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A soap substitute is a natural or synthetic cleaning product used in place of soap or other detergents, typically to reduce environmental impact or health harms or provide other benefits. Traditionally, soap has been made from animal or plant derived fats and has been used by humans for cleaning purposes for several thousand years. [ 1 ]
Bar of carbolic soap, demonstrating the rich red colour that gives the soap its alternative name, red soap. Carbolic soap, sometimes referred to as red soap, is a mildly antiseptic soap containing carbolic acid (phenol) and/or cresylic acid (cresol), both of which are phenols derived from either coal tar or petroleum sources.
Antibacterial soap is a soap which contains chemical ingredients that purportedly assist in killing bacteria. [1] The majority of antibacterial soaps contain triclosan , though other chemical additives are also common. [ 2 ]
It is also the main component of soap scum, a white solid that forms when soap is mixed with hard water. Unlike soaps containing sodium and potassium, calcium stearate is insoluble in water and does not lather well. [2] Commercially it is sold as a 50% dispersion in water or as a spray dried powder.
Precipitated sulfur and colloidal sulfur are used, in form of lotions, creams, powders, soaps, and bath additives, for the treatment of acne vulgaris, acne rosacea, and seborrhoeic dermatitis. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Other topical uses included the treatment of superficial mycoses (infections with fungi) and scabies, but this is largely obsolete now.
Many other ingredients are added depending on the expected circumstances of use. Such additives modify the foaming properties of the product by either stabilizing or counteracting foam. Other ingredients increase or decrease the viscosity of the solution, or solubilize other ingredients. Corrosion inhibitors counteract damage to washing equipment.
Clinical and laboratory studies have identified activities in many natural ingredients that have potential beneficial activities for personal skin care, [2] [3] but there is a shortage of convincing evidence for natural product efficacy in medical problems. [8] Some natural products and therapies may be harmful, either to the skin or systemically.
A handmade soap bar Two equivalent images of the chemical structure of sodium stearate, a typical ingredient found in bar soaps Emulsifying action of soap on oil. Soap is a salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications. [1]