The first time I saw real soap, I was slightly confused. Wasn't I already using "soap"? Apparently I wasn't. The liquid soaps that I was using was made up of synthetic ingredients that cleansed like soap and come to think of it, I don't think that I ever used real "soap" in the first place. Technically, soap is surfactant that has cleansing properties. Most cleaning products today are technically not soaps, but are apparently detergents (which, according to wikipedia, are compounds or a mixture of compounds intended to assist cleaning and is a term used to differentiate between soap and other chemical surfactants used for cleaning purposes). Detergents are generally synthetic, which make them cheaper and easier to manufacture.
Generally, soap is made by combining some oil (fat) with a alkali (base) to form soap through a process called saponification. There are generally two processes to make soap, either through a cold process or a hot process. The easiest is probably making soap via the cold process and sodium hydroxide is generally used in this process.
When I found out what soap was, I wanted to learn how to make it. Once I found out, I was determined to try my hand in making it. I did a lot of research and finally took the plunge - and I made soap! The process is pretty complicated, but what I liked about making soap was that there could be many variations. If you think of all of the oils in existence, then you can see how soaps can vary. For instance, coconut oil is used to help make soap later, but if too much is used, it can actually cause some irritation in some sensitive individuals. A pure olive oil soap doesn't lather well, and some say it's like a gel, but it is the mildest soap and is probably better for people with sensitive skin and babies. Palm oil is another commonly used oil in soap, but it is mainly used to make the resulting bar of soap harder.
What is nice about soap is that the glycerin is retained, which makes the soap much more skin-friendly. I find that when I use my handmade soap, my skin feels soft and that I don't really need to use a moisturizer afterwards. Real soap is highly emollient and helps the skin retain its natural elasticity.
