A Brief History of Natural Soap ​
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The story of natural soap dates back over 4,000 years. Ancient Babylonians recorded recipes using animal fat and ash as early as 2000 BC. ​Although our ancestors could not have foreseen it, soap became our most effective defence against invisible pathogens. A drop of ordinary soap diluted in water is sufficient to rupture and kill many types of bacteria and virus. The Egyptians, known for their devotion to cleanliness, created aromatic cleansing pastes from vegetable oils, clay, and alkaline salts to wash and treat skin ailments.
Soap-like substances appear in Roman and Biblical texts as well—typically made by boiling fats with ashes, producing a crude but functional cleanser. As trade routes opened, Aleppo in Syria became famous for its wonderful olive and laurel oil soaps—some of the oldest natural soaps still made today.
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In the 18th century, French soap-makers refined the craft by using pure vegetable oils like olive and lavender and improving the method for creating lye and elevated soap into a luxurious, perfumed product exported worldwide. Did you know that in traditional times, it took a ten-year apprenticeship to become a master soap maker?
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Historically, soap was a course affair, made by combining animal fats, saved for months with wood-ash water. This fatty acid/alkaline solution produced a fatty acid salt we call 'Soap'. This 'Soap, although functional at removing dirt and grime, may have been caustic and would not have smelled pleasant. The basic chemistry hasn’t changed: natural soap is made by saponifying oils or fats with a natural alkali.
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​As the Soap Industry was gaining momentum in England, it became classed as a luxury item thus heavily taxed. Sadly, soap wasn't affordable across society. Early 1900, British medical profession highlighted the necessity of personal hygiene to keep infectious disease at bay, slowly, hygiene and cleanliness standards began to improve.
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World Wars - as natural resources became scarce and expensive, scientists created a new form of 'Soap' made with synthetic compounds, harsher modern detergents were born and commercial mass produced soap came into existence. These bars are actually detergents aren't permitted to be called 'Soap'. If you see a soap called 'Body bar, or 'Moisturising bar it isn't actually real soap.
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Thankfully today, natural soap is cherished once again for its purity, tradition, and effectiveness—connecting us to centuries of wisdom in every bar.​​​
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Happy Soapers ~ Just add water!
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