The archaeological record shows that the Babylonians were making soap around 2800 B.C. The first know written mention of soap has been found on Sumerian clay tablet dating from abut 2500 B.C., which mention using soap to wash wool. Another Sumerian tablet describes soap made from water, alkali, and cassia oil. There is further evidence that the Phoenicians were using soap around 600 B.C.. These early references to soap and soapmaking show that soap was used to clean textile fibers, such as wool and cotton, in preparation for weaving them into cloth. In addition, the ancient Egyptians bathed regularly with a soaplike substance made from a combination of animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts.
According to ancient Roman legend, the word soap comes from the name Mount Sapo, were animals were sacrificed. The rain-washed a mixture of melted animal fats and wood ashes into the Tiber River, where the soapy mixture was discovered to be useful for washing cloths and skin. Soap was also used in the extremely popular Roman baths, built around 312 B.C.. The Romans are thought to have acquired the knowledge from the Gauls. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of soap and bathing in Europe went into decline. The joy and pleasure of bathing and soap didn't return to everyday life in Europe until several centuries later.
The English began soap crafting during the twelfth century. Unfortunately, soap was a heavy taxed luxury item that only the rich could afford. In 1853, when the English soap tax was repealed, a boom in the soap trade coincided with a change in social attitudes toward personal cleanliness.
In colonial America, soapmaking was considered women's work. Each year, women would set aside a time, usually just before spring-cleaning, to make soap form ashes, animal and cooking greases that had been saved during the winter, and rainwater. The process involved tickling rainwater through the ashes to make lye. The fats and grease were boiled and rendered and mixed together with the lye, forming the thick substance that was perfect for making soap.
We have come a long way since then, there has been a resurgence of people wanting to make their own soap, especially with natural and herbal ingredients. Simplified techniques and easy to find supplies have made soapmaking easy, profitable, and fun. The creativity of crafting soap has begun again, for people love to produce one of a kind soaps.
