History of Soap Making

Soap making has been around for a long time, with the earliest known evidence of soap dating back to Babylonian clay cylinders from 2800 BC containing a soap-like substance. A formula for how to make soap was found on a Babylonian clay tablet from around 2200 BC.

The most popular story as to the origins of soap revolve around a place that was called "Mount Sapo" where ancient Romans supposedly sacrificed animals to their gods. The animal tallow (the fat from animals) and wood ash ran down the sides of the mountain into the clay soils on the banks of the Tiber river. Woman noticed that if they used the clay, clothing was easier to clean. Whether this is true or not, it makes an interesting story. ;)

Soap has been made since these times by combining animal fats, and lye that was made from wood ashes from fires. My next door neighbor grew up on a farm in Utah. His family made soap this way by using the renderings from cattle that were slaughtered, mixed with lye, to produce their own soap. Many pioneers made their soap this way, and many soapers (those of us who make soap) still use this basic recipe... except they use commercially prepared lye Vs lye created from wood ash.

Many people have asked, does bar soap contain lye? The answer is NO! Lye + Oil combine to create soap. After soap is cured, there is no lye left, it has ALL been converted over to soap. Most soapers "superfat" their soaps, to make doubly sure there is no lye left, plus it provides soap with additional oils that help moisturize your skin.

Fortunately for those of us who are vegetarians, Castile soap was developed in Europe as early as the 16th century, and is made exclusively of vegetable oils. According to some authorities, Castile soap originated in the Kingdom of Castile where it was made from olive oil only. The lye was created from the ashes of a thistle called barilla, which was boiled locally with olive oil. By adding a salty brine to the mix, the white soap would float to the surface, and could be skimmed off and cured without losing its whiteness.

In modern times, commercialized detergents have gotten away from their traditional roots with detergents manufactured in large factories. They start with the basic mixture of fats and lye to produce soap, but they remove the glycerin from the soap to be used in other industries. Glycerin is the ingredient in soap that helps keep your skin smooth and moist, and removing the glycerin leaves your skin feeling dry. They also include additives like sodium laureth sulfate, a surfactant that provides foaming action, which research has proved to be harsh and drying to the skin. (This chemical is found in many non-soap hygiene products like shampoos, bath foams... even toothpaste!) They also contain preservatives, surfactants, sulfates, chemicals, dyes, chemicaly produced perfumes, even alcohol. Just look at a label of a bar of soap from a store, and you will see the long list of unnatural ingredients found in most commercially produced soap.

I started Old West Soap Company when I decided enough is a enough! We live in the West, and our skin is dry enough here without further drying it with harsh detergents, chemicals, and artifical ingredients. Plus I'm personally allergic to most fragrances. Even hypo allerginic soaps I've purchased in stores still gives me rashes and makes my skin dried out. It was only using my natural soaps that I had relief from the problem. Finally no more rashes and itchy dry skin.