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  • Shampoo 

    Shampoo (/ʃæmˈpuː/) is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is formulated to be used for cleaning (scalp) hair. Less commonly, it is available in solid bar format. (“Dry shampoo” is a separate product.) Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product in the hair, roots and scalp, and then rinsing it out. Some users may follow a shampooing with the use of hair conditioner.

    Shampoo is typically used to remove the unwanted build-up of sebum (natural oils) in the hair without stripping out so much as to make hair unmanageable. Shampoo is generally made by combining a surfactant, most often sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, with a co-surfactant, most often cocamidopropyl betaine in water. The sulfate ingredient acts as a surfactant, trapping oils and other contaminants, similarly to soap.

    Shampoos are marketed to people with hair. There are also shampoos intended for animals that may contain insecticides or other medications to treat skin conditions or parasite infestations such as fleas.

    History

    [edit]

    Ancient Mesopotamia

    [edit]

    Ancient Mesopotamian tablets from the Neo-Assyrian period document the use of medicated shampoo to treat scalp eruptions.[1]

    Indian subcontinent

    [edit]

    Sapindus, also known as soapberries or soapnuts, a tropical tree widespread in India, is called ksuna (Sanskrit: क्षुण)[2] in ancient Indian texts and its fruit pulp contains saponins which are a natural surfactant. The extract of soapberries creates a lather which Indian texts called phenaka (Sanskrit: फेनक).[3] It leaves the hair soft, shiny and manageable. Other products used for hair cleansing were shikakai (Acacia concinna), hibiscus flowers,[4][5] ritha (Sapindus mukorossi) and arappu (Albizzia amara).[6] Guru Nanak, the founder and the first Guru of Sikhism, made references to soapberry tree and soap in the 16th century.[7]

    Cleansing the hair and body massage (champu) during one’s daily bath was an indulgence of early colonial traders in India. When they returned to Europe, they introduced the newly learned habits, including the hair treatment they called shampoo.[8] The word shampoo entered the English language from the Indian subcontinent during the colonial era.[9] It dated to 1762 and was derived from the Hindi word cā̃pō (चाँपो, pronounced [tʃãːpoː]),[10][11] itself derived from the Sanskrit root chapati (चपति), which means ‘to press, knead, or soothe’.[12][13]

    Europe

    [edit]

    Swedish advertisement for toiletries, 1905/1906

    Sake Dean Mahomed, an Indian traveller, surgeon, and entrepreneur, is credited with introducing the practice of shampoo or “shampooing” to Britain. In 1814, Mahomed, with his Irish wife Jane Daly, opened the first commercial “shampooing” vapour masseur bath in England, in Brighton. He described the treatment in a local paper as “The Indian Medicated Vapour Bath (type of Turkish bath), a cure to many diseases and giving full relief when everything fails; particularly Rheumatic and paralytic, gout, stiff joints, old sprains, lame legs, aches and pains in the joints”.[14] This medical work featured testimonies from his patients, as well as the details of the treatment made him famous. The book acted as a marketing tool for his unique baths in Brighton and capitalised on the early 19th-century trend for seaside spa treatments.[15]

    During the early stages of shampoo in Europe, English hair stylists boiled shaved soap in water and added herbs to give the hair shine and fragrance. Commercially made shampoo was available from the turn of the 20th century. A 1914 advertisement for Canthrox Shampoo in American Magazine showed young women at camp washing their hair with Canthrox in a lake; magazine advertisements in 1914 by Rexall featured Harmony Hair Beautifier and Shampoo.[16]

    In 1900, German perfumer and hair-stylist Josef Wilhelm Rausch developed the first liquid hair washing soap and named it “Champooing” in Emmishofen, Switzerland. Later, in 1919, J.W. Rausch developed an antiseptic chamomile shampooing with a pH of 8.5.[17]

    In 1927, liquid shampoo was improved for mass production by German inventor Hans Schwarzkopf in Berlin; his name became a shampoo brand sold in Europe.

    Originally, soap and shampoo were very similar products; both containing the same naturally derived surfactants, a type of detergent. Modern shampoo as it is known today was first introduced in the 1930s with Drene, the first shampoo using synthetic surfactants instead of soap.

