Homemade Soap
Homemade soap is a great cleansing option for everyone. Instead of spending money on soap that has harsh chemicals in it, homemade soap is easy to make and safe to use.
Homemade soap began long ago when ancient people began to see that the fat from the meat they cooked produce a substance. The fat along with the ashes from outdoor cooking would form a useful cleaning substance when they missed with water. This was likely the way that soap first got its start.
Once it was realized that this strange combination of ingredients made a useful substance, people used it for a number of things before it became soap.
Soap making has a very long history. Exactly when soap was first produced is not known. However, it is thought that soap was originally made during the prehistoric era. The first material that looks like soap was found in clay cylinders located in a prehistoric Babylonian city that dates back to 2800 BC. This soap was created from water, cassia oil and alkali.
In the 8th century the Egyptians and Spaniards made soap from sodium alkali. Surprisingly, this is a material that is used to manufacture soap in present times. However, over the centuries, soap has been made out of other material as well.
Potash and pearlash were two materials that were frequently used to make soap throughout history. They are both types of alkali that is found in plants and wood. There was a time when everyone that used soap was using a version created out of these materials.
Throughout history homemade soap has provided a means for people to bath themselves and other objects such as clothing. Homemade soap began to be referred to as soap over time and eventually people began to use it as a cleansing agent.