Much of what is called “soap” today is not really soap at all, but harsh, petroleum-based detergent that dries and irritates our skin and can cause inflammation, itching, and burning. The most common “fragrances” used are also synthetic petrochemicals that trigger allergic reactions in many of us. Toxic colorants and other substances are also often added to what is sold as “soap.” How did we come to this?

Soap is made by combining fats and oils, which contain fatty acids, with lye, which is alkaline. The strong alkali splits the fats/oils into fatty acids and glycerin. Then the sodium (or potassium) part of the alkali joins with the fatty acid part of the fat or oils, forming a salt that we call “soap.” Technically, soaps are sodium or potassium fatty-acid salts, produced from the hydrolysis of fats in a chemical reaction called (supposedly after Mt. Sapo) saponification.

The earliest known soap recipe is found in the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, a medical document from about 1500 BC, which describes combining animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like material used for washing and also for treating skin diseases. Until recently, all soaps were made with natural oils and alkalis.

Early soap making was more an art than a science because the chemical process was not understood and the quality of the alkali was not standardized. In the early 1800s a French chemist, Michel Chevreul, discovered the chemical nature and relationship of fats, glycerin and fatty acids, establishing the basis for soap chemistry. In the mid 1800s, a way of making soda ash from common table salt was discovered, which increased both the quality and quantity of ash available for making soap. These discoveries, with the development of power to operate factories, made soap making one of America’s fastest-growing industries by 1850. Soap was no longer considered a luxury, but an everyday necessity. Milder soaps were developed for personal use, and soon we even had washing machines to wash our clothes. Life was good.

Synthetic “built” detergent, containing a surfactant detergent as the basic cleaning ingredient and a chemical “builder” that makes the surfactant more efficient, was first introduced in the U.S. in 1946. Phosphate compound builders vastly improved laundry-cleaning performance, and by 1953, detergent sales in this country surpassed those of actual soap. Synthetic detergents have now almost entirely replaced soap-based products for washing dishes and laundry and doing household cleaning.

Phosphates are nutrients that stimulate overgrowth of algae, which deplete the supply of oxygen in contaminated waters, destroying plant and fish life. It is estimated that 50 to 75 per cent of the phosphorus in our lakes and rivers comes from detergents. By 1983 over 2 million tons of phosphorus were used annually in the US for detergents, with the average American contributing from 1.5 to 2 pounds of phosphorus per year to our surface waters. Today’s use is even greater. One pound of phosphorus can stimulate the grow 700 pounds of algae!

In 1970 Congress “strongly recommended” that the phosphate content of detergents be immediately reduced, and that it be phased out entirely by 1972. Municipalities in several states passed laws limiting detergent phosphate content or even banning it altogether, and Canada limited detergent phosphate content to 2.2%. Proctor & Gamble, the makers of Tide, the most popular American detergent, led a successful lobbying effort against a federal ruling to lower phosphate content to 8.7%,s U.S. detergent makers voluntarily agreed to reduce detergent phosphorus concentrations to 8.7%. Many companies, however, have not kept this promise.

Want to turn the tide? Let companies that still use phosphate know you’re not buying their products for this reason. Use liquid organic cleaners instead. (And keep all cleaning products out of the reach of small children, as the ingestion of some brands has proven to be fatal.)

We have even taken thoughtlessly to washing ourselves with detergent. Most of the products now used for bathing (as well as for shampooing and cleaning our teeth) are actually synthetic detergents. They are popular because they foam abundantly, work well in hard water, and don’t leave the “soap scum” that forms when soap reacts with the calcium in hard water. Because their advertising refers to them as “soap,” few people realize that they are in fact detergent.

The bar “soaps” contain additional chemicals added to make them hold their shape and move smoothly through factory machinery, and the naturally humectant glycerin that is a byproduct of natural saponification is removed. The liquid “soaps” are composed almost entirely of chemicals of varying toxicity. Both the bars and liquids are harsh and drying to our skin. They also contain petrochemical fragrances and colorants, many of which are toxic and some of which are actually carcinogenic.

It is a popular misconception that the FDA regulates the cosmetics industry and is looking out for our well being. Unless a product makes health claims, it is not regulated by the FDA. The personal products and cosmetics industries are “self-regulating.” Translation: the fox is profitably in charge of the flock’s well being.

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