History of Soap Making

Although modern soap is used for hygiene, early Mesopotamians originally produced it to wash 1 before weaving. The ancient Babylonians recorded a recipe on clay cylinders, which included an additive named 2 to mask unpleasant smells. In ancient Rome, people rubbed oil on their bodies and removed grime with a 3 instead of using soap. Later, Mediterranean artisans in Castile created a superior soap using olive oil, which was mainly purchased by royalty. In Britain, high taxes forced illegal producers to manufacture soap secretly in 4. Following the repeal of the tax in 5, soap became affordable. Furthermore, industrial production expanded when scientists learned to extract soda ash from 6 rather than burnt plants.