How Commercial Soap is Made

In the early days, soap was used as a commodity for barter. This will give you inkling on the value of cleanliness and vanity. Today, soap is a consumer product. There are a million varieties that play the market niche through their moisture, lathering effect, anti-bacterial properties, luxurious smell or mildness.

When one talks about commercial soap, this refers to soap made in huge batches (about 100,000 pounds or more) through a process where the glycerin is removed and fillers and detergents are added. Many companies that sell soap usually extend their line to other cleaning agents such as shampoos or liquid soap.

In order to make commercial soap, one has to go through the usual soap making processes homemade soaps go through. Whether this is done through the cold or hot process matters very little. Once the clear, ordinary soap is made, it is then added with perfume, colors, fillers, shapes and packaging.

The most common method to manufacture soap commercially is the Full Boiled method. Huge batches of alkali and fat are combined. The most common oils usually involve vegetable or palm oil (typically those that can be found in the supermarket also). Heat is applied until the mixture is saponified.

Since glycerin can be sold separately, the glycerin that is lost during the process of saponification is recovered while steps are taken to remove impurities or neutralize the batch when too much lye or oil has been added. The bottom liquid is removed and the glycerin is retrieved from the mixture. A saltwater solution is added to the soap mixture. This solution is used to separate the impurities and excess lye on top of the mixture.

Some commercial soap companies also remove the glycerin first prior to the other processes done. Glycerin and the fatty substance are then sold separately. The soap is sold in itself without the glycerin.

Some find the continuous process more effective for production. This is when all the methods mentioned above are done in batches. Oil and lye are added and then continuously saponified one after the other so that it produces a steady of stream of soap.

Fillers can now be added to add bulk to the soap even without having any particular cosmetic or cleansing benefit. Colorants, Fragrances and other additives can also be added. Lastly, it is important that commercial soaps have a distinguished shape and packaging. This is a marketing need in order to add memorability and originality to the product.