Not even the Greeks and Romans, who pioneered running water and public baths, used soap to clean their bodies. Instead, men and women immersed themselves in water baths and then smeared their bodies with scented olive oils. They used a metal or reed scraper called a strigil to remove any remaining oil or grime.
Before soap, many people around the world used plain ol' water, with sand and mud as occasional exfoliants. Depending on where you lived and your financial status, you may have had access to different scented waters or oils that would be applied to your body and then wiped off to remove dirt and cover smell.
Soap likely originated as a by-product of a long-ago cookout: meat, roasting over a fire; globs of fat, dripping into ashes. The result was a chemical reaction that created a slippery substance that turned out to be great at lifting dirt off skin and allowing it to be washed away.
Records show ancient Egyptians bathed regularly. The Ebers papyrus, a medical document from about 1500 BC describes combining animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like material used for treating skin diseases, as well as for washing.
In the 1700s, most people in the upper class seldom, if ever, bathed. They occasionally washed their faces and hands, and kept themselves “clean” by changing the white linens under their clothing. “The idea about cleanliness focused on their clothing, especially the clothes worn next to the skin,” Ward said.
According to an article from JStor, it wasn't until the early 20th century when Americans began to take daily baths due to concerns about germs. More Americans were moving into cities, which tended to be dirtier, so folks felt as if they needed to wash more often.
The type called 'Windsor soap', was made with tallow or suet and olive oil. Cheap fats made cheaper soaps: almond oil smelt of almonds but was expensive, sperm whale oil soap smelt fishy. Soap made from coconut oil could be used in salt water.
The first known recipe for soap calls for approximately one quart of oil and six quarts of potash (potassium leeched from wood ash). According to Rasmussen this would have combined to create an impure but useful liquid soap.
In the 18th century soap came in two forms: hard soap and soft soap. Hard soap traveled easier around the house but soft soap was cheaper and easier to make at home. Not all soap was home made; soap boilers manufactured soap in bulk and both hard soap and soft soap were available to purchase in stores by the pound.
In earliest times, cleansing was done by using a piece of bone or stone to scrape the skin. Later civilizations used materials of plant origin along with water for cleansing.
Early Romans used urine to make soap like substance in the first century A.D. Later, they combined goat's tallow and the ashes of the beech tree to make both hard and soft soap products. The discovery of an entire soap factory in the ruins of Pompeii, one of the cities destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mt.
Syria's “green gold” is said to be the oldest soap in the world, with some of its traditional manufacturing processes dating back thousands of years. The hand-made soap gets its name from the city of Aleppo, located in Northwestern Syria, where it is manufactured in ancient underground tracts.
According to Egypt Today, “Based on the writings of Herodotus, ancient Egyptians used many healthy hygiene habits, such as washing and laundry. They also knew to use mint to make their breath fresh. According to Ancient History Online Encyclopedia, ancient Egyptians always tried to make their bodies clean.
Though even wealthy families did not take a full bath daily, they were not unclean. It was the custom for most people to wash themselves in the morning, usually a sponge bath with a large washbasin and a pitcher of water on their bedroom washstands. Women might have added perfume to the water.
Humans have probably been bathing since the Stone Age, not least because the vast majority of European caves that contain Palaeolithic art are short distances from natural springs. By the Bronze Age, beginning around 5,000 years ago, washing had become very important.
And yes, they used soap—in fact, soap was often made at home and widely available as a trade good as early as the 9th century in Europe. It was made of animal fat and wood ash, and sometimes scented with fresh herbs like sage and thyme. Bathing was often a community activity.
Lye, the alkaline substance needed for saponification, could be made by pouring water over ashes from the fireplace. This was typically done in a special basin, called a leaching barrel or an ash hopper. For the fatty substance, colonists used animal fat left over from cooking or butchering.
Castile soap was the best quality soap available. As its name indicates, it came from Spain. It was made with olive oil and local potash. It came in hard cakes and was less caustic than soaps made in countries further north.
Ngarinyman Bush Soaps are made from hand harvested traditional bush plants, with healing properties that have been used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years. During the production process, the plants are infused in the soap extracting the healing properties of the plant.
Brown Windsor soap was one of the most popular, scented soaps on the market in the 19th century. Legend has it that brown windsor soap was a favorite of Napoleon, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Victorian Oral Hygiene & Dental Decay
Most people cleaned their teeth using water with twigs or rough cloths as toothbrushes. Some splurged on a “tooth-powder” if they could afford it. Sugar became more widely distributed, thus contributing to an increase in tooth decay during this time period.
Brazilians are the cleanest people in the world. Their personal higiene comes from the native índios. The índios took showers daily and sometimes even twice! There are many stories about Brazilian's showering habits across the world.
People would usually wash their hands and face regularly, but full-body bathing was not a daily occurrence. Instead, people would take a weekly bath in a communal bathhouse or wash in a nearby river. These bathhouses were also used for socializing and were a place to meet and gossip.
One hundred years ago, i.e. 1920, most modern middle class urban homes in Canada had a room with a bath separate from a room with a toilet. The room with the bath usually did not have a shower attachment. There was hot water available from the tap. Most people would bathe once or twice a week and use a washcloth daily.