Soap is mainly made from fat, potassium hydroxide and water through a chemical process called saponification. Chemically, the soap is a compound of fatty acids. Fragrances are usually added after saponification, but it is important to be aware of the amount of added perfume in the products. Other additives such as preservatives and borax may be present, but are not necessary. Common fats used include pine oil, linseed oil, and canola and corn oils to make the soap.
Last edited on May 8, 2024
What is soap made of? and What is soap made of?
We will answer these questions in this blog.
Soap is made from fat, potassium hydroxide and water. These are mixed and boiled so that a chemical process known as saponification or saponification starts. Chemically speaking, the finished soap is a compound of fatty acids. More than that is not needed to make soap.
Then why are there more ingredients in the list of ingredients?
- Yes, sometimes you add other things. Perfume is common.
Since the saponification is a strong chemical reaction, fragrances are not preserved through the saponification, fragrance is therefore added afterwards. What may be worth keeping an eye on is the amount of added perfume. If the amount of perfume is large, it is time to be on your guard, a perfume can contain a lot of chemicals. A small amount of perfume or no perfume is therefore preferable. Cleaning products with a lot of fragrance in them cover up bad air, which is not so good, when we clean we want to be really clean, not just a scent of perfumes.
Other additives are not necessary although preservatives and borax may be present.
The fat in which the soap is cooked varies. Animal fat as a base was common in the old subsistence farming society. Common fats today are pine oil, pine oil is a residual product from the paper pulp industry that is distilled and saponified into pine soap.
Linseed oil is another common base in soap. In the past, green soap boiled in hemp oil was common, today green soap is usually colored pine soap.
Västerbottenssoap is soap cooked on rapeseed and corn oil, a reuse where oil from fryers is purified in cyclone cleaners and then saponified. Västerbottenssoap contains no preservatives. All packaging with black labels is also completely fragrance-free.
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Questions and Answers
- What are the main ingredients in soap ?
The main ingredients of soap are fat, potassium hydroxide and water.
- Why are fragrances usually added after saponification?
Fragrances are usually added after saponification because saponification is a strong chemical reaction that does not preserve the scents of the original ingredients. It is important to be aware of the amount of added perfume in the products to avoid excessive exposure to chemicals.
- What are some common bases used to make soap ?
Common bases for making soap include animal fat, pine oil, linseed oil, and canola and corn oils.
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