Soap: detergent properties, types, application. Homemade soap

It's no exaggeration to say that we use soap every day. The detergent properties of this simple, but such a necessary remedy, protect us from diseases, allow us to keep ourselves and our things clean. Due to what soap acts? What are its types? We will answer these questions in detail.

How does soap work?

The detergent properties of this hygiene remedy are based on simple chemical laws. Soap, water, fat and oils consist of molecules. Some of them are hydrophilic, and some are hydrophobic. The first type is molecules that are attracted to water and mix well with it, and the second is molecules that repel it and therefore do not mix with water. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles do not combine with each other. In addition, we need to remember the polar and nonpolar molecules. The first type dissolves well in water, and the second (fats and oils refer to it) is bad. Therefore, just so hands, smeared after work in the garage, can not be washed away.

Daily battle with mud

That's why a soap must enter the game. The detergent properties of this agent are manifested by the fact that it has a molecule that is diphilic (dual). It has two ends with different polarities: one hydrophilic, the other hydrophobic. The first is connected with water, and the second - with impurities. The latter often have fat and oils in their composition. Thus, when soaping, soap first reacts with water, then with impurities and helps to effectively break them and wash off with the flow of water.

Types of soap

How many categories of this remedy can you remember? Economic, toilet and liquid? In fact, there are many more. Here is an indicative list, because often opinions about classification are different:

• Toilet, or hygienic soap - a universal tool for everyday cleaning of hands. It removes dirt well, but does not overdry the skin.
• Baby - has a particularly balanced composition, so as not to harm the child's delicate skin. It often adds components of vegetable origin with a calming and healing effect - an extract of calendula, thyme, St. John's wort, chamomile.
• Bactericidal soap - contains strong cleansing ingredients, for example triclosan. This is a useful tool in cases where you need to thoroughly cleanse the skin - for example, on the road. In addition, they can disinfect small wounds and cuts. But the use of soap with antibacterial effect should be infrequent, because it kills not only harmful bacteria, but also useful, depriving the skin of natural protection. In addition, it overdoes it, which accelerates the aging process.

Cleaning the house

This is another subcategory, whose representatives you probably know:

• Soap for washing - this soap should cope with different types of pollution, including old ones. Sometimes it additionally has whitening properties. There is also a special soap for washing children's things, which passes careful monitoring for the presence of potentially allergenic and harmful compounds in the composition. Produced in the form of large bars.
• Kitchen soap, or soap for dishes - a fairly rare species, at the industrial level is almost not produced. Most often it is brewed independently on the basis of laundry soap. Such a dishwashing detergent is much safer for humans and the environment than conventional products with fairly aggressive surfactants, which are very difficult to completely wash off.
• Household soap is perhaps the most famous and universal. They can wash any things, wash dishes, many reviews claim that it is effective in combating acne and excessive greasiness of hair.

Subtlety of self-care

We continue our classification, but now we turn to the less common types of this tool:

• Perfume soap. As you can guess by name, this soap has a strong aroma, which is achieved due to increased concentration of aromatic substances. But they do not fit well with other useful components, so its value and special difference consist only in a pronounced smell.
• Soap-scrub. It contains scraping ingredients - apricot kernel or nutshell shells, coffee, oats, algae particles, synthetic granules, etc. For more effective skin care, essential oils are added to it.
• Soap for hair. Usual toilet soap hair can only be dried. But special means, on the contrary, allow to give the head of hair an attractive appearance and even to struggle with such specific problems as dandruff or high fat content.
• Shaving soap. By and large, the foam from any soap will cope with the task. But if you take a product with a high content of glycerin, the hairs will become softer, they will be easier to remove, and the skin after the procedure will be smooth and well-groomed.

Not every day

There are quite non-standard varieties of soap, with which we meet much less often than with conventional ones. For example:

• Figured soap. Having different configurations: from merry yellow ducklings to the bizarre works of handmade craftsmen - this soap is designed not only to clean, but also to please the eye. If you want to make a real spa out of taking a bath or to interest a child in bathing, then you will need such a tool.
• Soap for guests. Small bars of soap of an interesting shape that can be found in hotels. Some tourists collect them or bring them as a souvenir.

Special Needs

• Medical. It looks like an action on antibacterial soap. Detergent properties of this option allow for disinfection before surgical interventions, prevent the spread of skin diseases. Some varieties contain lanolin, which softens damaged skin.
• Tar soap. Due to its strong cleansing effect, many help in the fight against dandruff, as well as other widespread skin problems. But a rather specific smell of the product will not appeal to everyone.

Solid or liquid?

