People don't think about one of the most common household items, bar soap. Most people go to the store, pick up a bar or two and hit the checkout line. But what are they missing? Is there more to it than just an item to get the germs and dirt off? What kinds of options are available when it comes to soap?
Soap is an item generally used to aid in cleansing. Soap cleanses everything from the human body to floors. Historically, soap has been used since at least 2800 BC according to evidence found in Ancient Babylon sites. Their recipe called for ashes, cypress oil and sesame oil. Throughout the centuries, it has become more refined in processing. The different processes from ancient times until now have materialized into what we know as soap today. Soap is made using two different processes. There is a cold and a hot process. In the cold process, a soap maker needs to be more concerned with the contents of the ingredients they are using. In the hot process, they have a little more room for error. Unless you're thinking of making soap yourself, you don't need to worry about it.
There are a number of bar soap ingredients that are commonly used. One important ingredient is lye. Lye comes in two types, one that makes the soap solid while the other makes a liquid soap. Sodium hydroxide is the type of lye used in bar soap. There are a number of varieties of oils and fats used in soap making, which you'll sometimes see listed on labels as a selling point. Palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, soybean oil, lard, and canola oil are a few of the more common kinds of oil used.
Besides those common ingredients, different items can be added to a soap to make it more appealing to a wider number of people. You can add perfumes, tints, as well as other items to a soap mixture. Sands and salts can be added to make a soap that can be used to aid in exfoliating the skin. People have even put money and toys into soap in an attempt to appeal to shoppers with novelty. The items are a bit more difficult to get than the cereal box toys, but frequently can be found to be worth it. Besides, everyone enjoys a bit of novelty now and then.
Many stores carry a variety of different kinds of soap, and some of them have a specific purpose. This can be beneficial to know, since there are some specialty soaps available. Acne bar soap, for example, is a mild form of soap developed to help people plagued with acne. They are designed to be gentler on the skin, and frequently have fewer ingredients. A reduced list of ingredients limits any possible soap that may be left behind on the skin.
Organic bar soap recipes vary according to personal preference and tastes. However, the recipe consists of a soap base which is pooled with an organic material together with other all-natural ingredients. These are frequently made using ingredients such as oatmeal which is used to relieve and soothe rough skin, while the use of components like goat's milk only acts and adds up as a natural cleanser and can aid in the treatment of acne. Organic soap is often made to be therapeutic, utilizing natural plant ingredients.
Aloe Vera bar soap is a nice soap. It frequently contains aloe vera gel. It helps the skin to retain its natural moisture levels. Aloe vera is often recommended as a way to ease sun burns and bug bites. This kind of soap can also help to soothe irritated skin created by scratching and cuts. The other ingredients should be examined too. If it has perfumes or dyes in it, they can actually cause more harm than good on a burn.
People frequently seem to believe that soap kills germs. This is not entirely the truth though. Washing your hands with soap and water will help lift the germs off your skin so that they can be rinsed down the drain. If you are worried about germs, you should use a different soap. Antimicrobial, also called antibacterial soap does help to kill bacteria and microorganisms. Some researchers' say that the over use of antibacterial soaps will result in the creation of super bacteria. So it may be advisable to mix the types of soaps you use.
People often wonder about homemade bar soap. In all practicality, it isn't all that different from the soap you purchase in store. In theory, it is often made in the hope of mimicking popular qualities of name brand soaps, or to create a soap that may be even better. These frequently get cut into blocks, or unique shapes. The shapes are often novelty, available for use as souvenirs or gifts.
Soap has a few other random uses that people have discovered over the years. They have found that it can be used as a lubricant. You can use it to grease up a sticky drawer or window to make them slide easier. Bar soap can also be used as a deodorizer in a drawer and a traveling suitcase. Keep a bar in your car to help it keep a nice clean scent. It can also be used to reduce itching on a bug bite, just dampen it some and rub it on the bite.
Bar soap can be used as a pretreatment for those who like to use stain pretreatments on their clothes. You just rub the damp soap on the stain before placing the stained item into the wash. Pretreatments are just a different soap form, so there's no reason not to use this simpler solution. A bar of soap can even be used as an artist's medium. You can carve bar soaps into dolls, or carve them into small scenes. When the entertainment factor has been worn out on them, you can still use them as soap.
Hopefully this small look at soap has given you a few ideas. Hopefully it inspires your curiosity into finding out more about what you're using. After all, there's nothing wrong with trying a new type of soap, you may find that your skin thanks you for the change later. People might even notice the change!