    Indonesia

    [edit]

    Early shampoos used in Indonesia were made from the husk and straw (merang) of rice. The husks and straws were burned into ash, and the ashes (which have alkaline properties) are mixed with water to form lather. The ashes and lather were scrubbed into the hair and rinsed out, leaving the hair clean, but very dry. Afterwards, coconut oil was applied to the hair in order to moisturize it.[18]

    Philippines

    [edit]

    Filipinos have been traditionally using gugo before commercial shampoos were sold in stores. The shampoo is obtained by soaking and rubbing the bark of the vine Gugo (Entada phaseoloides),[19][20] producing a lather that cleanses the scalp effectively. Gugo is also used as an ingredient in hair tonics.[21]

    Pre-Columbian North America

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    Certain Native American tribes used extracts from North American plants as hair shampoo; for example the Costanoans of present-day coastal California used extracts from the coastal woodfernDryopteris expansa.[22]

    Pre-Columbian South America

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    Before quinoa can be eaten the saponin must be washed out from the grain prior to cooking. Pre-Columbian Andean civilizations used this soapy by-product as a shampoo.[23]

    Types

    [edit]

    Shampoos can be classified into four main categories:[24]

    • deep cleansing shampoos, sometimes marketed under descriptions such as volumizing, clarifying, balancing, oil control, or thickening, which have a slightly higher amount of detergent and create a lot of foam;
    • conditioning shampoos, sometimes marketed under descriptions such as moisturizing, 2-in-1, smoothing, anti-frizz, color care, and hydrating, which contain an ingredient like silicone or polyquaternium-10 to smooth the hair;
    • baby shampoos, sometimes marketed as tear-free, which contain less detergent and produce less foam; and
    • anti-dandruff shampoos, which are medicated to reduce dandruff.[24]

    Composition

    [edit]

    Typical liquid shampoo

    Shampoo is generally made by combining a surfactant, most often sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, with a co-surfactant, most often cocamidopropyl betaine in water to form a thick, viscous liquid. Other essential ingredients include salt (sodium chloride), which is used to adjust the viscosity, a preservative and fragrance.[25][26] Other ingredients are generally included in shampoo formulations to maximize the following qualities:

    Many shampoos are pearlescent. This effect is achieved by the addition of tiny flakes of suitable materials, e.g. glycol distearate, chemically derived from stearic acid, which may have either animal or vegetable origins. Glycol distearate is a wax. Many shampoos also include silicone to provide conditioning benefits.

    Commonly used ingredients

    [edit]

    • Ammonium chloride
    • Ammonium lauryl sulfate
    • Glycol
    • Sodium laureth sulfate is derived from coconut oils and is used to soften water and create a lather.
    • Hypromellose cellulose ethers are widely used as thickeners, rheology modifiers, emulsifiers and dispersants in Shampoo products.[28]
    • Sodium lauroamphoacetate is naturally derived from coconut oils and is used as a cleanser and counter-irritant. This is the ingredient that makes the product tear-free.
    • Polysorbate 20 (abbreviated as PEG(20)) is a mild glycol-based surfactant that is used to solubilize fragrance oils and essential oils, meaning it causes liquid to spread across and penetrate the surface of a solid (i.e. hair).
    • Polysorbate 80 (abbreviated as PEG(80)) is a glycol used to emulsify (or disperse) oils in water so the oils do not float on top.
    • PEG-150 distearate is a simple thickener.
    • Citric acid is produced biochemically and is used as an antioxidant to preserve the oils in the product. While it is a severe eye-irritant, the sodium lauroamphoacetate counteracts that property. Citric acid is used to adjust the pH down to approximately 5.5. It is a fairly weak acid which makes the adjustment easier. Shampoos usually are at pH 5.5 because at slightly acidic pH, the scales on a hair follicle lie flat, making the hair feel smooth and look shiny. It also has a small amount of preservative action. Citric acid, as opposed to any other acid, will prevent bacterial growth.[29]
    • Quaternium-15 is used as a bacterial and fungicidal preservative.
    • Polyquaternium-10 acts as the conditioning ingredient, providing moisture and fullness to the hair.
    • Di-PPG-2 myreth-10 adipate is a water-dispersible emollient that forms clear solutions with surfactant systems.
    • Chloromethylisothiazolinone, or CMIT, is a powerful biocide and preservative.

