Soap - Uses And Benefits

Soaps are one of the basic necessities that human beings require for daily usage in order to aid them in cleaning and bathing. Soaps are available in the form of hard solid bars as well as in the form of condensed liquids and are the commonest means of washing and cleaning used in combination with water. While historical evidences go to prove that soaps were prevalently used since antiquity, the earliest specimen of its usage was found from the powder obtained form the Sapindus tree used by the ancient Indians. Moreover, engravings in Babylon obtained around the 3 rd century BC have also revealed the ingredients required to manufacture soap. Similar proofs have also been found in the Egyptian papyrus and in Roman history. The manufacture of soap is not a very complex process. Soap is formed potassium or sodium salts obtained from the fatty acids and they are recovered by means of the process of saponification which includes a reaction between lye and fat.

There are various reasons because of which soaps are considered to be ideal for the purpose of cleaning. There are two different kinds of molecules i.e. polar molecules like water and non-polar molecules like oil or grease. The soap molecules adhere easily to these polar and non polar molecules and thus aid in cleaning. Whether attached to skin or clothing, these soaps are efficient in removing stains from clothes and helping in removal of dirt from the skin and thus aiding in cleaning successfully. The hydrocarbon or fatty content in the water makes it suspend the oils and dirt accumulated and the ionic constituents in soap make it soluble in water. Therefore, by the process of emulsification the insoluble substances are removed by water.

The major means of creating soaps is by means of the cold process and hot process and it is necessary to keep in mind that in both cases the method of saponification is vital for soap formation. Apart from these, there are various other means by implementing which soaps can be manufactured. Different kind of vegetable oils like olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil etc are prevalently used by various soap manufacturers to create soaps and pure olive oil soaps are referred to as Castile or Marseille soap. Soaps are also formed from fats and one of the most common ingredients in soaps is sodium tallowate and it is a constituent obtained from beef fat. Hard soaps can be produced from the reaction between fat and sodium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide can also be used in soap formation.