Tallow Used in Handmade Soaps

What is Sodium Tallowate?

When we look at the history of soap, there is no clear record of who discovered soap. However, historians do have records of Sumerians who used a mixture of animal fat, water and ashes to create soap. Water and ashes were made into an alkali solution known as lye. Those ingredients mixed together on their clothing made a simple form of soap. These soaps were very basic, handcrafted and made with animal fats such as tallow. The Sumerians were people of a civilization that existed between 4100 – 1750 BCE, people of southern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq).

How do we make soap?

When we make soap by using fat (tallow), water and sodium hydroxide (lye) it produces sodium tallowate. Tallow is the marbled white fat you see on cuts of meats. It also is the fat that surrounds kidneys. Lye is a chemical that is highly corrosive by itself, however, when mixed with tallow it will go through a chemical reaction called saponification. When saponification is completed, a fatty acid salt is produced and it is also known as sodium tallowate. No lye left in the soap with this chemical reaction.

Tallow Soap Benefits

What is the advantage of making homemade soaps? By making homemade soaps we have the advantage of choosing what ingredients we want. But what happens if we choose too many ingredients? For some of us, it may result in skin issues. So, choosing less chemicals may be better for our skin.

A small business, such as GraziSoaps, has the advantage of making homemade soaps by using fewer ingredients than many store-brought soaps. Using fewer ingredients can provide a great bar of soap and provide healthier skin.

Here are some of the reasons why you might want to use a tallow soap bar:

• Hypoallergenic. This is when tallow soap does not contain scents or coloring which is likely to cause an allergic reaction.
• Foam. Tallow soap is liked by many because it makes a foamy lather when mixed with water.
• Affordable. Soap made with animal fat is hard which helps break down slowly making it last longer than other types of soaps.
• Sustainability. This is when tallow soaps that are homemade locally and made in small batches have the potential to reduce chemical runoff and pollution.
• Glycerin. All true soaps produce a natural glycerin by product during the saponification process. The glycerin in these homemade soaps do not get extracted or removed. Large manufacturers, however, remove glycerin from the soaps they make and replace it with other chemicals. Glycerin is a natural humectant, helping your skin stay moist.

Animal fat-based soaps make a good hypoallergenic alternative compared to other soaps and are generally not linked to specific health issues. Tallow soaps have been marketed as allergy-free, however, it may still possible to have an allergic reaction to other ingredients that are present in the soaps. Buying tallow soaps without added ingredients (unscented version for example) may provide you with the smallest possibility of having a reaction.

Summary

Tallow soaps have been around for thousands of years to clean our skin and clothing. People with sensitive skin might find they have fewer allergic reactions when using tallow soaps. If you find that you have skin issues and are not able to resolve them, it might be a good idea to reevaluate what types of soaps you are using. Sometimes we may think that more ingredients are better. However, less may be better. We want healthy skin, not skin issues.