Soaps are mixtures of sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids which can be derived from oils or fats by reacting them with an alkali (such as sodium or potassium hydroxide) at 80°–100 °C in a process known as saponification.  fat + NaOH ---> glycerol + sodium salt of fatty acid  CH2-OOC-R - CH-OOC-R - CH2-OOC-R (fat) + 3 NaOH ( or KOH)  both heated ---> CH2-OH -CH-OH - CH2-OH (glycerol) + 3 R-CO2-Na (soap) R=(CH2)14CH3 Try this!!  Click the...

My first foray into using solid shampoos and conditioners was back when I had a buzzcut. After years of painstakingly reading labels and wandering through aisles at drugstores, it was incredibly freeing to scrub what looked like a bar of soap across my head, rinse, and be done. As my hair grew out, though, I didn't toss aside my new products. There are so many upsides to solid shampoos and conditioners; I found that I really didn't want to let them go. And as...

With so much extra time (and not to mention, less scheduled activities) on my hands, I’ve developed some good habits in the past few months. But one I never imagined? Making the switch over from plastic bottles to solid-based skincare and haircare.  And that’s partly because today’s beauty bars are a far cry from the harsh, overly-perfumed versions I grew up with. In fact, many offerings on the market now are incredibly gentle, help maintain your skin’s natural pH balance, and...

You may find a rogue zit on your shoulders or on your bum once in a blue, but come summertime, body acne tends to be a real and consistent aggressor. So as you deal with an ever-present layer of sweat on your torso and limbs in the high temps and thick humidity, it’s time to grab one of the best bar soaps for body acne and suds right on up. Certain parts of your body, like your shoulders and back, have even...

Soap has been in greater demand during the pandemic, especially since handwashing is one of the best public-health measures we can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (in addition to mask-wearing, of course). And while we’ve written about lots of body-cleaning products before — including status hand soaps and the best body washes, according to dermatologists — here, we’ve rounded up the best bar soaps as praised by the most enthusiastic reviewers on Amazon. Best-rated (and least expensive) bar soap Dial Antibacterial Deodorant Soap $10 now 50%...