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Dear Alabu: I really love your soaps! :)
Yuko - Tokyo Japan (10/07)
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Natural Soap - Goat Milk Soap - Natural Soap
 Soap Stories
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Soap Stories |
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If you have an interesting soap story, send it to us. We like making soap and love learning more about it. Check out the stories here.
Parable of the New Soap
The History of Soap
PARABLE OF THE NEW SOAP
Once upon a time in a far-away land far, far away, a young man named Joshua announced the discovery of a marvelous new kind of soap. People were skeptical at first, but they soon found that this new soap made everyone very happy because it got them so clean. Because it was so powerful, it got rid of dirt and stains that had been around for years.
Because Joshua's soap worked so well, men found that they had more time to spend with their wives and children. Marriages got better, people were happier, and everybody admired the young man who had given them the soap. Joshua refused to charge for the soap and gave it away to all who asked for it. This bothered some rich people, but the poor loved it. Not surprisingly, the manufacturers of rival kinds of soap soon became very angry because their business was being hurt badly.
Before long, Joshua had followers who were traveling around the country, giving away the new soap to all who asked for it. Of course, this new soap was an instant success because the people of Joshua's country had been trying for years to make themselves clean with their own homemade soap. Thousands became great fans of the new soap, and they formed small groups to spread its use. The other soap manufacturers became desperate and tried to get Joshua to charge for his soap, but he refused. He said, "I prefer to give it away, because no money would be adequate payment for a soap as perfect and complete as this one is."
When the soap manufacturers found that this strategy wouldn't work, they started a smear campaign against Joshua and his followers. They said that the soap made cleaning too easy - that you should have to work harder to get things clean. They also said that Joshua and his followers were immoral because they had been seen in the company of the dirtiest people in the world. Joshua smiled when he heard these charges, and said, "Although everybody needs soap, it is the dirty people who need the soap the most!" These slanders didn't work because the common people realized that Joshua truly loved them and that is why his soap was free.
Since their other tactics failed, the rival soap manufacturers plotted to kill the young man. They paid an informer to betray Joshua and then arrested him. They paid witnesses to perjure themselves in court, and finally they were able to have Joshua convicted of trumped up "crimes" and executed. The soap manufacturers were certain that this would take care of the problem, but to their dismay Joshua's followers continued to distribute the soap. Persecution of the followers didn't work either, for Joshua's followers kept spreading to new areas and kept giving away the soap.
After many years, the rival manufacturers decided to try the policy of "if you can't beat 'em then join 'em." So they analyzed Joshua's soap and came up with a very clever substitute, which looked the same, but, of course, it didn't work. They used the same name for their soap that Joshua had used and organized a promotion campaign to corner the market. Because of their organization and slick advertising, they made great progress and even got many of Joshua's followers to join them for a while.
Soon, however; these infiltrators started to charge for their counterfeit soap, and, because their distributors had replaced many of Joshua's followers, many people had to buy the soap now - and their substitute didn't really work! However; some people read Joshua's instructions and those of the early users of the soap and discovered how they could get it for free! Because of Joshua's written instructions, down through the centuries there were always groups who distributed Joshua's real soap for free.
After several centuries the leading soap manufacturers decided that they needed a publicity gag to stir up interest in their counterfeit version of the soap, so the started Soap Crusades to go back to Joshua's homeland and try to recover the original bucket in which he had first made the soap. Mighty armies were raised because Joshua's homeland was now in he hands of some people that didn't believe in Joshua's soap. These Soap Crusades resulted in wars and the deaths of thousands of people and much destruction and heartache. Many true followers of Joshua protested against these campaigns, but were killed for their efforts. Finally the Soap Crusades ceased, but they did stir up a lot of interest and sold a lot of the counterfeit soap.
Several centuries later, when soap sales were lagging again, the manufacturers decided to use force to make people buy their soap. They started an intricate system of spies to report on people who didn't use the "right" soap. They also used a group of zealous torturers who called themselves the 'Investigation' to torture people suspected of not using the manufacturers soap. Many people were killed by the Investigation for using Joshua's soap, and yet, Joshua's soap continued to be passed out to all who asked, for free!
After a few more hundred years, a whole new kind of attack on Joshua's soap began. This e the charge was made that Joshua's written instructions were not really reliable. This attack came from two directions. The first group of attackers said that the instructions were missing some very important parts that the evil rival manufacturers had taken out in centuries past. Various of the attackers claimed that Joshua, himself, had come and appeared to them, giving them special authority to "restore" the lost instructions. Of course, the attackers all had different versions of the "restored" instructions and none of them were even close to being in agreement with each other. In many cases they weren't even in agreement with Joshua's instructions. Even so; they were able to deceive some of the users of Joshua's real soap.
