Suds of the Ancients: A (kinda Gross) History of Soap-- Episode 2

  From Babylonian laundry soap to Roman mystery mush, the history of soap is weird, wonderful, and occasionally kind of gross.....

  Take a quirky dive with me into ancient soap uses, from wool-washing Babylonians to medieval goat-fat cleansers.

  Before handmade soaps were lovingly swirled with lavender and sprinkled with biodegradable glitter, they were...well, a little funkier. And by funkier, I mean "made with ashes, animal fats, and possibly pee."

  Yes, dear reader, soap's history is long, storied, and more than a little icky. But also weirdly fascinating. So grab a bar of your artisan soap ( you may need the comfort), and let's dive into the sudsy saga of ancient cleanliness- or the lack thereof.

Babylon: The Original Soap Geeks (c. 2800 BCE)

  Our bubbly tale begins in ancient Babylon, where archaeologists uncovered soap recipes carved into clay tablets. These early soaps were a mix of water, alkali (usually from plant ashes), and fats. The end result? A basic soap used for cleaning textiles--not bodies.

  In short: they figured out how to make soap before they figured out is was good for your armpits. Priorities, people.

Egyptians: Beautiful, Bougie, and Bathed in Oils

  The ancient Egyptians were big fans of body care. They used a paste made of alkaline salts and oils, which technically counts as soap. They also threw in some fancy aromatic oils, which means Cleopatra may have been smelling fabulous while exfoliating with natron and goat fat. Self-care? Legendary. Ingredients? Questionable.

The Greeks & Romans: Soapy-ish but Suspicious

  The Greeks weren't huge on soap (tragic). They preferred scraping off sweat and dirt with a tool called a strigil- basically a metal squeegee. Refreshing.

  But the Romans got sudsy with sapo , a concoction made from tallow and wood ashes. Fun fact: the word "Soap" comes from Mount Sapo, where, according to legend, rain washed animal fat and ash down the mountainside and villagers discovered it magically cleaned their laundry. Science? Not really. Good story? Absolutely!

Medieval Europe: Cleanliness? Optional.

  Soapmaking as a craft flourished in places like Spain, France, and Italy during the Middle Ages- Castile soap from olive oil was especially prized. But in most of medieval Europe? Bathing was considered suspiciously sinful or even unhealthy. So yes, soap existed, but using it on your actual body was...rare.

  Monks and apothecaries made soap, but it was used more for laundry and less for leg day. Hygiene was a luxury. Plagues were not.

Islamic Golden Age: Lather Like a Legend

  Meanwhile, in the Islamic world, soap was having a renaissance. True soap bars with vegetable oils, lye, and perfume were being produced and traded across the Mediterranean. Aleppo soap, one of the oldest and purest soaps still made today, originated here- crafted from olive and laurel oils. Lather goals: unlocked.

Colonial Times: Soap Days Were...Rough

  In early America, soap was homemade, and not in the cute, craft-fair kind of way. Think open fires, stinking vats, and mysterious results. Soap was made once or twice a year using wood ash (for lye) and animal fats. If you were lucky, it came out usable. If not, well...there's always next year.

  Pioneers weren't picky. Clean was clean-even if the soap looked like haunted gravy.

Modern Day: From Goat Fat to Grapefruit Sparkle

  Thankfully, today's soapmakers have left the rendered sheep brains behind and moved on to things like shea butter, essential oils, and fancy botanicals. But every handmade bar still follows the same ancient principle: fat + alkali = soap.

  We've just upgraded the experience from "survival mode" to "spa day."

The (Slightly Gross) Takeaway

   The road to clean has been long, winding, and occasionally disgusting. But through ancient ashes, olive oil, alchemy, and medieval misconceptions, soap has risen- literally- to the top of your bathroom shelf.

  So the next time you lather up with your lovingly crafted artisan bar, just smile knowing you've come a long way from Mount Sapo's greasy runoff. 

And that, my fellow Soap Geek, is history worth scrubbing up for.

Stay tuned for Episode 3: Superfat & Fabulous: How Artisan Soap is Basically Skincare Royalty