Liquid Soap
August 22, 1865 - This was the day that a man from New York named William Sheppard received the first patent for liquid soap.
The secret to Sheppard’s formula was to add “small quantities of common soap to a large quantity of spirits of ammonia or hartshorn,” which delivered a thick liquid soap with the consistency of molasses. By the way, “hartshorn” refers to the antler of the male deer. It is ground up to create things like baker’s ammonia and smelling salts.
Oddly, for over 100 years, liquid soap remained a product mainly found in industrial locations or hospitals. It wasn’t until 1980 that the Minnetonka Corporation of Minnesota introduced Softsoap to consumers. It was a huge hit and people have been slathering on liquid soap ever since.
Fun facts about soap:
Archaeologists found evidence of soaps as far back as 2800 BCE in Babylon.
Perfumes were originally added to soap to help mask the natural odors of animal fats.
Regular handwashing can reduce diarrheal diseases by up to 40%, and lower respiratory infections by about 20%.
Here’s a song I wrote about soap:
