It is no exaggeration to say that we all use soap every day. The washing properties of this simple, but such necessary means, protect us from diseases, allow us to keep ourselves and our things clean. How does soap work? What are its types? We will answer these questions in detail.
How does soap work?
The cleaning properties of this hygiene product are based on simple chemical laws. Soap, water, fat and oils are made up of molecules. Some of them are hydrophilic, and some are hydrophobic. The first type is the molecules that are attracted to water and mix well with it, and the second are the molecules that repel it and therefore do not mix with water. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles do not bind to each other. In addition, we need to recall the polar and nonpolar molecules. The first type dissolves well in water, and the second (fats and oils belong to it) is bad. Therefore, just like that, your hands smeared after work in the garage cannot be washed.
Daily battle with mud
That's why soap should come into play. The washing properties of this agent are manifested due to the fact that his molecule is diphilic (dual). It has two ends with different polarity: one hydrophilic, the other hydrophobic. The first combines with water, and the second with pollution. The latter most often have fat and oil in their composition. Thus, when soaping, the soap first reacts with water, then with impurities and helps to effectively break them down and wash them off with the stream of water.
Types of soap
How many categories of this remedy can you recall? Household, toilet and liquid? In fact, there are many more. Here is a sample list, because often opinions regarding classification differ:
- Toilet or hygienic soap is a universal remedy for everyday hand cleaning. It removes dirt well, but does not dry out the skin.
- Baby - has a particularly balanced composition, so as not to harm the delicate skin of the child. It is often added components of plant origin with a calming and healing effect - extract of calendula, thyme, St. John's wort, chamomile.
- Bactericidal soap - contains strong cleansing ingredients, such as triclosan. This is a useful tool in cases where you need to carefully cleanse the skin - for example, on the road. In addition, they can disinfect small wounds and cuts. But the use of soap with an antibacterial effect should be infrequent, because it kills not only harmful bacteria, but also beneficial ones, depriving the skin of natural protection. In addition, it overdries it, which accelerates the aging process.
Cleaning the house
This is another subcategory whose representatives you are probably familiar with:
- Soap for washing - this soap should cope with different types of contaminants, including old ones. Sometimes it additionally has whitening properties. There is also a special soap for washing children's things, which is carefully monitored for the presence of potentially allergenic and harmful compounds in the composition. Available in the form of large bars.
- Kitchen soap, or dish soap, is a rather rare variety, practically not produced on an industrial level. Most often, it is cooked independently on the basis of laundry soap. Such a dishwashing detergent is much safer for humans and the environment than conventional detergents with fairly aggressive surface-active substances, which are very difficult to completely wash off.
- Laundry soap - perhaps the most famous and universal. They can wash any things, wash dishes, many reviews claim that it is effective in combating acne and excessive greasy hair.
The subtleties of personal care
We continue our classification, but now let's move on to the less common types of this tool:
- Perfume soap. As the name suggests, such a soap has a strong aroma, which is achieved due to the increased concentration of aromatic substances. But they do not mix well with other useful components, so its value and special difference consist only in a pronounced smell.
- Soap scrub. It contains scrubbing components - powder from apricot kernels or nutshells, coffee, oats, algae particles, synthetic granules, etc. For more effective skin care, essential oils are added to it.
- Soap for hair. Ordinary toilet soap can only dry your hair. But special tools, on the contrary, allow you to give your hair an attractive look and even deal with such specific problems as dandruff or high fat content.
- Shaving soap. By and large, the foam from any soap will do the job. But if you take a product with a high glycerin content, then the hairs will become softer, they will be easier to remove, and the skin after the procedure will be smooth and well-groomed.
Not for every day
There are quite non-standard varieties of soap, which we meet much less often than with ordinary ones. For instance:
- Curly soap. Having various configurations: starting from funny yellow ducklings and ending with bizarre works of manual labor by masters - this soap is designed not only to clean, but also to please the eye. If you want to make a real spa procedure out of taking a bath or to interest a child in bathing, then such a tool will come in handy.
- Soap for guests. Small bars of soap of interesting shapes that can be found in hotels. Some tourists collect them or bring them as souvenirs.
Special needs
- Medical. It looks like an antibacterial soap. The washing properties of this option allow disinfection before surgery, prevent the spread of skin diseases. Some varieties contain lanolin, which softens damaged skin.
- Tar soap. Due to its strong cleansing effect, it helps many in the fight against dandruff, as well as other widespread skin problems. But not everyone will like the rather specific smell of the product.
Solid or liquid?
All these categories can be found in various forms. So, soap can still be divided into the following types:
- Normal (solid) is the most familiar and oldest option. In this form, soap appeared as early as about 3 thousand years BC, in Babylon.
