History of Soap
Here at Goddess Glow Soap Company we are interested in much more than bringing you all the very best in fragrant, nourishing soaps that are great for your skin and smell heavenly! We take pride in all things soap and that includes sharing the fascinating stories behind soap-making that go back thousands of years! Want to know more? Read on to find out some interesting tidbits and facts that not even we knew about- it turns out that soap has a pretty nuanced and captivating history stretching back to ancient times.
Can you believe that soap has been around for THOUSANDS of years? The first evidence we have of soap being used were the Babylonians over 5,000 years ago; they used soap to clean wool and cotton as well as medicinally. The Babylonians also made soap from boiling fats and ashes, and we know this because archaeologists have found the earliest known soap recipes in ancient Babylon inscribed onto clay pots. The ancient Egyptians (around 1550 BC) mixed animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to create a soap-like substance. Around 600BC the Phoenicians used goat’s tallow and wood ashes to create soap. Soap wasn’t originally made for personal hygiene but rather for cleaning and medicinal purposes. It is said that the word soap originated from the Celts, who named their soap “saipo”. There is also evidence that soap got its name from Mount Sapo in Rome- the word “sapo” is Latin for soap.
When soap making was in its infancy the demand for it was high and there were only a small group of soap makers, resulting in a monopoly in soap production. This made soap very expensive. In 1791, a Frenchman named LeBlanc discovered a chemical process that allowed soap to be sold for significantly less money. Twenty years after that, another Frenchman discovered the relationship between glycerin, fats, and acids which marked the beginning of modern soap making. By the mid 19th century, soap for bathing became available as an alternative to the harsher soaps for laundry, for example. Today, there are many types of soaps to choose from: there is soap to wash clothes, dishes, cars, pets, and carpet. There is also soap for washing children and sensitive-skin soaps. Soaps can be handmade, homemade, factory made, and there even exists soap made for industrial use.
Be on the lookout for more fun and informative soap facts and tidbits as we delve deeper into the history and legends of all things soap!
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