Let's Talk About Soap

Traditional Soaps
LET’S TALK ABOUT TRADITIONAL SOAPS Introduction As we learned in previous blog posts, every culture eventually developed their own form of soap. Traditional soaps were cooked hot. Some were cured for months on end. Some for only two to four weeks. Geography determined the ingredients, but the concept was the same throughout the world. Wood ash or cocoa pod/plantain skin ash leached through water, plus fats and oils, cooked until paste-like consistency. Allowed to harden. Shaped. Boom. Soap. Today, we are going to take you through three lineages of soap,... Read more...
When Soap Fights Back!
      Let's Talk About Soap.... And When it Fights Back!   So... you decided to make some soap. You gathered your fats, your butters, your oils, clays, lye. Now you might ask, how much lye do I need, and your internet is out, so a soap calculator isn't available to you. What happens if I add too much lye? What if I don't mix the batter enough? What if I mix the soap batter too much? Why are people dressed in hazmat suits to handle lye? Let's Talk... Read more...
Bathhouses!
Let's Talk about Bathhouses! The bathhouse. The communal and sometime solitary building where humans got clean, or purified themselves spiritually, and maintained social connections. Saunas, banyas, sweathouses, sentōs, hammams, thermae. Whatever they were called, they became an integral part of the tradition of cleansing. They were how ancient people held court with one another. They were centers of everyday society. They were places of religion. They were centers of hygiene. So, grab a towel, perhaps a venik if you have one. Douse some hot stones in water, throw some logs... Read more...
Showers.... and Bathtubs!
Let's Talk about Showers!  (and Bathtubs!) Showers. A ubiquitous ritual of everyday life. Turn the water on. Let it get to the desired temperature. Get in. Lather up with some soap. Rinse. Repeat the next day. People would be surprised to find out that the modern shower, which was less that, and more a hand pump running the same dirty water over you again and again, first appeared in the 1700s. Early showers were more rudimentary, requiring water to be pailed in, and poured in a steady stream, and found... Read more...
The Commercialization of Soap Bars
Soap used to be made in the home. And then... something changed.  Soap became a commodity. Branded. Global.  Read more...
What is Soap? And How Does It Work?
Soap seems simple. It’s anything but. In this blog post, we’re going to break down what makes soap soap, how it actually works, and why some products that look like soap… technically aren’t. Read more...
Early History Of Soap and Bathing
Across different cultures, environments, and needs, people found ways to combine fats, oils, plants, and minerals into something that could cleanse the body. Read more...