Soap has progressed through the centuries - Loveland Reporter-Herald

Similar to many Americans, I shower regularly; I prefer a bar of soap to body wash.

I could compare it to preferring to read a book rather than using an electronic book such as a Kindle. Perhaps it's the old curmudgeon in me that calls for it.

The soap I prefer is Jenteal, made by hand in Newberg, Oregon by elves (no, it's manufactured by a dear friend's daughter in her business).

Scented as they are, my favorites are created especially for men. Antoinette develops her own special recipes though the craft of soapmaking dates back to about 600 B.C.

The Phoenicians were the first to prepare soap as a cleansing agent. Their product was made blending goats' fat and soap ash. I don't know the proportions so I don't know if it was a half-ash soap (did I just write that?).

The Phoenicians were big traders in the Mediterranean at that time (free trade, no tariffs) and so convinced the Greeks and Romans to buy their stuff. They billed it as a medication and possibly sold it as a laxative to the Gauls (barbarians were so simple).

The Romans found soap to be a nice complement to their ornate baths, along with monogrammed washcloths and towels — I don't know that but it could have happened, such as "J.C."

The name itself was derived from the soapwort plant, whose sap was an early cleansing agent and whose ash was mixed with animal fats to make soap.

Not to miss an early bet (and prescription?) the second century Greek physician Galen saw its medicinal value in cleansing wounds and the body. He was one of the first doctors to recommend a product to the public (no disclaimer).

---

Advertisement

---

Not surprisingly, soap wasn't welcomed by all cultures — true for some subgroups today.

During the Middle Ages, a Celtic method for soapmaking spread throughout much of Europe but was met by skeptics who believed that bathing the whole body too frequently — more than once a month or in some cases once a year — could be dangerous to one's health and possibly fatal.

Despite that concern, the production of soap thrived in Genoa, Venice and Marseille in the 11th century and England a century later. For some it was still a mystery and required instructions on its use (not for consumption).

By the 19th century sentiments had changed and soap was now being highly taxed (not a good idea).

A German chemist, Baron Justus von Liebig, went so far as to issue a statement that the wealth of a nation, and its degree of civilization, could be judged according to the quantity of soap it consumed. I doubt he based this on any scientific evidence or bathroom surveys.

Soaps have come a long way since the Phoenicians and brands come and go, but I'll stick with the made-in-Oregon Jenteal for which, incidentally, I receive no royalties.

Jim Willard, a Loveland resident since 1967, retired from Hewlett-Packard after 33 years to focus on less trivial things. He calls Twoey, his bichon frisé-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column.

http://ift.tt/2FxAqMy

Best Product Soap
Defense Soap Bar 4 Oz (5 Pack) All Natural Antibacterial Antifungal Therapeutic

Kirk's Original Coco Castile Bar Soap, 4 Oz, 3 Count

Raw African BLACK SOAP Organic From GHANA Pure Premium Quality CHOOSE

Dial White Antibacterial Deodorant Soap, 4 Oz, 10 Count