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Soap: Making Everyday Chemistry Public: Jump To
Soap: Making Everyday Chemistry Public: Jump To
What are we trying to clean with soap? Some examples include dried food burnt onto dishes or
dust/mud covered on your skin; the examples are endless, but these all have a common factor…
they are all infused with oil.
This grime is hard to wash off with water, simply because water molecules are more attracted to
one another than they are to oil. Oil and water don't mix; thus, they separate into two. We have
been taught this since elementary school, with lots of demonstrations. Oil molecules are
large and awkward; they are not polar, so water, a very polar molecule, can’t bond with it. This is
why when you have dirt on your hands, and try to use only water to wash it off, it does not work.
Or, when you try to wash a greasy pan with only water, it just runs off without removing the dirt
and grime because the oily particles can’t bond with water. [3]
Soap isn’t new by any means; thousands of years ago, people figured out how to make a
substance that overcame the deep hatred between oil and water, thus, creating soap. See “The
History of Soap” to learn more about how soap dates back to ancient Roman times. Today, soap
is a major business; it looks a lot nicer and smells better, too.
Soap works by breaking up the oil into smaller drops, so it can mix with the water. The principle
of soap works because soap is made up of molecules with two very different ends. One is
hydrophilic, and it is this end of the soap molecule that loves water. This is the "salt" end of the
soap; it is ionic and soluble in water. The hydrophobic end does not mix with water, and is
therefore repelled by it. [1]
Since soap molecules have both properties of
non-polar and polar molecules, the soap acts as
an emulsifier, or something that is capable of
diffusing one liquid into another unmixable
liquid. [2]
Here is a fun, interactive game to learn more about how your hands get dirty and the chemistry
behind soap… http://www.discoverwater.org/soap-and-water-science/
The alcohol located in hand sanitizers can substitute as an alternative to triclosan, an important
ingredient in antibacterial soap. All of these products are not extremely more effective than using
warm water and regular hand soap. While they don’t work when hands are extremely dirty, they
can be useful in a pinch, those times when soap and water is not available.
Ethanol, Isopropanol, or a mixture make up the alcohol content, which is the main active
ingredient in hand sanitizers. These ingredients are sterilizers that kill germs by dissolving their
essential proteins. The dissolving upsets cell activity of the germ, allowing it to die. [7]
The alcohol kills bacteria by removing the oil on the surface of your skin, and most have a
moisturizing agent to prevent dry hands.[6]
Hand sanitizers can be very dangerous to young children. According to US poison control, there
was more than 16,000 calls concerning children under 12 swallowing hand sanitizer with these
hazardous active ingredients in 2103 alone. [6] Since the advent, new and more fun twists have
been placed on hand sanitizers. Bright colors, yummy scents, and bubbles or glitter entice
children to the bottles. However, these seemingly yummy and popular items can contain 40% to
95% alcohol content, which means that a little amount can hurt children.
Due to the concern with these harmful alcohols, hand sanitizers without alcohol are now
increasing in popularity. The main active ingredient in these is benzalkonium chloride, which
was previously used as a wound antiseptic. When researching the effectiveness of these hand
sanitizers versus the traditional option, they found a reduction in illness, but most tests are still
inclusive due to the various factors.
The chemistry behind face soap is the same of that behind normal soap, but has a much trickier
mission. When cleaning skin, the soap has to remove all dirt and oil, while unclogging pores
without destroying the skin’s moisture barrier. One method to properly clean skin is to use
surfactant-based products; these can help remove oils, dirt, and makeup. Super harsh surfactant-
based cleansers are terrible for skin because this soap can’t differentiate between the good and
bad lipids to clean. A common misconception concerning oil on faces is the oilier a person is, the
less a person needs to use moisturizers to replenish what the cleansers strip. This could not be
more wrong. Skin produces oil when you over-cleanse or do not re-add the important moister to
the skin. Using a mild cleanser or a solvent-based cleanser allows the oils to be dissolved without
removing the lipids, thus not effecting the skin’s barrier. These bad lipids can be removed with
these cleansers and warm water, face cloths, or cotton, which allows the skin not to be over-
dried. When the skin is cleansed properly, oil production is minimized, limiting acne or other
issues with the skin. [5]
The Effects of Properly Cleansing Skin [4]
Want more information? Here is a fun, short video explaining the chemistry behind soap…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOKAoNbJkSg
Appendix
Antiseptic: An agent that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria on external surfaces of the body.
Competitive Inhibitor. A type of inhibitor that binds to the active site of an enzyme preventing
the intended substrate from binding and prevents the substrate from working.
Disinfectant. An agent that destroys bacteria primarily on inanimate objects.
Emulsifier. A substance that is capable of spreading one liquid into another unmixable liquid
through emulsion.
Endocrine Disruptor. Chemicals that interfere with the body’s endocrine system.
Gram Positive Bacteria. Bacteria that have a thick cell wall that is made of a protein called
peptidoglycan.
Hydrophilic. The tendency of a substance to mix with water.
Hydrophobic. The tendency of a substance to not mix or repel water.
Lye. A strong alkaline solution, especially of potassium or sodium hydroxide. More specifically,
lyes are strong bases that contribute to the hydrophobic nature of soap. This allows the soap to be
easily rinsed off your hands when it comes into contact with water. Lyes are commonly used for
washing or cleansing in not only soaps, but a lot of other industrial processes.
References
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[2] Tieleman, D. P. “Explain it with Molecules-- Soap Molecule.” 1999, EdInformatics.
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[3] Kaplan, Sarah. “Dear Science: How Does Soap Make Things Clean?” 2017, Washington
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[4] Black, Brandi. “The How-To Guide of Oil Cleansing.” PaleoHacks.
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[5] Wilmott, James. “How Does a Facial Cleanser Work on the Skin?” ShareCare.
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[6] Steele, Carolyn. “Hand Sanitizer & its Chemical Properties.” 2017, LiveStrong.
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[7] Sherwood, Chris. “How does Hand Sanitizer Kill Bacteria?” 2017, LiveStrong.
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[8] “Who Invented Soap?” 2017 http://www.soaphistory.net/soap-history/who-invented-soap/
[9] N/A, N/D https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZyyS0TUEAAJ3-a.jpg
[10] Ancient Pages “Soap Was Invented In 2800 B.C By Babylonians” June 17, 2016
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[11] “The History of Soap” 2017 http://www.soaphistory.net/soap-history/history-of-soap/
[12] N/A, N/D “Hexachlorophene” https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-
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[13] Zorn, Marc. “When Was Antibacterial Soap Invented” August 9, 2014
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[14] Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics. “Triclosan” January 2011
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[15] N/A, N/D “Triclosan” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan
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[17] N/A, N/D. “Triclosan and Antibiotics resistance”
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[18] “Triclocarban” NCBI.
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[19] N/A, N/D,
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Triclocarban.png/1200px-
Triclocarban.png
[20] “Should I avoid products that contain triclosan?” Mayo Clinic.
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[21] “Chlorhexidine (On the skin)” PubMed Health.
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[23] Nordqvist, Christian “What are the Health Benefits of Thyme?”
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[24] Norek, Danna “Natural antibacterial alternatives to triclosan & other toxic chemicals”
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[25] Tetro, Jason “This Natural Chemical May Replace Triclosan and Improve Oral Health”
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[26] N/A, N/D,
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[39] N/A, N/D
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ed=0ahUKEwid_9-d-svXAhXKv1QKHc-
SA9AQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffrugallysustainable.com%2Fhow-to-make-lye-
soap%2F&psig=AOvVaw0ZMR4QjZDdvHH6TSbXIi0D&ust=1511226139491130