    Benefit claims regarding ingredients

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    In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that shampoo containers accurately list ingredients on the products container. The government further regulates what shampoo manufacturers can and cannot claim as any associated benefit. Shampoo producers often use these regulations to challenge marketing claims made by competitors, helping to enforce these regulations. While the claims may be substantiated, however, the testing methods and details of such claims are not as straightforward. For example, many products are purported to protect hair from damage due to ultraviolet radiation. While the ingredient responsible for this protection does block UV, it is not often present in a high enough concentration to be effective. The North American Hair Research Society has a program to certify functional claims based on third-party testing. Shampoos made for treating medical conditions such as dandruff[30] or itchy scalp are regulated as OTC drugs[31] in the US marketplace.

    In the European Union, there is a requirement for the anti-dandruff claim to be substantiated as with any other advertising claim, but it is not considered to be a medical problem.[citation needed]

    Health risks

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    A number of contact allergens are used as ingredients in shampoos, and contact allergy caused by shampoos is well known.[32] Patch testing can identify ingredients to which patients are allergic, after which a physician can help the patient find a shampoo that is free of the ingredient to which they are allergic.[32][33] The US bans 11 ingredients from shampoos, Canada bans 587, and the EU bans 1328.[34]

    Specialized shampoos

    [edit]

    Dandruff

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    Cosmetic companies have developed shampoos specifically for those who have dandruff. These contain fungicides such as ketoconazolezinc pyrithione and selenium disulfide, which reduce loose dander by killing fungi like Malassezia furfurCoal tar and salicylate derivatives are often used as well. Alternatives to medicated shampoos are available for people who wish to avoid synthetic fungicides. Such shampoos often use tea tree oilessential oils or herbal extracts.[35]

    Colored hair

    [edit]

    Many companies have also developed color-protection shampoos suitable for colored hair; some of these shampoos contain gentle cleansers according to their manufacturers. Shampoos for color-treated hair are a type of moisturizing shampoo.[24]

    Baby

    [edit]

    Shampoo for infants and young children is formulated so that it is less irritating and usually less prone to produce a stinging or burning sensation if it were to get into the eyes.[24] For example, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo advertises under the premise of “No More Tears”. This is accomplished by one or more of the following formulation strategies.

    1. dilution, in case the product comes in contact with eyes after running off the top of the head with minimal further dilution
    2. adjusting pH to that of non-stress tears, approximately 7, which may be a higher pH than that of shampoos which are pH adjusted for skin or hair effects, and lower than that of shampoo made of soap
    3. Use of surfactants which, alone or in combination, are less irritating than those used in other shampoos (e.g. Sodium lauroamphoacetate)
    4. use of nonionic surfactants of the form of polyethoxylated synthetic glycolipids and polyethoxylated synthetic monoglycerides, which counteract the eye sting of other surfactants without producing the anesthetizing effect of alkyl polyethoxylates or alkylphenol polyethoxylates

    The distinction in 4 above does not completely surmount the controversy over the use of shampoo ingredients to mitigate eye sting produced by other ingredients, or the use of the products so formulated. The considerations in 3 and 4 frequently result in a much greater multiplicity of surfactants being used in individual baby shampoos than in other shampoos, and the detergency or foaming of such products may be compromised thereby. The monoanionic sulfonated surfactants and viscosity-increasing or foam stabilizing alkanolamides seen so frequently in other shampoos are much less common in the better baby shampoos.

    Sulfate-free shampoos

    [edit]

    Sulfate-free shampoos are composed of natural ingredients and free from both sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.[36] These shampoos use alternative surfactants to cleanse the hair.

    Animal

    [edit]

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    Shampoo intended for animals may contain insecticides or other medications for treatment of skin conditions or parasite infestations such as fleas or mange. These must never be used on humans. While some human shampoos may be harmful when used on animals, any human haircare products that contain active ingredients or drugs (such as zinc in anti-dandruff shampoos) are potentially toxic when ingested by animals. Special care must be taken not to use those products on pets. Cats are at particular risk due to their instinctive method of grooming their fur with their tongues.

    Pet shampoo with VCO and mother of cocoa

    Shampoos that are especially designed to be used on pets, commonly dogs and cats, are normally intended to do more than just clean the pet’s coat or skin. Most of these shampoos contain ingredients which act different and are meant to treat a skin condition or an allergy or to fight against fleas.

