The ancient Mesopotamians were the first to produce a form of soap. Around 2800 BC, the Babylonians also understood soap making.
Early Soapmaking Techniques
Ancient civilizations, including the Mesopotamians and Babylonians, discovered that combining fats (like animal fat) with an alkali, such as lye from wood ashes, created a substance that removed dirt. This process involved cooking these ingredients together, resulting in a greasy, smelly, yet effective cleaning agent. The Conversation describes this early soap as a "greasy and smelly goop that lifted away dirt." Evidence suggests that early humans may have even unintentionally created soap-like materials by having meat fat drip into ashes from cooking fires. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and Wikipedia also corroborate the early Babylonian understanding and production of soap-like materials.
While the exact "inventor" remains unknown, these ancient cultures are credited with the earliest known production of soap. It's important to note that their process differed from modern soapmaking, but the fundamental principle of combining fats and alkalis to create a cleaning agent was established.
Many sources, including TIME, Wirecutter, and Soap History support the idea that early soapmaking was likely a serendipitous discovery resulting from cooking practices.
