that individual soapmaker

The author of this article is Jeffrey Dorrian proprietor of thesoapguy.com. This article is the full and copyright property of the said author. It may be reprinted in its' entirety with all links and complete author information in tact. Buy your wholesale handmade soap here Wholesale Soap

wholesale natural lavender soap | wholesale soap | wholesale bath salt | lye soap | wholesale handmade soap | wholesale soap supply | handmade soap loaves | bath soap