Soaps and cleansers | DermNet NZ
Soap is an anionic surfactant. Soap is made from fat and oil mixed with an alkali, forming glycerine and the sodium salt of the fatty acid. The fats required for soap making come from a combination of tallow, grease, fish oil, or vegetable oil. In ancient times, the alkali came from ash but today the alkali for solid bar soap is sodium ...