Ever wonder what natural soap actually is? Since so many of you love Sealuxe soaps, we thought it would be fantastic to delve a little deeper into that world of heavenly-scents. So, what exactly is soap?

Well, for starters...

It's Electric!

Soap and water go together like ham and eggs (well, you can still enjoy some eggs without ham… However, I digress.). We were all taught as children that we must wash our hands with soap AND water. Why not just water? Let’s duck into the science classroom for a second. Water molecules are made up of atoms. Specifically, one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Here’s where quantum science steps in. The hydrogen atoms each have an electron and are located near the oxygen atom which has eight electrons. This creates a positive charge on the hydrogen side of the water molecule and a negative charge on the oxygen side. Follow me so far?

While substances such as sugar (which also has an electrical charge) dissolve in water, dirt won’t. Why? Because dirt contains some oil and oil does not carry an electrical charge.

Enter soap. Soaps are essentially sodium or potassium fatty acids salts. A soap molecule is a hydrocarbon chain that looks like a freight train with the engine being attracted to water (hydrophilic) and the caboose preferring oil to water (hydrophobic). The hydrocarbon chains of soap are attracted to each other’s molecules by dispersion forces. They cluster together like teenage girls at a high school dance, and form structures called micelles. Micelles are negatively charged therefore repel each other and stay dispersed in the water.

Picture soap the reliable cupid of your skincare regime, introducing oil and water so they make magic together (and elope along all that dirt and grease!). Bet you won't think of soap the same next time you lather up with Citrus Soleil or Ritual Rose!