- Liquid is a relatively recent invention (mid-19th century), compared to solid, but very popular. It conveniently foams, does not touch the ring when washing hands, does not leave stains on things when washing. The dispenser for liquid soap allows you to immediately take the right amount of funds. It became especially popular in public toilets - unlike solid toilets, it is difficult to steal if the container is tightly screwed to the wall and locked with a key. A non - contact automatic dispenser for liquid soap makes the process of washing hands more hygienic - there is no need to touch the valve with dirty hands.
Conveyor or manual work?
Mass production of soap became possible only at the beginning of the XX century. Before that there were small manufactories that manufactured it for wealthy citizens. But most of the population cooked it on their own, using the basic components that could be obtained from their own households - ashes and animal fat.
After many years, the product manufactured by the factory finally replaced the handmade soap, or homemade soap. But since today hand-made is becoming more and more popular and people are becoming very attentive to what is part of the means that they use, this old art is actively being revived.
Home soap
Manual work can always be both a simple hobby and a business. Many masters begin with the manufacture of soap for their needs, and then, after polishing their skills, proceed to its sale. In addition, the result of such a hobby will certainly never lie and come in handy on the farm.
There are 3 ways to make soap:
- Using the finished framework. This is the easiest way. The detergent base is most often sold through online stores, since specialized physical stores for soap making are still not very common. In order to make your little masterpiece, just melt it in a water bath, add the desired colors, flavors, decorative (sparkles, for example) or practical (exfoliating) components and pour into molds.
- Based on baby soap. It is advisable to take the simplest and most flavorless. Soap you need to grate, melt, add the necessary ingredients and pour into molds. The process is identical to method 1, but much cheaper, and the raw materials can be found in any store. The only drawback is that you won’t be able to make a beautiful transparent soap from a child’s.
- From scratch - the most difficult option, but at the same time the most creative. Separately, alkali, fat is taken, a base is made of them, into which the remaining impurities are already added. This method has two different technologies, which we will discuss in more detail below.
Hot and cold
It should be noted that when working with alkalis you need to handle very carefully, be sure to wear gloves, goggles and a mask. While it is possible to involve children at certain stages in the process of making soap from a base or children's soap (under the careful supervision of adults), when working with caustic substances, on the contrary, it is necessary to exclude the possibility that children or pets will distract you.
When working from scratch, the process is as follows:
- Find a recipe that suits you and carefully measure all the ingredients. Please note that the violation of proportions can lead to a very unsuccessful result - with a bad smell, without the necessary hardness, dull color, etc.
- Pour the liquor into the water (just like that, and not vice versa, otherwise an “eruption” will occur).
- Stir the mixture and insert a thermometer into it (it will heat up due to a chemical reaction).
- Melt wax, solid and liquid oils in a different container.
- When both mixtures are heated (or cooled) to the desired temperature (it should be indicated in the recipe), pour the alkaline mixture into the fat mixture.
- Stir them thoroughly until the spoon leaves a mark on the surface of the future soap.
And now there are two options for how to continue working. The first is the cold way. Pour the mixture into the mold, cover with a towel and after 1-2 days cut into pieces, which will still need to "ripen" 1-1.5 months.
The second way is hot. It consists in the fact that after mixing alkali and fat they are boiled in a water bath or in the oven, at a clearly set temperature. In this case, the mixture is regularly stirred before it becomes gel-like. Then add dyes, flavors and other additives and pour into molds. After 1-2 days, the soap will be ready for use.
How to make a liquid soap on your own?
There are also two manufacturing options. The first is a liquid soap based on a regular bar.
The process is quite simple:
- You need to find a recipe with already calculated proportions.
- Then grate the soap (you can use the broom).
- Boil a small amount of water and mix it thoroughly with the resulting flakes.
- You will get a washing solution to which you need to add glycerin so that the soap does not dry your hands.
- Then you can pour in essential oils, flavors and colorants.
- It remains only to carefully place the solution until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and pour into jars.
The second method is very similar to making ordinary soap from scratch - all ingredients are carefully measured and mixed, and then cooked for a long time in a water bath, in the oven or even in a slow cooker. But due to the fact that at the last stage you need to add water to the soap paste, it will not thicken, but will remain in liquid form.
Which soap is better?
As you can see every time you go to the store, the choice of detergents is huge. But factory-made products are not much different from each other and basically cope only with skin cleansing. Therefore, products that include more expensive components of natural origin that help effectively moisturize the skin or solve other problems (for example, delicate cleansing for sensitive skin and a slight antibacterial effect for acne prone skin) are especially popular. Such funds can be found at many manufacturers, for example, Spivak, Lush, Savonry and others.