A soap substitute is a natural or synthetic cleaning product used in place of soap or other detergents, typically to reduce environmental impact or health harms or provide other benefits.
Traditionally, soap has been made from animal or plant derived fats and has been used by humans for cleaning purposes for several thousand years.[1] Soap is not harmful to human health but, like any natural or unnatural surfactant, it does have the potential to cause environmental harm by forming a surface film that impedes the diffusion of oxygen into the water if it is added to an aquatic environment faster than it can biodegrade.[2]
Many washing agents today, from laundry and dish detergents to body wash and shampoos, are technically not soap, but synthetic detergents.[3] They also often contain compounds that have been found to be harmful to human and wildlife health as well as to the environment.[2][4][5] In this context, “Soap Substitutes” refers to cleansing products that significantly reduce or eliminate some or all of the components that have the potential to cause human or environmental harm. Throughout the last 100 years many changes have been made to the formulas of cleansing agents for these purposes, but the process of developing effective substitute detergent formulations that are completely harmless to humans and the environment is ongoing.
This article outlines some of the problems and concerns about synthetic surfactant based cleaning products since their popularization in the early 20th century as well as how these issues have been addressed, both technologically and legislatively.
^Woodford, Chris (2 May 2008). "How do detergents and soaps work?". Explain that Stuff. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
^ abKogawa, Ana Carolina; Cernic, Beatriz Gamberini; do Couto, Leandro Giovanni Domingos; Salgado, Hérida Regina Nunes (2017). "Synthetic detergents: 100 years of history". Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 25 (6): 934–938. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2017.02.006. PMC 5605839. PMID 28951681.
^Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied (2020-02-04). "Frequently Asked Questions on Soap". FDA.
^Warne, M.St.J.; Schifko, A.D. (October 1999). "Toxicity of Laundry Detergent Components to a Freshwater Cladoceran and Their Contribution to Detergent Toxicity". Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 44 (2): 196–206. doi:10.1006/eesa.1999.1824. PMID 10571467. S2CID 23071535.
^Panico, A; Serio, F; Bagordo, F; Grassi, T; Idolo, A; DE Giorgi, M; Guido, M; Congedo, M; DE Donno, A (March 2019). "Skin safety and health prevention: an overview of chemicals in cosmetic products". Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene. 60 (1): E50–E57. doi:10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2019.60.1.1080. PMC 6477564. PMID 31041411.
A soapsubstitute is a natural or synthetic cleaning product used in place of soap or other detergents, typically to reduce environmental impact or health...
Wren's Super Wax Shoe Polish Simple Green Snuggle S.O.S Soap Pad SoapSoap on a rope Soapsubstitute Sodium bisulfate Sodium hydroxide Sodium polycarboxylate...
vegan bar soaps to choose from, "no matter your skin type or budget." Shower gel, often synthetic liquid soaps or detergents Soapsubstitute "Definition...
reflexes of ʾuḥlā. It is often used by Bedouins for cleaning as a soapsubstitute. In medieval Arabic literature, it is also known by the names of "green...
wartime production and distribution of soap and washing products). RIF soap was a poor quality substitute for soap and did not contain any fat, human or...
may also be available as lotions, creams, ointments, bath oils, or soapsubstitutes. Mineral oils and waxes are not prone to oxidation or rancidity. For...
found in the Syrian desert. Bedouins often use the plant's ashes as a soapsubstitute. The plant is also known for its medical properties. Algerian traditional...
fruits of Momordica balsamina. The fruit and leaves are used as a soapsubstitute. The plant sap can be used medicinally or as a metal cleaner, and it...
(バラフ). The seeds are also edible. The crushed leaves can be used as a soapsubstitute and have medicinal uses. Ice plants are also used in South Africa as...
from excessive exposure to sunshine, and soapsubstitutes which are less dehydrating for the skin than normal soaps, as well as shampoos that reduce the risk...
a substitute for the alcohol-based hand cleaners that emerged at that time. Its usage has greatly declined in recent years as more attractive soaps and...
Shaving soap is a hard soap that is used to produce lather with a shaving brush. The lather it produces is used to coat the face during shaving, softening...
nuts attract squirrels. The saponins in the seed can be used as a soapsubstitute. Saponins can be obtained by chopping them up into small pieces immersing...
The SOAP note (an acronym for subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) is a method of documentation employed by healthcare providers to write out notes...
flares. They can be used as leave-on treatments, bath additives or soapsubstitutes. There are many different products but the majority of leave-on treatments...
of Quillaja saponaria can be reduced to powder and employed as a substitute for soap, since it forms a lather with water, owing to the presence of a glycoside...
(or washing-up liquid in British English), or dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap is a detergent assisting in dishwashing. Dishwashing detergents...
for producing glycerol (C3H5(OH)3). Some soap-makers leave the glycerol in the soap. Others precipitate the soap by salting it out with sodium chloride...
skin in their cooking and also for curing, as medicine and as a substitute for soap. Lye made out of wood ashes is also used in the nixtamalization process...
The Soap Box Derby is a youth-oriented soap box car racing program which has been running in the United States since 1934. Proclaimed "the greatest amateur...
television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera...
external medicine, emollient moisturiser, and general-purpose substitute for toiletries such as soap, shower gel, shaving cream, and lip salve. The common ingredients...
spirits (US, Canada), also known as mineral turpentine (AU/NZ), turpentine substitute, and petroleum spirits, is a petroleum-derived clear liquid used as a...
of soap-like materials dates back to around 2800 BCE in ancient Babylon. Spriggs, John (July 1975), An economical of the development of substitutes with...
the vicinity of the house Hand washing facilities with water and soap or soap-substitute such as ash Evidence that the latrine and hand washing facilities...
some African countries. It is occasionally mixed with other oils as a substitute for cocoa butter, although the taste is noticeably different. The English...
Global Information