Carbonate Soaps
A common misinformation about soda soaps debunked!
Misinformation about soda soaps is common, especially in the USA. Some people believe that soap made with only fats and washing or baking soda produces a good soap. However, this is not true as soap making was a well-guarded secret and only specialists were able to make great soaps. They learned the exact procedures which took weeks, used different temperatures, different alkali substances, salts, additives, and more. They also did not have measuring tools like a pH meter but had methods to test the pH and quality without them.
Challenges in Early Soap Making
While simple saponifying of fatty acids is the first step of soda soap making, it does not produce a good soap. Using rancid fat, bones, skins, corpses, and other waste materials was common among older generations. These soaps were good enough to remove stains from clothes and strip fats from the skin but were not suitable for hands, bodies, or even the face. In Europe, people did not have the idea to use self-made soaps for the skin, and most German and Austrian families bought their body soaps instead of making them.
Innovation and Controversy in Soap Making
The knowledge of soap making was lost over time and oceans, and even in WW2, Germans and Austrians could buy fine body soaps and curd soaps for cleaning. War soaps had zero superfat and glycerine but were not lye-heavy. In those days, clay was used to fill the soap and make it heavier, along with sodium silicate, talc, alumina, kaolin, and other materials. The use of these materials was considered cheating and sometimes even forbidden by law.
Using the recipes from well-known companies, soda soaps can be superb, with a wonderful smell, nice lather, and a soft feeling on the skin. However, making such soap requires time, love, and lots of practice. Soap making is a difficult process and was not easy even 220 years ago. The effort put into making the soap is well worth it.
Crafting Excellence: The Art and Challenge of Soda Soap Making
Using the recipes from well-known companies, soda soaps can be superb, with a wonderful smell, nice lather, and a soft feeling on the skin. However, making such soap requires time, love, and lots of practice. Soap making is a difficult process and was not easy even 220 years ago. The effort put into making the soap is well worth it.