    The main ingredients contained by pet shampoos can be grouped in insecticidals, antiseborrheic, antibacterials, antifungals, emollientsemulsifiers and humectants. Whereas some of these ingredients may be efficient in treating some conditions, pet owners are recommended to use them according to their veterinarian‘s indications because many of them cannot be used on cats or can harm the pet if it is misused. Generally, insecticidal pet shampoos contain pyrethrinpyrethroids (such as permethrin and which may not be used on cats) and carbaryl. These ingredients are mostly found in shampoos that are meant to fight against parasite infestations.

    Antifungal shampoos are used on pets with yeast or ringworm infections. These might contain ingredients such as miconazolechlorhexidineprovidone iodineketoconazole or selenium sulfide (which cannot be used on cats).

    Bacterial infections in pets are sometimes treated with antibacterial shampoos. They commonly contain benzoyl peroxidechlorhexidine, povidone iodine, triclosanethyl lactate, or sulfur.

    Antipruritic shampoos are intended to provide relief of itching due to conditions such as atopy and other allergies.[37] These usually contain colloidal oatmealhydrocortisoneAloe vera, pramoxine hydrochloride, mentholdiphenhydramine, sulfur or salicylic acid. These ingredients are aimed to reduce the inflammation, cure the condition and ease the symptoms at the same time while providing comfort to the pet.

    Antiseborrheic shampoos are those especially designed for pets with scales or those with excessive oily coats. These shampoos are made of sulfur, salicylic acid, refined tar (which cannot be used on cats), selenium sulfide (cannot be used on cats) and benzoyl peroxide. All these are meant to treat or prevent seborrhea oleosa, which is a condition characterized by excess oils. Dry scales can be prevented and treated with shampoos that contain sulfur or salicylic acid and which can be used on both cats and dogs.

    Emollient shampoos are efficient in adding oils to the skin and relieving the symptoms of a dry and itchy skin. They usually contain oils such as almondcorncottonseedcoconutolivepeanut, Persia, safflowersesamelanolinmineral or paraffin oil. The emollient shampoos are typically used with emulsifiers as they help distributing the emollients. These include ingredients such as cetyl alcohollaureth-5lecithin, PEG-4 dilaurate, stearic acidstearyl alcoholcarboxylic acidlactic acidureasodium lactatepropylene glycolglycerin, or polyvinylpyrrolidone.

    Although some of the pet shampoos are highly effective, some others may be less effective for some condition than another. Yet, although natural pet shampoos exist, it has been brought to attention that some of these might cause irritation to the skin of the pet. Natural ingredients that might be potential allergens for some pets include eucalyptuslemon or orange extracts and tea tree oil.[citation needed] On the contrary, oatmeal appears to be one of the most widely skin-tolerated ingredients that is found in pet shampoos. Most ingredients found in a shampoo meant to be used on animals are safe for the pet as there is a high likelihood that the pets will lick their coats, especially in the case of cats.

    Pet shampoos which include fragrancesdeodorants or colors may harm the skin of the pet by causing inflammations or irritation. Shampoos that do not contain any unnatural additives are known as hypoallergenic shampoos and are increasing in popularity.

    Solid shampoo bars

    [edit]

    a yellow disk of soap next to the pink box it was sold in
    A shampoo bar

    Invented in 1987 by Lush co-founder, Mo Constantine[38] and cosmetic chemist, Stan Krystal,[39] solid shampoos or shampoo bars can either be soap-based or use other plant-based surfactants, such as sodium cocoyl isethionate or sodium coco-sulfate combined with oils and waxes. Soap-based shampoo bars are high in pH (alkaline) compared to human hair and scalps, which are slightly acidic. Alkaline pH increases the friction of the hair fibres which may cause damage to the hair cuticle, making it feel rough and drying out the scalp.[40]

    Jelly and gel

    [edit]

    Advertisement offering shampoo in two forms: a bottle of liquid and a tube of gel

    Stiff, non-pourable clear gels to be squeezed from a tube were once popular forms of shampoo, and can be produced by increasing a shampoo’s viscosity. This type of shampoo cannot be spilled, but unlike a solid, it can still be lost down the drain by sliding off wet skin or hair.

    Paste and cream

    [edit]

    Shampoos in the form of pastes or creams were formerly marketed in jars or tubes. The contents were wet but not completely dissolved. They would apply faster than solids and dissolve quickly.

