Table of content
History
Natural Soaps Through History. Archaeological research in ancient Babylon has revealed evidence that the Babylonians were making soap as early as 2800 BCE. Babylon was the first to perfect the art of soap making. This soap was made by boiling fat together with ashes. It was used for cleaning wool and textiles in workshops, and it was also used for medicinal purposes for over 5,000 years.
Research in Egypt has shown that the Egyptians mixed animal fat and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to produce a substance similar to soap.
The Phoenicians used goat tallow with ashes to make soap around 600 BCE.
Dok su npr. Kelti pravili sapun od životinjske masi i mešavine pepela biljaka. Ovaj izum su nazvali “saipo”, odakle i potiče engleska reč “soap” (“sapun”).
The first soaps were not used for personal hygiene, but primarily for cleaning objects or clothing.
During the 7th century, the recipe and technology had advanced enough that soaps began to acquire colors and fragrances.
During the 15th century, France began mass-producing soap to provide sufficient supplies for the entire nation. At that time, there were factories in Provence and Marseille.
Interestingly, during the 19th century, soap was taxed and considered a luxury item in many countries. By the end of the 19th century, these taxes were abolished, allowing the majority of the population to access basic hygiene standards, which became a significant tool in the fight against typhus and other infectious diseases prevalent at the time.
During the First and Second World Wars, there was a shortage of plant and animal fats, which had been used in soap production up to that point. For this reason, scientists began looking for ways to overcome this problem. The solution they found at the time was the synthetic production of substances with similar properties. This invention is actually known as detergent.
Today, many of the products we call soaps are actually detergents and have little to do with nature.
This is the reality we live in, but that’s why we are here – to raise awareness about the nature around us and to make this reality better.
The Art of Soap Making
Soaps can be found in various shapes and forms. Their use is diverse and versatile – from washing hands, hair, and face, to household cleaning. They all share the same chemical origin. They are produced by mixing fats or vegetable oils with an alkaline solution (Sodium hydroxide or Potassium hydroxide).
Zapravo, sapun je rezultat hemijske reakcije koju zovemo “saponifikacija”, koja se dešava između alkalnog rastvora i molekula koje zove trigliceridi koji se nalaze u ulju ili mastima. Obe supstance se hemijski transformišu u sapun i prirodni glicerin. Nakon reakcije, ni jedan od originalnih supstanci više ne postoji. Sav alkalni rastvor je “konzumiran” u toku hemijske reakcije.
So, even though the soap is made with an alkaline solution, at the end of the process it does not contain any molecules of it.
Moderni pristup pravljenja prirodnih sapuna, čak primenjuje i pristup gde se u mešavini koristi više ulja nego što je potrebno. Ovaj metod se naziva “super-fatting“. Na ovaj način ne samo da sa sigurnošću možemo tvrditi da je sav alklani sastav transformisan u hemijskoj reakciji, već sapun kao krajnji proizvod dobija i dodatna hidradantska svojsva, zvog viška ulja koje je ostalo “zarobljeno” unutar samog sapuna. O ovome smo pisali u prethnodnom text“, in the section for soaps for dry skin.
Understanding chemistry and chemical processes also brings the possibility of informing the public and changing perspectives on the world.
For some reason, there is a negative perception of using alkaline solutions in soap making, but the fact is that all soaps are made this way, whether in solid or liquid form.
If you notice that a manufacturer advertises their product as soap without alkaline solution, caustic soda, or something similar, what you are buying from them is not soap, but an industrial detergent.
Zaključak je da alkalni rastvor nije nikakav “zlikovac”, niti sapun pravljen na ovaj način treba izbegavati, čak naprotiv.
Why Handmade Production
Handmade production has multiple advantages compared to machine or mass production.
Neki od tih razloga su kontrola i izbegavanje neželjenih sastojaka u finalnom proizvodu, ekonomska konkurentnost, održavanje zanatskog duha i etičkih vrednosti. Naravno kroz sve to se i provlači osnovna ljudska satisfkacija kada nešto napraviš svojim rukama. “Ruka – ruci”.
Control of unwanted ingredients
Industrial soaps usually contain various alkaloids, which are the most common cause of skin irritations. These detergents, based on petroleum by-products, dry out the skin and remove its natural protective layers. Other unwanted ingredients in industrial soaps include DEA, isopropyl alcohol, BHT, and triclosan. None of these ingredients are natural for human skin. The skin simply does not absorb these substances, and they accumulate on the surface, which in the long term can lead to various dermatological problems.
Triclosan is one of the ingredients that causes the most public concern. It is most commonly found in industrial antibacterial soaps. Its purpose is to act preventively against bacteria, allowing the immune system to fight them. Although it has been used in the industry for over 30 years, scientific studies have shown that this ingredient actually affects hormone regulation in the body.
Of course, from an economic and technological standpoint, the presence of such ingredients in industrial soaps is understandable. Batch and machine production on an assembly line requires special formulations, particularly for the storage of raw materials and the production process, which simply isn’t cost-effective if natural ingredients are used. All natural ingredients have a certain shelf life, and it is understandable why the industry resorts to various tricks to reduce costs. The problem is that in all this, something very important gets lost, and that is…
Desired Ingredients
Handmade soap production allows exactly what we strive for: avoiding everything undesirable and artificial on our skin or in the environment. Of course, even though there are chemical processes that must occur during soap making, the recipe for natural soaps is completely different.
Because natural soaps are made in relatively small batches at a time, there is no need to have large quantities of raw materials in one place at the same time.
Therefore, it is not necessary to add various preservatives to extend the shelf life of the raw materials, as fresh and natural ingredients are used immediately in production. At the same time, this reduces the cost of storing raw materials, which helps maintain market competitiveness. Of course, expensive machines and their maintenance also contribute to the cost of industrial products, which is not the case here.
Osnovni hemijski principi koji se koriste u proizvodnji prirodnih sapuna svode se na reackiju vode ili tečnosti, prirodnih ulja i alkalnog rastvora. Mnogi smatraju da je alkalni rastvor štetna i neprirodna stvar, ali zapravo ovu supstancu možemo pronaći i u prirodi. Ovaj rastvor je moguće dobiti ceđenjem pepela i kuvanjem u vodi. Činjenica je da nakon završene hemijske reakcije “saponifikacije” alkalni rastvor ne ostaje u krajnjem proizvodu.
The choice of natural oils when formulating natural soap is diverse. The list ranges from the most popular oils, such as organic coconut oil or cold-pressed unrefined olive oil, which the skin easily absorbs, to exotic oils that offer various benefits for the skin.
Coconut oil, for example, has strong antibacterial properties, which serve as a natural alternative to undesirable triclosan.
Handmade soap making provides the opportunity to incorporate the benefits of various natural essential oils, which is not easily achievable in industrial production. In industrial production, perfumes or synthetic oils are usually used, as they behave much more stably during mass production. Of course, synthetic perfumes and fragrance oils are something we do not want on our skin.
Conclusion
What we can conclude from this little story is that handmade production definitely has its advantages, which naturally affect the quality of the final product. Of course, handmade production also requires much more physical effort, but that effort is ultimately reflected in the final product and its quality.
To master the art of making natural soaps requires time and effort, so that each subsequent batch turns out perfectly.
U tom procesu potrebno je mnogo strpljenja i “lupanja glavom u zid” kada nešto ne ispadne kako treba. Ključ je ne odustati.
After all, small producers provide a level of service that we cannot expect from a large corporation. That’s why people are increasingly turning to them and placing greater trust in handmade products.
“Ruka – Ruci”
Thank you for that!
With smile,
Balavander
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