Sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. These detergent substances are obtained by boiling natural oils or fats with caustic alkali. Sodium soaps are harder and are used as topical anti-infectives and vehicles in pills and liniments; potassium soaps are soft, used as vehicles for ointments and also as topical antimicrobials.
A cleansing chemical compound formed by an alkali acting on a fatty acid, such as sodium stearate, NaC18H3S02. Castile soap is made by saponifying olive oil with sodium hydroxide and contains mainly sodium oleate, NaCI8H3302.
A compound composed of fat (frequently derived from vegetable oil or refined animal fat) and alkali, employed for purifying the body.
Soap is a compound consisting of one or more fatty acids combined with an alkali or metal. Its primary application is as a detergent, and it is also used in solution as a carrier for liniments. When dealing with constipation, a soap solution is employed as an enema. Additionally, soap proves beneficial in addressing skin conditions, not only for its ability to remove grease and dirt through its detergent properties but also due to its capacity to soften the outermost layer of the skin. There is also a possibility that it possesses germicidal properties.