Soap Factoids

Little-known facts about soapmaking and soap usage.

Lacy Razor
January/February 2009
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  • Most of the commercial soap bars that line typical grocery store shelves are actually synthetic detergents.
  • When soap is properly made and cured, the soap no longer contains lye, as the chemical reaction has converted the alkali (lye), water, oils and fats into saponified oils, fats and glycerin (see "How Lye Becomes Soap").
  • We absorb 60 percent of the substances we put on our skin. So, anything you put on your skin will get under your skin.
  • The average person's morning hygienic routine, including shaving, showering, applying cologne, deodorant, make-up or lotion, puts him or her into contact with more than 100 chemicals before breakfast.
  • Hand washing is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce the spread of colds and other infectious disease.
  • Using germicidal soaps too often may produce antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Using regular soap and washing your hands regularly is your best defense against germs, bacteria and illness.
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Archived Comments

  • Joan Konzek 3/14/2009 3:33:34 PM

    My soap didn't trace but it set up fine. Is there anything dangerous with the lye, or is the soap okay to use?

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