the soap we know

Some may wonder …

‘‘How did we get the soap we now use everyday? Where did it come from?’’.

Let’s dive into the question a little and see.

In this short post I hope to gather a few answers to this question, and shed light on how we got to the result that we have now.

O R I G I N S

The very first substance considered as soap was made in Babylon combining animal fat and wood ash. The result was a very soft product like mayonnaise. Therefore was more laborious for the end result. This made that soap was not as accessible to the everyday individual and would not be until much later.

A record of a similar mix was found later with the Ancient Egyptian, the Hebrew, and then Romans which were known to bathe regularly. However the use soaps and bathing fell in Europe for a time with the fall of the Roman Empire. This lead to the many illnesses fond in medieval times.

M O D E R N R E C I P E

Muslims were the first to introduce soap as it is known today. Exporting hard bars that could be cut, melted, or poured into a mold, adding beautiful essential oils and extras creating what we now know. Soap was distributed throughout the Islamic Empire from modern day Iran to the African lands. And was introduced to Europe it the 9th century.

T H E M I N D B E H I N D I T

Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi contributed many discoveries that saved lives from disease and sickness through his works. Al-Razi was a Polymath, Physician, Alchemist, Philosopher, Astronomer an important figure in the history of medicine. He refined soaps by using vegetable oil (ex: Olive oil), sodium hydroxide and herbal oils and published the recipe for the world to use.