Who made soap first?

Who made soap first?

The desire for personal cleanliness dates back to prehistoric times. As Roman civilization advanced, so did bathing. The first of the famous Roman baths, supplied with water from their aqueducts, was built about 312 BC. Bathing in these luxurious baths became very popular.

By the second century AD, the Greek physician, Galen, recommended soap for both cleansing and medicinal purposes. Soap making guilds guarded their trade secrets closely. Vegetable and animal oils were used with ashes of plants, along with fragrance. Gradually, more varieties of soap became available for shaving and shampooing, as well as bathing and laundering. Italy, Spain and France were early centres of soap manufacturing, due to their ready supply of raw materials such as oil from olive trees. The English began making soap during the 12th century. Till the 19th century, soap was heavily taxed as a luxury item in several countries. When this tax was removed, soap became available to ordinary people, and cleanliness standards improved