    Antibacterial

    [edit]

    Antibacterial shampoos are often used in veterinary medicine for various conditions,[41][42] as well as in humans before some surgical procedures.[43][44]

    No Poo Movement

    [edit]

    Main article: No poo

    Closely associated with environmentalism, the “no poo” movement consists of people rejecting the societal norm of frequent shampoo use. Some adherents of the no poo movement use baking soda or vinegar to wash their hair, while others use diluted honey. Further methods include the use of raw eggs (potentially mixed with salt water), rye flour, or chickpea flour dissolved in water. Other people use nothing or rinse their hair only with conditioner.[45][46]

    Theory

    [edit]

    In the 1970s, ads featuring Farrah Fawcett and Christie Brinkley asserted that it was unhealthy not to shampoo several times a week. This mindset is reinforced by the greasy feeling of the scalp after a day or two of not shampooing. Using shampoo every day removes sebum, the oil produced by the scalp. This causes the sebaceous glands to produce oil at a higher rate, to compensate for what is lost during shampooing. According to Michelle Hanjani, a dermatologist at Columbia University, a gradual reduction in shampoo use will cause the sebum glands to produce at a slower rate, resulting in less grease in the scalp.[47] Although this approach might seem unappealing to some individuals, many people try alternate shampooing techniques like baking soda and vinegar in order to avoid ingredients used in many shampoos that make hair greasy over time.[48]

    Whereas the use of baking soda for hair cleansing has been associated with hair damage and skin irritation, likely due to its high pH value and exfoliating properties, honey, egg, rye flour, and chickpea flour hair washes seem gentler for long-term use.

  • Soap 

    Soap is a salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications.[1] In a domestic setting, soaps, specifically “toilet soaps”, are surfactants usually used for washingbathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used as thickeners, components of some lubricantsemulsifiers, and catalysts.

    Soaps are often produced by mixing fats and oils with a base.[2] Humans have used soap for millennia; evidence exists for the production of soap-like materials in ancient Babylon around 2800 BC.

    Types

    A collection of decorative bar soaps, as often found in hotels

    Toilet soaps

    Structure of a micelle, a cell-like structure formed by the aggregation of soap subunits (such as sodium stearate): The exterior of the micelle is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and the interior is lipophilic (attracted to oils).

    In a domestic setting, “soap” usually refers to what is technically called a toilet soap, used for household and personal cleaning. Toilet soaps are salts of fatty acids with the general formula (RCO2)M+, where M is Na (sodium) or K (potassium).[3]

    When used for cleaning, soap solubilizes particles and grime, which can then be separated from the article being cleaned. The insoluble oil/fat “dirt” become associated inside micelles, tiny spheres formed from soap molecules with polar hydrophilic (water-attracting) groups on the outside and encasing a lipophilic (fat-attracting) pocket, which shields the oil/fat molecules from the water, making them soluble. Anything that is soluble will be washed away with the water. In hand washing, as a surfactant, when lathered with a little water, soap kills microorganisms by disorganizing their membrane lipid bilayer and denaturing their proteins.[citation needed] It also emulsifies oils, enabling them to be carried away by running water.[4]

    When used in hard water, soap does not lather well but forms soap scum (related to metallic soaps, see below).[5]

    Non-toilet soaps

    So-called metallic soaps are key components of most lubricating greases and thickeners.[3] A commercially important example is lithium stearate. Greases are usually emulsions of calcium soap or lithium soap and mineral oil. Many other metallic soaps are also useful, including those of aluminiumsodium, and mixtures thereof. Such soaps are also used as thickeners to increase the viscosity of oils. In ancient times, lubricating greases were made by the addition of lime to olive oil, which would produce calcium soaps.[6] Metal soaps are also included in modern artists’ oil paints formulations as a rheology modifier.[7] Metal soaps can be prepared by neutralizing fatty acids with metal oxides:2 RCO2H + CaO → (RCO2)2Ca + H2O

    A cation from an organic base such as ammonium can be used instead of a metal; ammonium nonanoate is an ammonium-based soap that is used as an herbicide.[8]

    Another class of non-toilet soaps are resin soaps, which are produced in the paper industry by the action of tree rosin with alkaline reagents used to separate cellulose from raw wood. A major component of such soaps is the sodium salt of abietic acid. Resin soaps are used as emulsifiers.[9]

