Palmolive bar soap as a brand name contains ingredients that are protected under trademark laws that prevent the disclosure of the precise recipe.
History
In 1898, a man named Caleb Johnson founded the B.J. Johnson Soap Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first soap introduced was made of the oils of both the palm tree and the olive tree. Per scripophily.net/peetbrotpals, he called the soap “Palmolive.”
Significance
For ecological and “green” living reasons, many people have become interested in product ingredients. Some have medical or religious reasons for needing to know specific product ingredients.
Types
There is a distinct difference between soap and detergent. Soaps are purportedly produced with only natural products. Detergents are produced with chemical synthetics.
Basic Ingredients in Soap
There are either three or four basic ingredients in soap, plus or minus the essential oils, perfume and dyes. The first main ingredient in soap is fat or oil. Oils and fats contain acids. Glycerine is a type of fat. The next main ingredient is usually lye or potash. The final ingredient is optional, and it can be an emulsifier and/or natural skin-care ingredient that does not have an acidic base, such as aloe. Palmolive traditionally claimed to make its soap using palm and olive acidic-based fats.
Warning
People with serious allergies or other concerns about specific ingredients in trademarked products can generally contact the manufacturer, who usually offers a toll-free customer service number through which questions can be answered.