Soap

What is Soap?
Soap is a cleansing agent made from the interaction of fats and oils with alkali. Soaps are made of molecules that are both fat and water soluble. The molecule has a long hydrocarbon tail that allows it to dissolve grease, and a polar head that is water soluble.

Most soaps remove grease and dirt because some of their components are surfactants (surface-active agents). Surfactants have a molecular structure that acts as a link between water and the dirt particles. This loosens the particles from the underlying fibers or surfaces to be cleaned. One end of the molecule is hydrophilic (attracted to water), and the other is hydrophobic (attracted to substances that are not water soluble). This peculiar structure allows soap to adhere to substances that are otherwise insoluble in water.

Soap History
Records mentioning the use of soapy materials date from ancient times. Soap making was common in Italy and Spain during the 8th century. By the 13th century, the soap industry had traveled into France. Most soap was produced by using the tallow of goats with beech ash. In 1783, a Swedish chemist accidentally simulated the reaction that occurs in the present-day boiling process of soap making. He produced a sweet-tasting substance that is now known as glycerin. In 1823, a French chemist discovered the chemical nature of the ingredients used in soap.