    Soapmaking

    Main article: Soaper

    The production of toilet soaps usually entails saponification of triglycerides, which are vegetable or animal oils and fats. An alkaline solution (often lye) induces saponification whereby the triglyceride fats first hydrolyze into salts of fatty acids. Glycerol (glycerin) is liberated. The glycerin is sometimes left in the soap product as a softening agent, although it is sometimes separated.[10][11] Handmade soap can differ from industrially made soap in that an excess of fat or coconut oil beyond that needed to consume the alkali is used (in a cold-pour process, this excess fat is called “superfatting”), and the glycerol left in acts as a moisturizing agent. However, the glycerine also makes the soap softer. The addition of glycerol and processing of this soap produces glycerin soap. Superfatted soap is more skin-friendly than one without extra fat, although it can leave a “greasy” feel. Sometimes, an emollient is added, such as jojoba oil or shea butter.[12] Sand or pumice may be added to produce a scouring soap. The scouring agents serve to remove dead cells from the skin surface being cleaned. This process is called exfoliation.

    To make antibacterial soap, compounds such as triclosan or triclocarban can be added. There is some concern that use of antibacterial soaps and other products might encourage antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms.[13]

    The type of alkali metal used determines the kind of soap product. Sodium soaps, prepared from sodium hydroxide (soda lye), are firm, whereas potassium soaps, derived from potassium hydroxide (potash lye), are softer or often liquid. Historically, potassium hydroxide was extracted from the ashes of bracken or other plants. Lithium soaps also tend to be hard. These are used exclusively in greases.

    For making toilet soaps, triglycerides (oils and fats) are derived from coconut, olive, or palm oils, as well as tallow.[14] Triglyceride is the chemical name for the triesters of fatty acids and glycerin. Tallow, i.e., rendered fat, is the most available triglyceride from animals. Each species offers quite different fatty acid content, resulting in soaps of distinct feel. The seed oils give softer but milder soaps. Soap made from pure olive oil, sometimes called Castile soap or Marseille soap, is reputed for its particular mildness. The term “Castile” is also sometimes applied to soaps from a mixture of oils with a high percentage of olive oil.

    Lauric acidMyristic acidPalmitic acidStearic acidOleic acidLinoleic acidLinolenic acid
    fatsC12 saturatedC14 saturatedC16 saturatedC18 saturatedC18 monounsaturatedC18 diunsaturatedC18 triunsaturated
    Tallow0428233521
    Coconut oil481893720
    Palm kernel oil4616831220
    Palm oil014443790
    Laurel oil5400015170
    Olive oil0011278100
    Canola oil013258923

    History

    Proto-soaps in the Ancient world

    Twentieth century packaging of Amigo del Obrero (Worker’s Friend) soap, part of the Museo del Objeto del Objeto collection

    Proto-soaps, which mixed fat and alkali and were used for cleansing, are mentioned in SumerianBabylonian and Egyptian texts.[15][16]

    The earliest recorded evidence of the production of soap-like materials dates back to around 2800 BC in ancient Babylon.[17] A formula for making a soap-like substance was written on a Sumerian clay tablet around 2500 BC. This was produced by heating a mixture of oil and wood ash, the earliest recorded chemical reaction, and used for washing woolen clothing.[18]

    The Ebers papyrus (Egypt, 1550 BC) indicates the ancient Egyptians used a soap-like product as a medicine and created this by combining animal fats or vegetable oils with a soda ash substance called trona.[18] Egyptian documents mention a similar substance was used in the preparation of wool for weaving.[citation needed]

    In the reign of Nabonidus (556–539 BC), a recipe for a soap-like substance consisted of uhulu [ashes], cypress [oil] and sesame [seed oil] “for washing the stones for the servant girls”.[19]

    True soaps in the Ancient world

    True soaps, which we might recognise as soaps today, were different to proto-soaps. They foamed, were made deliberately, and could be produced in a hard or soft form because of an understanding of lye sources.[16] It is uncertain as to who was the first to invent true soap.[15][20]

    Knowledge of how to produce true soap emerged at some point between early mentions of proto-soaps and the first century AD.[15][16] Alkali was used to clean textiles such as wool for thousands of years[21] but soap only forms when there is enough fat, and experiments show that washing wool does not create visible quantities of soap.[15] Experiments by Sally Pointer show that the repeated laundering of materials used in perfume-making lead to noticeable amounts of soap forming. This fits with other evidence from Mesopotamian culture.[15]

