Soaps and detergents, though both serve the same purpose, are not the same product. This article will explore the ingredients in each of these types of products, and the advantages (if any) that one may have over another.

Soap has been around for much longer than many may think; evidence of this substance has been discovered as far back as 2800 B.C. Soap is made using natural substances, such as oils and fats; when mixed with an alkali, such as ash, the substance becomes a surfactant (a substance capable of dissolving non-water soluble materials). Until World War II, the soap manufacturing process was a time-consuming and often dangerous process, which consisted of mixing caustic soda with boiling fats and oils in open vats. Thankfully, a continuous process of soap making was introduced in the mid 1940’s; this safer and more efficient process has allowed soap to become the everyday household item it is today.

Though soaps and detergents both contain fatty acids, those in detergents are petroleum based oils and fats. Mixing these oils with certain chemicals produces new fatty acids; the different additives introduced at this point allow the detergent to be of a specific type (i.e. extra whitening, extra strength, etc.). The liquid is placed in giant vats with a blade at the bottom; as the blade spins, the liquid comes out of the bottom of the tank, is dried and pressed through screens in order to form a powder. The detergent powder can be sold dry, or reconstituted with chemicals in order to from a liquid.