The Art of Soap Making

Here is a short summery taken from our promotional hand-outs. We just updated some of the information, and thought it would be a good idea to share it with you all!

Well, soap making wasn’t always an art. In fact, for most of history it was a household chore. One that took all day. Typically our ancestors used olive oil, but where there were no olives, such as in colonial America, animal fats sufficed. In the Philippines and Caribbean Islands they used mostly coconut oil. For early soap making, there were no recipes or measurements to follow, they just kind of guessed. Early soaps were also not quite solid, not quite liquid– but had properties of both. It had a consistency similar to a slush that you scooped with your hands or a ladle. It was greasy, unpleasant, and people preferred to wash without it. Early soaps also had no fragrances or colors. That didn’t come till the 19th century, the Victorian era.

During this time woman wore less make up, and put a strong emphasis on scented oils and natural beauty. The industrial revolution brought new technologies: assembly lines and steam power. This streamlined the manufacturing of goods, including bars of soap. They were scented with herbs like lavender and rose, and used “new” ingredients such as palm and coconut oils, and glycerin. For the first time, recipes were constructed, documented, and are now available for people like us. These soaps were considered a luxury item– affordable to only the wealthy. One company still known today, Unilever, had their start during that time.

But as the need for good hygiene increased, so did the availability of specialty soap. It was realized by Dr. Lister (Listerine anyone?) that washing your hands with running water decreased the instances of disease, a revolutionary discovery that changed the medical universe forever. Previously– they believed the exact opposite, that washing your body exposed you to harmful diseases. While soap is not antibacterial, it does do a great job at washing away excess oils containing harmful bacteria– while simultaneously leaving good bacteria behind.  It is no wonder why soap has become a staple to nearly every home around the world.