    Pliny the Elder, whose writings chronicle life in the first century AD, describes soap as “an invention of the Gauls”.[22] The word sapo, Latin for soap, has connected to a mythical Mount Sapo, a hill near the River Tiber where animals were sacrificed.[23] But in all likelihood, the word was borrowed from an early Germanic language and is cognate with Latin sebum, “tallow“. It first appears in Pliny the Elder‘s account,[24] Historia Naturalis, which discusses the manufacture of soap from tallow and ashes. There he mentions its use in the treatment of scrofulous sores, as well as among the Gauls as a dye to redden hair which the men in Germania were more likely to use than women.[25][26] The Romans avoided washing with harsh soaps before encountering the milder soaps used by the Gauls around 58 BC.[27] Aretaeus of Cappadocia, writing in the 2nd century AD, observes among “Celts, which are men called Gauls, those alkaline substances that are made into balls […] called soap“.[28] The Romans’ preferred method of cleaning the body was to massage oil into the skin and then scrape away both the oil and any dirt with a strigil.[29] The standard design is a curved blade with a handle, all of which is made of metal.[30]

    The 2nd-century AD physician Galen describes soap-making using lye and prescribes washing to carry away impurities from the body and clothes. The use of soap for personal cleanliness became increasingly common in this period. According to Galen, the best soaps were Germanic, and soaps from Gaul were second best. Zosimos of Panopoliscirca 300 AD, describes soap and soapmaking.[31]

    In the Southern Levant, the ashes from barilla plants, such as species of Salsola, saltwort (Seidlitzia rosmarinus) and Anabasis, were used to make potash.[32][33] Traditionally, olive oil was used instead of animal lard throughout the Levant, which was boiled in a copper cauldron for several days.[34] As the boiling progresses, alkali ashes and smaller quantities of quicklime are added and constantly stirred.[34] In the case of lard, it required constant stirring while kept lukewarm until it began to trace. Once it began to thicken, the brew was poured into a mold and left to cool and harden for two weeks. After hardening, it was cut into smaller cakes. Aromatic herbs were often added to the rendered soap to impart their fragrance, such as yarrow leaves, lavendergermander, etc.

    Ancient China

    A detergent similar to soap was manufactured in ancient China from the seeds of Gleditsia sinensis.[35] Another traditional detergent is a mixture of pig pancreas and plant ash called zhuyizi (simplified Chinese: 猪胰子; traditional Chinese: 豬胰子; pinyinzhūyízǐ). Soap made of animal fat did not appear in China until the modern era.[36] Soap-like detergents were not as popular as ointments and creams.[35]

    Islamic Golden Age

    Hard toilet soap with a pleasant smell was produced in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age, when soap-making became an established industry. Recipes for soap-making are described by Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (c. 865–925), who also gave a recipe for producing glycerine from olive oil. In the Middle East, soap was produced from the interaction of fatty oils and fats with alkali. In Syria, soap was produced using olive oil together with alkali and lime. Soap was exported from Syria to other parts of the Muslim world and to Europe.[37]

    A 12th-century document describes the process of soap production.[38] It mentions the key ingredient, alkali, which later became crucial to modern chemistry, derived from al-qaly or “ashes”.

    By the 13th century, the manufacture of soap in the Middle East had become a major cottage industry, with sources in NablusFesDamascus, and Aleppo.[citation needed]

    Medieval Europe

    Soapmakers in Naples were members of a guild in the late sixth century (then under the control of the Eastern Roman Empire),[39] and in the eighth century, soap-making was well known in Italy and Spain.[40] The Carolingian capitulary De Villis, dating to around 800, representing the royal will of Charlemagne, mentions soap as being one of the products the stewards of royal estates are to tally. The lands of Medieval Spain were a leading soapmaker by 800, and soapmaking began in the Kingdom of England about 1200.[41] Soapmaking is mentioned both as “women’s work” and as the produce of “good workmen” alongside other necessities, such as the produce of carpenters, blacksmiths, and bakers.[42]

    In Europe, soap in the 9th century was produced from animal fats and had an unpleasant smell. This changed when olive oil began to be used in soap formulas instead, after which much of Europe’s soap production moved to the Mediterranean olive-growing regions.[43] Hard toilet soap was introduced to Europe by Arabs and gradually spread as a luxury item. It was often perfumed.[37][43]

    By the 15th century, the manufacture of soap in Christendom often took place on an industrial scale, with sources in AntwerpCastileMarseilleNaples and Venice.[40]

