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Why was commercial soap invented?


kidsngarden

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I mean the detergenty kind that isn't even really soap - the deoderant bars or whatever...

Deodorizing? I don't think any more than my CP bars.

So was it to keep our tubs from having soap scum?

Why have things evolved so most of the "soap" in stores isn't even soap anymore?

Bethany

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1. Not all commercial bars are detergent.

2. Detergent does not mean deodorant.

Detergent bars were developed because the ingredients are CHEAP. And with the added benefit of less soap scum they gave people an RTB. Remember the ads for ZEST way back when?

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I also think it was an added relief to all the women that HAD to make them for so long themselves. When something comes along to make your life easier, it's just one less thing. I know for us it is fun, but imagine back in the day if that was part of your daily activities all the time because you just HAD to do it..like cooking..ugh lol! I prefer going out and having someone else do it for me than me having to do it all the time..too bad my husband doesn't think that way as well :grin2:

Angi

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1. Not all commercial bars are detergent.

2. Detergent does not mean deodorant.

Detergent bars were developed because the ingredients are CHEAP. And with the added benefit of less soap scum they gave people an RTB. Remember the ads for ZEST way back when?

RTB???

Bethany

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Sounds like someone else has been reading the last HAPPI :) That was a great article about sales. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?

Fat and oil *was* limited in WWII, so that's the beginning of the syndets. And, that's about the time that automatic wash machines were becoming popular, and syndets for that kind of cleaning became popular. It probably just spread from there back to bathing soaps.

The syndets at that time were probably gentler than any of the bar soap around. And profit is always a motivator :)

Now we've come full circle again, making gentler, "real" soap. We know more about fatty acids, how to measure properly, how to decorate and entice with scent.

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I love Happi - been reading it for 10 years since I entered the fragrance industry (supplier side, major manufacturer). I am a Consumer Insights Manager (market research) and am currently working with laundry products. In my last job I mostly concentrated on personal wash, lotions, and hair care products. It's a fantastic job - I have access to so much information and so many experts.

ETA: I currently work for IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances), but in the past have worked for Givaudan and Symrise.

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Sounds like someone else has been reading the last HAPPI. . . . Now we've come full circle again . . .

Wow, what a great website - I just bookmarked it in a couple of my folders.

I think a lot of consumer products come in cycles, particularly when new technology creates a rush of innovations. It might not be so blatant now, when so many people are informed at in-depth & high-tech levels, but several generations ago, and during the Industrial Revolution? The appeal was labor-saving, and the ability to mass-produce with comparative quality, and simply the novelty of "untouched by human hands." Even when I was in high school - not THAT long ago, thank you - there was a kind of stigma if your clothes were "home-made" regardless of how nice they were. Now "off-the-rack" is derogatory and just try to afford a tailor.

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