Soap is a fantastic product and absolutely indispensable to the everyday life of modern man, it makes us clean and gives us a moment of everyday luxury. But what is soap and how can it be so important which soap you choose?

What is soap?

Soap is a substance chemically defined as an anionic surfactant that cleans by lowering the surface tension of water and lifting dirt off the surface. The chemistry or magic that makes this possible is based on the fact that the soap molecule has a part that is hydrophobic (water repellent) and a hydrophilic (water soluble). The grease-soluble one dissolves the cell membrane of the dirt and so the tail of the molecule turns around, encapsulates in what we call the lather and the dirt can be rinsed away with the water.

Genuine pure soap, both solid and liquid, is created by mixing oil/fat made up of fatty acids with a strong base, commonly known as lye. This process is called saponification and creates soap and glycerine. In good soap, the naturally created glycerine remains and moisturizes the soap. The soapmaker also adds extra oil that is dissolved in the soap, called superfat. This oil makes the soap extra rich and delicious. The overfat can vary in amount and the more makes the soap greasier but too much makes it more prone to rancidity and dampens the lather.

Soap is not a protected name or term and therefore there are many things sold under the name of soap which, according to Soap & Wash, are not soap.

Real soap is always made from saponified oils and soap created in this way is called natural soap and, if handmade, artisanal soap.

The opposite is a synthetically produced surfactant that is drying, surface-aggressive and allergenic. A large part of the contact dermatitis that people get comes from synthetic surfactants in fake soaps. There is a big difference between good and bad soap, choose good and get a great experience in return!

Synthetic soap, both solid and liquid, often needs a number of chemicals added to mimic what you get automatically in a natural soap. Substances that make it lather more, substances that make it feel silky and substances that maintain fragrance and color. Actually, a long INCI list is not a problem as long as it is filled with things that belong in a soap.