    16th–17th century

    In France, by the second half of the 16th century, the semi-industrialized professional manufacture of soap was concentrated in a few centers of ProvenceToulonHyères, and Marseille—which supplied the rest of France.[44] In Marseilles, by 1525, production was concentrated in at least two factories, and soap production at Marseille tended to eclipse the other Provençal centers.[45]

    English manufacture tended to concentrate in London.[46] The demand for high-quality hard soap was significant enough during the Tudor period that barrels of ashes were imported for the manufacture of soap.[16]

    Finer soaps were later produced in Europe from the 17th century, using vegetable oils (such as olive oil) as opposed to animal fats. Many of these soaps are still produced, both industrially and by small-scale artisans. Castile soap is a popular example of the vegetable-only soaps derived from the oldest “white soap” of Italy. In 1634 Charles I granted the newly formed Society of Soapmakers a monopoly in soap production who produced certificates from ‘foure Countesses, and five Viscountesses, and divers other Ladies and Gentlewomen of great credite and quality, besides common Laundresses and others’, testifying that ‘the New White Soap washeth whiter and sweeter than the Old Soap’.[47]

    During the Restoration era (February 1665 – August 1714) a soap tax was introduced in England, which meant that until the mid-1800s, soap was a luxury, used regularly only by the well-to-do. The soap manufacturing process was closely supervised by revenue officials who made sure that soapmakers’ equipment was kept under lock and key when not being supervised. Moreover, soap could not be produced by small makers because of a law that stipulated that soap boilers must manufacture a minimum quantity of one imperial ton at each boiling, which placed the process beyond the reach of the average person. The soap trade was boosted and deregulated when the tax was repealed in 1853.[48][49][50]

    Modern period

    Industrially manufactured bar soaps became available in the late 18th century, as advertising campaigns in Europe and America promoted popular awareness of the relationship between cleanliness and health.[51] In modern times, the use of soap has become commonplace in industrialized nations due to a better understanding of the role of hygiene in reducing the population size of pathogenic microorganisms.[52]

    • Advertising for Dobbins’ medicated toilet soap
    • A 1922 magazine advertisement for Palmolive Soap
    • Liquid soap
    • A soap dispenser
    Caricature of Lillie Langtry, from Punch, Christmas 1890: The soap box on which she sits reflects her endorsements of cosmetics and soaps.

    Until the Industrial Revolution, soapmaking was conducted on a small scale and the product was rough. In 1780, James Keir established a chemical works at Tipton, for the manufacture of alkali from the sulfates of potash and soda, to which he afterwards added a soap manufactory. The method of extraction proceeded on a discovery of Keir’s. In 1790, Nicolas Leblanc discovered how to make alkali from common salt.[27] Andrew Pears started making a high-quality, transparent soap, Pears soap, in 1807 in London.[53] His son-in-law, Thomas J. Barratt, became the brand manager (the first of its kind) for Pears in 1865.[54] In 1882, Barratt recruited English actress and socialite Lillie Langtry to become the poster-girl for Pears soap, making her the first celebrity to endorse a commercial product.[55][56]

    William Gossage produced low-priced, good-quality soap from the 1850s. Robert Spear Hudson began manufacturing a soap powder in 1837, initially by grinding the soap with a mortar and pestle. American manufacturer Benjamin T. Babbitt introduced marketing innovations that included the sale of bar soap and distribution of product samplesWilliam Hesketh Lever and his brother, James, bought a small soap works in Warrington in 1886 and founded what is still one of the largest soap businesses, formerly called Lever Brothers and now called Unilever. These soap businesses were among the first to employ large-scale advertising campaigns.

    Liquid soap

    Liquid soap was invented in the nineteenth century; in 1865, William Sheppard patented a liquid version of soap.[57] In 1898, B.J. Johnson developed a soap derived from palm and olive oils; his company, the B.J. Johnson Soap Company, introduced “Palmolive” brand soap that same year.[58] This new brand of soap became popular rapidly, and to such a degree that B.J. Johnson Soap Company changed its name to Palmolive.[59]

    In the early 1900s, other companies began to develop their own liquid soaps. Such products as Pine-Sol and Tide appeared on the market, making the process of cleaning things other than skin, such as clothing, floors, and bathrooms, much easier.

    Liquid soap also works better for more traditional or non-machine washing methods, such as using a washboard.