Soap Making & Us

A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF SOAP

Soap has been around for quite some time. In the most general terms, soap can be defined as any substance that, when combined with water, decreases the surface tension (dirt attaching to a body or article) to allow unwanted substances (dirt) to wash away.

Using that definition, we can safely say that soap has been used by humankind since the earliest of times. It took the form of plant extracts (soapwort, yucca, and horsetail) or combinations of alkaline substances (wood ashes) and oils. It was the Romans who really began to define the soap we know today and the bathing rituals associated with it. Even the word "soap" comes from an ancient Roman legend that referred to Mount Sapo. Apparently, animals were sacrificed on Mt. Sapo. This resulted in a rain-washed mixture of animal fats and wood ashes which formed a soap. Not exactly the vision we want to think about when enjoying our baths. Nevertheless, that's the legend.

The Roman Baths were in full swing until 467 AD. Then the dark ages swept in. Culture came to a halt and so it seems, did cleanliness, as references to soap all but disappear in European cultural history. However, non-European cultures still enjoyed their Saturday night baths, keeping the art of soap making alive and well. With the end of the dark ages, soap was once again in fashion. Soapmaking Guilds began to spring up in the 7th century. The rules and trade standards associated with the Guilds created a highly regulated business. Soap was even taxed! Naturally, this had a tendency to limit the use of manufactured soap to the wealthy. The populace was left to its own devices. When the soap taxes where repealed in the mid-1800s, soap once again was affordable to all and the soap business in Europe took off.

Here in the United States, soap making arrived with the pilgrims as one of the many womanly household tasks. Scientific advances in the manufacture of soap in the mid-1800s allowed the industry to grow and expand the variety of soap products. Along came Proctor & Gamble, Ivory, Lever Brothers, and many other familiar companies. Soap joined the corporate world of "big business." Mass production, chemical additives, and artificial oils and scents became common practice, all in the name of cost cutting to increase revenues. However, the "Art" of soapmaking remained alive and well in rural homes and small industries throughout the United States & the rest of the world. In many cases, it was economic necessity, but it also continued because of a desire for purity & individuality, and for the pure sake and fun of the art form.

The tide has begun to turn. Consumers, weary of mass production and synthetic ingredients have rediscovered the pleasures of hand-made soaps. A new era of soap-crafting is underway. It is an exiting time for soapmaking companies of all sizes.

SO, WHAT IS SOAP?

The definition of soap today is the act of combining fats & oils with a strong alkaline to produce a substance that cleans. Simply, fats & oils are mixed with lye (a solution of potassium or sodium hydroxide in water) and saponified. Saponification is the chemical linking of lye molecules with fat molecules in a controlled environment.

The fats & oils used in the soap making process can be from plant or animal sources. The lye can be derived from wood and plant ashes or naturally extracted from salts. These ingredients make your basic soap. The types and percentages of the basic ingredients determine the hardness of the soap, its lasting qualities, amount of suds, and gentleness. Additives, such as essential oils, colorants, herbs & botanical extracts, can be added to improve a characteristic of the soap, such as its gentleness, healing properties, fragrance, and appearance. There is no limit to the varieties of soap that can be made. It is truly an art form.

HOW DO WE MAKE OUR SOAPS AT PROVINCETOWN SOAP WORKS?

Just as there are numerous recipes for making soap, there are numerous methods of making soap. We use what is commonly known as "cold process" or "kettle method." We make our soaps in small 100 lb. & 50 lb. batches using carefully formulated recipes to ensure the highest quality soap. We mix warmed oils & lye solution in a large stockpot. Once it reaches the correct consistency and chemical bonding point, known as "trace," we add our special blends of pure essential oils, plant extracts, and inclusions (oatmeal, cornmeal, french clay, etc.) This final product is poured into 50 lb. molds to continue the saponification process. After 48 hours, the soap is ready to cut. The soap is then laid out on air-circulating racks to begin the curing process. After 5 days, the soaps are hand-stamped with our logo and then placed back on the racks to cure for another 25 days. Once the curing is complete, we hand wrap each bar of soap, first in a glassine wrapping, then our paper wrap. The final step is to affix our logo sticker to each wrapped bar of soap. This signifies that each bar of soap meets our high quality standards at every point in the process.

We are very proud of our soaps and take great delight in the whole process. Our soaps are made from on the finest ingredients. We use only edible grade olive, coconut & palm oils. Our additives are pure essential oils and plant extracts of the highest quality. We use no animal products and no artificial preservatives. We test on friends, family and ourselves. Never test on animals.

We apply these same principals and standards to all of our products. We are committed to making the highest quality products for your bathing experience.

We hope you enjoy our soaps and other bath products and are very interested in your feedback. You can contact us at info@provincetownsoapworks.com