What is ‘Real’ Soap?

Reader Contribution by Nicole Wilkey
Published on January 9, 2019
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What is soap? Real soap, by definition? Let me nerd out for a second and explain: soap is a fatty acid salt. To make soap you must emulsify an alkaline solution {lye} with fats/oils {goat milk, coconut oil, olive oil etc.} to cause saponification. Saponification is just the chemical reaction between the alkali {lye} and the fats {oils}. Saponification results in the salts of fatty acids and a humectant, glycerin. Then you have REAL soap that works by mixing with water to create micelles {tiny spheres that grab dirt} to wash particles away. Sodium Hydroxide lye is used to make hard soap where Potassium Hydroxide lye is used to make liquid soap.

While ‘lye’ is a big scary word to many people, most aren’t aware that lye is actually made from wood ash. So while it can burn you and you do need to take safety precautions when working with lye, it is nice to know that this chemical does have natural origins. Through the saponification process, all of the caustic qualities of lye are eliminated.

Why should this matter to you? I get the question often regarding my goat milk soap “will this actually clean?” Not only will it give you a great cleansing, it will leave your skin in better condition and more hydrated when compared to commercial ‘soap’ from the store.  Why? The big name brands we all know from the store aren’t soap at all, they are almost always detergents!

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