All these categories can be found in different forms. Thus, soap can still be divided into the following types:

• The usual (hard) is the most familiar and old variant. In this form, soap appeared in the period about 3 thousand years BC, in Babylon.
• Liquid is a relatively recent invention (mid-19th century), compared to solid, but very popular. It comfortably foams, does not touch the ring when washing hands, does not leave stains on things when washing. The dispenser for liquid soap allows you to immediately take the right amount of money. Especially popular it became in public toilets - unlike a solid one, it is difficult to steal if the container is tightly bolted to the wall and locked with a key. A non - contact automatic dispenser for liquid soap makes the process of hand washing more hygienic - there is no need to touch the valve with dirty hands.

Conveyor or handmade?

Mass production of soap became possible only at the beginning of the XX century. Before that, there were small manufactories that made it for wealthy citizens. But most of the population cooked it on their own, using the basic components that could be obtained from their own farm - ash and animal fat.

After many years, the means produced by the factory way finally replaced the handmade soap, or home soap. But since today hand-made is becoming more popular and people become very attentive to what is included in the means that they use, this old art is actively reviving.

Homemade soap

Handmade work can always be just a hobby or a business. Many masters start with making soap for their needs, and then, polishing their skills, go to selling it. In addition, the result of such enthusiasm will never fall flat and will be useful in the household.

There are 3 ways to make soap:

• With the help of a ready-made framework. This is the simplest way. The washing base is sold most often through online stores, as specialized physical stores for soap making are still not widely used. In order to make your little masterpiece, you just have to melt it in a water bath, add the desired dyes, fragrances, decorative (sparkles, for example) or practical (exfoliating) ingredients and pour into molds.
• Based on baby soap. It is advisable to take the most simple and non-flavored. Soap must be grated, melt, add the necessary ingredients and pour into the mold. The process is identical to the 1 method, but much cheaper, and the raw material can be found in any store. The only drawback - from the child will not be able to make a beautiful transparent soap.
• From scratch - the most difficult option, but at the same time the most creative. Separately, it takes alkali, fat, from which the base is made, into which the other impurities are already added. This method has two different technologies, which we will discuss in more detail later.

Hot and cold

It should be noted that when working with alkalis, you need to handle very carefully, be sure to wear gloves, goggles and a mask. While in the process of making soap from the base or baby soap it is possible to attract children at certain stages (under the careful supervision of adults), while working with caustic substances, on the contrary, it is necessary to exclude the possibility that children or pets will distract you.

When working from scratch, the process is as follows:

1. Find the recipe that suits you and carefully measure all the ingredients. Note that the violation of proportions can lead to a very unfortunate result - with a bad smell, without the required hardness, lackluster color, etc.
2. Fill the lye with water (just like that, and not vice versa, otherwise there will be an "eruption").
3. Stir the mixture and insert a thermometer into it (it will be heated by a chemical reaction).
4. In another container, melt the wax, solid and liquid oils.
5. When both mixtures heat (or cool) to the desired temperature (it should be indicated in the recipe), pour the alkaline mixture into the fatty mixture.
6. Thoroughly mix them until a spoon leaves a mark on the surface of the future soap.

But now there are two options for how to proceed. The first is a cold way. Pour the mixture into the mold, cover with a towel and in 1-2 days cut into pieces, which will still need to "ripen" 1-1.5 months.

The second way is hot. It consists in the fact that after mixing alkali and fat they are boiled in a water bath or in an oven, at a precisely set temperature. The mixture is then stirred regularly until it becomes gel-like. Then, dyes, flavors and other additives are poured and poured into molds. After 1-2 days, the soap will be ready for use.

How to make liquid soap yourself?

Here, too, there are two options for manufacturing. The first is a liquid soap based on a bar of the usual.

The process is quite simple:

• It is necessary to find a recipe with already calculated proportions.
• Then grate soap on the grater (you can use the cesspools).
• Boil a small amount of water and mix it thoroughly with the resulting flakes.
• You will get a washing solution to which you need to add glycerin so that the soap does not dry your hands.
• Then you can pour essential oils, fragrances and dyes.
• It remains only to carefully place the solution until a homogeneous consistency is obtained and poured into jars.

The second method is very similar to the production of ordinary soap from scratch - carefully measured and mixed all the ingredients, and then cook for a long time in a water bath, in the oven or even in a multivark. But due to the fact that at the last stage in the soap paste you need to add water, it will not thicken, but remain in liquid form.

Which soap is better?

As you can see every time you go to the store, the choice of detergents is huge. But the products of factory production are not much different from each other and basically cope only with skin cleansing. Therefore, products with more expensive components of natural origin, which help to effectively moisturize the skin or solve other problems (for example, delicate cleansing for sensitive skin and easy antibacterial effect for skin prone to acne) become especially popular. Such means can be found at many manufacturers, for example "Spivak", Lush, Savonry and others.