Saturday, February 27, 2010

Fun Soap Facts

Everyone uses soap, in one form or another,but do you know how exactly soap came about or that June weddings were popular in the 1500's because in those days most people only took one bath a year and it was in May? (Bridal bouquets were used to distract from odors the bride might be expelling. Who knew?)

The name 'soap' comes from ancient Roman legend. On Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed, rainwater washed down the mountain. It flowed through a mixture of melted animal fats and ashes into the Tibet River below. As women washing their clothes noticed them becoming cleaner as they were exposed to this mixture, it
became known as soap. It seems that soap making originated with a combination of animal fats and various ashes, depending upon the region. The Romans preferred goats milk varieties, while the French gravitated to soap made with olive oil.

When it comes to mass produced bar soap that you may buy in the grocery or drugstore, it is mostly detergent,that's why it bubbles up so much.
Other fun facts about soap:Palmolive was named after its most popular soap, made with palm and olive oils.
Murphy's Oil Soap is the most commonly used cleanser to wash elephants.Did you realize that bars of Ivory soap were never meant to float? The company was overmixing the soap formula creating excess air bubbles that caused it to float. Customers gave the soap an overwhelmingly postive reaction, so the company never changed a thing.

Sometimes it's best to leave perfection alone.