The second group of these attackers used a more "intellectual" attack. They called themselves the "Elevated Critics" who said that the instructions didn't really mean what they said, and certainly they weren't the final authority on how to get clean. They told the people that Joshua was just another good man who had high ideals, but his wasn't the only soap around. So they took the "mythology" out of Joshua's instructions and left an empty shell, which couldn't clean anyone, in its place.
Well, about 2000 years have gone by now, and Joshua's true soap is still available free, and people are still getting clean and being happy. And there are those who try to peddle a similar but counterfeit kind of soap for profit or power. Now, there are some who say you, really, can't get clean, but a little soap is a good thing and everybody ought to have some, but don't go overboard! Others worship books about the original soap, and still others have Joshua's true soap, and have found that only through his power can they become clean.
In our parable, Joshua's soap is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel (which means "GOOD NEWS") could not be stamped out by the "rival manufacturers" or anyone else, because it was a MESSAGE, not an earthly system of priesthoods, rites and organizations. The message of God's provision for the gift of eternal life for sinful men has endured even to our day and people are still getting "clean" by submission of their lives to Jesus Christ - ALONE. In spite of many attempts to destroy the Gospel message by eradication of the believers, or perversion of the message itself, the GOOD NEWS of what Jesus Christ did for YOU on His cross remains as viable today as it was on the Resurrection Morning.
Truth is not always popular, but it is always right.
The History of Soap
When walking through a store, or even while watching television, one notices that there are several different kinds of soap. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and it seems that each is used for a specific purpose. One may wonder, how did this business get so complex?
In order to fully appreciate the history of soap, one must first understand what soap is. A soap molecule contains two portions: a carbon chain and an ionic end of sodium or potassium. The carbon chain of the soap molecule is lipophilic, that is it is generally attracted to organic compounds (attracts fatty compounds) while the ionic sodium or potassium end of the molecule is hydrophilic, that is it attracts water. Thus, the molecule is simultaneously active for both fatty and watery materials1. It is these concepts of lipophilic and hydrophilic that allow one to understand how soap works. Since water and the oil produced by the skin (which contains the dirt) do not mix, washing with water alone will not remove the dirt and oil on the skin. This problem is solved with soap. When washing with soap, the lipophilic part of the molecule mixes with the oil and the hydrophilic portion of the soap molecule mixes with water. Therefore, when the soap suds are rinsed away, the oil and dirt are also removed2.
Soap is produced when a fatty acid is combined with an alkali (otherwise known as a base) in a process called sponification. The alkali causes the fatty acid to be split into two parts: the Amajor fatty part (a carbon chain) and glycerin. Once this happens, sodium or potassium joins with the carbon chain to produce soap3. Soaps are usually produced by combining fats or oils with lye, soda (Na2CO3), or potash (K2CO3)2. But how did this process get started?
Well, the Romans are often credited with the discovery of soap around 1000 B.C. Legend says that the fat dripping off an animal sacrifice dripped into the ashes of the fire below it. Somehow this mixture made it into the Tiber River where women were doing laundry. They discovered that the clothes came clean easier with this substance. Since the hill they were on was Sapo, the Roman discovery was named after the hill, which became the modern word soap2. However, contrary to legend, the method of producing soap by combining fat and potash was first employed around 3000 B.C. In fact, directions for soapmaking have been found on Sumerian clay tablets dating around 2500 B.C. These recipes called for ashes of wood fires to be mixed with water, which would produce diluted solutions of potash. This solution was boiled while fat was dropped in and allowed to dissolve slowly. A dilute solution of soap was then produced4. However, Singer et al.5 argue that although soap was produced, soap itself was not actually known to them. They point out that the terms currently understood to mean soap are doubtful, the recipes never actually mention that soap is produced, and soap is never actually separated from the solution or given a special name. In fact, the first concrete evidence of knowledgeable soapmaking is found in ancient Rome. The ruins at Pompeii revealed a soap factory with finished bars3. It must be noted that although the Romans are famous for their public baths during this time, the soap was too harsh for the skin. Thus, soap was used only for clothing2.
The practice of bathing declined during the Middle Ages in Europe, and it was thought that bathing was dangerous and unsanitary. However, soap was still produced for the purpose of washing clothing. The production of soap throughout this time period was very secretive, using methods which were passed down by word of mouth. If a recipe needed to be written down, it was often written in a secret code4. Little advances in soapmaking were made during this time period. It wasn't until the 18th century, when bathing was popular again, that new developments were made. This is partially due to an increased demand by the public for domesticated soaps, or soaps that could be used for bathing4.
