Soaps

thumb|upright=1.2|A handmade soap bar thumb|upright=1.4|Two equivalent images of the chemical structure of sodium stearate, a typical ingredient found in bar soaps thumb|upright=1|Emulsion#Emulsifiers|Emulsifying action of soap on oil

thumb|upright=1.35|North American F-100 Super Sabre dropping napalm in a training exercise

Saponification is a process of cleaving esters into carboxylate salts and alcohols by the action of aqueous alkali. Typically aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions are used. It is an important type of alkaline hydrolysis. When the carboxylate is a long chain, its salt is called a soap. The saponification of ethyl acetate gives sodium acetate and ethanol:

thumb|Lye for sale in a shop in Hong Kong

thumb|Phospholipids, such as this [[glycerophospholipid, have amphipathic character.|251x251px]] thumb|250px|right|Cross-section view of the structures that can be formed by phospholipids|biological amphiphiles in aqueous solutions. Unlike this illustration, micelles are usually formed by non-biological, single-chain, amphiphiles, soaps or detergents, since it is difficult to fit two chains into this shape

chemical compound

traditional soap made in Marseille, France

alleged Nazi atrocity

handmade, hard bar soap associated with the city of Aleppo, Syria

piece of stainless steel shaped like soap, purported to reduce hand odors

soap that is whipped into a shaving lather using a shaving brush

type of castile soap in Palestine

international nomenclature of cosmetic ingredients

a device most commonly found in public bathrooms that dispenses soap into the hand, with the pushing of a lever, or with a sensor; this device is usually located near a sink.

thumb|19th-century print of soapmakers A soaper is a person who practices soap making. It is the origin of the surnames "Soper", "Soaper", and "Saboni" (Arabic for soap maker). Roads with names like "Sopers Lane," "Soper Street," and so forth often were areas where soap makers worked.

olive oil-based soap

Type of soap, with mild antiseptic properties

soap containing antibacterial agents

kind of soap

informal term for the white solid that results from the addition of soap to hard water

type of soap used in Portugal

kind of soap originating in West Africa

soaps made from vegetable fats or oils

thumb|right Creolin (which is also called Creolina) is a generic name for disinfectants whose composition varies according to origin. It is extracted from the dry distillation of wood. The residue remaining in the autoclave vessel is a dark, syrupy mass called creosote, which is composed mainly of phenolic acid and cresylic acid. The original composition of creolin is a creosote tar oil, caustic soda, soaps, and very little water. It is of low technology and a very powerful disinfectant.