Guide Note: The word, “soap” is derived from the Latin word, “sopa”. Sopa means the mixture of tallow – tallow means animal fat.
Fast Facts:
- The first mention of soap was on Sumerian clay tablets dating about 2,500 BC. The soap was made of water, alkali and cassia oil.
- At one time every household made enough soap for their own use. The practice continued until well into the late 1800's. But, as communities grew into cities and oil or coal replaced wood as the primary source of heat, old fashioned soap made from wood ash lye and animal fat was exchanged for manufactured soap.
- For 3000 years, until 1883, hemp was the world's largest agricultural crop, from which the majority of fabric, soap, paper, medicines, and oils were produced