Around 1500 A.D. it was discovered that many soaps were being produced throughout Europe and that the ingredients in these productions of soap started to differ from region to region. For example in southern Europe, vegetable oils were used, while in northern Europe tallow (cow fat) was usually used6. In Colonial America, lye was made by mixing water and wood ashes in a barrel with small holes in the bottom and then catching the drippings. Since the production of soap needs fat as well as lye, this usually accompanied the butchering of farm animals2. As a result, soap industries developed in these different regions, and each produced its own kind of soap6. Colonial America, however, was the exception. Soap companies did not began to appear until the early 19th century2.
The 18th century brought new discoveries in the process of soapmaking. During this period, the living standards in Europe were increasing, causing bathing to become popular again. This caused an increase in the demand for soap4. This increased demand came at a time when previous soap production had caused a shortage in the supply of trees to obtain potash. Thus, numerous attempts to find new methods were being made. The race for the first new method was won by the Frenchman Nicholas Leblanc in 1790 with his process of converting common salt (NaCl) to the alkali. The Leblanc process involved the use of salt, sulfuric acid, limestone, and coal to produce soda (Na2CO3). In modern chemical reaction format, the process resembled the following:
NaCl(s) + H2SO4(aq) ---> Na2SO4(aq) + HCl(g)
Na2SO4(aq) + limestone + coal ---> Ablackash@.
The blackash described by Leblanc consisted mainly of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and calcium sulfide (CaS). The sodium carbonate was then extracted with water and allowed to crystallize. By the middle of the 19th century Leblanc's process became the main method in soap production7. Although the Leblanc process had the advantages of being convenient, easier, and inexpensive, it produced harmful chemicals and the residue left from the blackash was causing pollution problems. Thus, the ammonia-soda process was discovered in 1811 by Augustin Jean Fresenel. Fresenel's process began with common salt (NaCl) saturated with ammonia (NH3). This was reacted with carbon dioxide (CO2) to produced sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). When the sodium bicarbonate was heated, soda (Na2CO3) was produced. By 1902 this process was widely employed and is still in use today7.
Around the same time as the development of these new processes by Fresenel and Leblanc, other chemical advances regarding soap were made. Soap production up until this time was a process of trial and error, luck, and superstitions3. For example, although it was known that adding salt at the end of the boiling process would produce hard soap (a process originating in Gaul around 800 A.D.4), it was not quantitatively controlled until the late 18th century when these new discoveries were made6. The first chemist to influence the understanding of soap production was Otto Tachenius. Tachenius, in his book Hippocrates Chimicus (1666), was the first to give a distinct definition of salt: All salts are composed of two parts, of acid and alkali. He further added that soap was the salt of an oily acid. Tachenius' statements were not recognized by the community of the time, and it wasn't until Michel Eugene Chevreul rediscovered the idea in 1816 through his laboratory work that the definition of salt as Tachenius defined it was accepted8.
Since soapmaking is considered a dangerous and smelly process, many rely on companies to produce it. Today the soap industry is a thriving enterprise containing many well-known companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Dial, Ivory, Zest, Jergens, and Lever Brothers. What most people probably do not know about the soapmaking industry is that the same methods of production are still employed today as they were in the late 1800's to early 1900's. That means that most soaps are made from tallow. The exception occurs only when vegetable oil appears clearly on the label. Also, few companies actually make their own soaps. Instead almost all soaps on the market are produced by five independent soapmakers. In addition, of these five soapmakers, only three make their own soap base, meaning that virtually all soaps contain the same base despite their differences in appearances9.
Although most soap is produced by industries, it can still be made in the home. Ann Brmason's book Soap: Making It, Enjoying It actually started a revival of soapmaking in the home10. For persons interested in making his or her own soap, numerous recipes can be accessed through the Internet and others are available in books at bookstores and in the libraries.
References
1. Kranzberg, Melvin, Pursell, Carroll W., Jr., Eds. In Technology in Western Civilization;
Oxford University Press: London, 1967; Vol. 2, p. 190.
2. Cobb, Vicki. The Secret Life of Cosmetics; Harper Collins Publishers: New York, 1984;
pp. 10-12, 16-19.
3. The Soap Factory. (accessed Oct. 1998).
4. Salzberg, Hugh W. From Caveman to Chemist: Circumstances and Achievements;
American Chemical Society: Washington,
DC, 1991; pp. 6-7, 74.
5. Singer, Charles, Holmyard, E.J., Hall, A.R., Eds. In A History of Technology; Oxford
University Press: London, 1956; Vol. 1, p. 260-261.
6. Singer, Charles, Holmyard, E.J., Hall, A.R., Williams, Trevor I., Eds. In A History of
Technology; Oxford University Press: London, 1957; Vol. 3, pp. 703-705.
7. Hudson, John. The History of Chemistry; Chapman & Hall: New York, 1992; p. 247-248.
8. Partington, J.R. A Short History of Chemistry, 3rd ed.; Dover Publications, Inc.: New York,
1989; p. 60, 221-222.
9. Touchstone Natural Products Marketing. (accessed Oct. 1998).
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