It is impossible to find out when the first soap was produced. But it might have been even in the prehistorical ages. Our ancestors could have noticed the foam, which appeared after a shower around a fireplace with rest of ashes. They could have also noticed that the same foam arises in the utensil in which they cook meat and into which ashes falls (it was not a ratity with a primitive fireplace of the time). Women, who were washing these untensils, might have found out, that they are much easier to wash up, just like their hands.

First recordings about soap production come from Babylonia about 2.800 BC and we know, that the Phoenix people in 600 BC knew it too. But those days soap was used only for cleaning up raw material necessary for production of textiles (e.g. wool).

Also the Romans knew what a soap is: Plinius described its production from goat´s suet and wooden ashes. However, for personal hygiene the Romans did not use soap, even though they visited their spa very often (their slaves could go to spa only once a week). Dirt and sweat was removed with oil, which absorbed all the dirt. Then they scraped the oil away and went to the spa.

First in the second century a well known Roman doctor Galenos called attention to the purgative effects of soap. After this soap started to be used for personal hygiene and manufacturing of soap became a craft. Also the Byzantine soap makers were very well known. They have supplied the whole world. This precious article didn´t look very seductively. It was made from olive oil, lime and lye, which they obtained from wooden ashes. The soap was greasy and didn´t smell very nice, its colour was either black, or brown or green. But its good qualities were appreciated even by kings and magnificoes.

In 14th century products made by Spanish and Italian soap makers appeared on the market. They were of higher quality. From the southern countries the soap production soon spread to the northern Europe. But these producers used animal fat instead of the olive oil their soaps were of lower quality.

All this time the soap production was only a matter of experiments and mistakes. First in the second half of 18th century people discovered the tenor of process called saponifying. And so they the production of a perfect soap was started.

Traditional soap’s production belongs to the American traditions of the original settlers
(picture from web page http://www.greycounty.on.ca/museum/spk%26bstl.html)

The most important raw material, which was necessary for soap´s production was cettle´s suet, corrosive potash and resin.

(picture from web page http://www.papermart.com/janitorial/soap.htm)