soap
Sign in to savethumb|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
AI overview
Soap is a cleaning product made from fats or oils combined with alkaline substances, which allows it to break down and remove dirt and oils from skin and surfaces. It matters because its unique chemical properties enable it to mix oil and water together, making it effective at washing away oily substances that water alone cannot remove.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Types
- Toilet soaps
- Non-toilet soaps
- Soapmaking
- Additives
- Gallery
- History
- Ancient world
- Ancient China
- Islamic Golden Age
- Medieval Europe
- 16th–17th century
- Modern period
- Liquid soap
- See also
- Soap-related
- References
- Further reading
- External links
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
Soap is a salt of a fatty acid (sometimes other carboxylic acids) used for cleaning and lubricating products as well as other applications. In a domestic setting, soaps, specifically "toilet soaps", are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used as thickeners, components of some lubricants, emulsifiers, and catalysts.