SOAP.
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Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
A good Soap is wonderful for Cleanliness. We can’t do without it. But misuse of soap is a sure way to ruin the skin.
Anything in Excess is Poison. Excessive use of Soap is like poison to the skin.
“Consumption of Soap is a measure of Health Wealth Civilization and Purity of their People.” .
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It is said Soap was invented in the end of the Nineteenth Century. Human life changed with it. Pears, Lux, Lifebouy, Mysore sandalwood were leading brands of Toilet soap. Tata Swastik bar, 501 Soap bar, Sunlight was popular as Washing Soap. Pears soap cakes were items of joy and luxury. Lifebouy was common man’s piece of soap to keep him hygienically clean. Soap was considered need of the day.
Invention of soap was termed as the Birth of Civilization in Western countries.
Our Country was already aware of soap qualities in plants and herbs to clean the skin. Before hundreds of years our forefathers used various herbal products, oils fats and clay to clean the skin. The ladies used vegetable plant seeds as effective shampoo for hair care. Plant leaves were boiled in water and used.
The liquid was used as an effective detergent from hygienically point of view. Sandalwood paste was a good deodorant agent. Flower paste flower oil were available in abundance. Ayurved texts mention sandalwood and Shikakai soap for skin and hair care made from sandalwood oil and other vegetable ingredients.
With the advent of soda ash, H-acid, acid slurry making units, detergent powder detergent cakes came into market. Shampoos shaving cream were classified under different chapter heading as they were not covered under the above definition of Soap. Scouring powder washing powder dishwashing powder all sorts of powders came into existence for different use to clean different items.
People have to use appropriate soaps for skin hair dishes floors clothes and so on. There is Liquid soap for instant hands washing, Powder soap for cleaning clothes and other uses, Carbolic soap anti dandruff soap in cakes form for care of skin and hair etc. Toilet soap in different fragrance is for care of the skin. Baby soap is for tender baby skin.
It was feared that with the switch over of mankind from dirt roads to paved roads,
from horses to cars, from coal-fire to gas stoves, from oil lamps to electric lamps
from hand fans to air conditioners would mean less need of soap. This belief has proved futile. Every year despite the new inventions of human comfort use of soap has increased. We have turned soap-conscious. We are always on a look out for new brand of soap.
Production of popular brand washing powders is at its record high for the last many years. American Companies Tide Arctic Power have been sending offers for their Partnership. The media, High Commissioners, Consulates have not done justice to such gigantic manufacturing units. They have not projected them before the world for their production capacity marketing and sales. Our companies are satisfying the need of a billion of the population. All High Commissions Consulates of our country have to sing songs of our prosperity and achievements round the clock. We have about 200 Consulates in the world countries. It is their responsibility to project our image at all level so that world population may know what we are, what we have, and what we do. Our soap industry round the year meets with requirement of soap and powder for a billion people. It is time for them to shine in world arena. Our washing powder clandestinely travels to many countries and so on.
It is reported that for one truckload of popular brand washing powder from the Country, to cross over to the neighboring Country, the border staff of each side gets ten thousand coins as bonus per truck.
All around the country hygienic products are amongst the most heavily and creatively advertised goods. Women are supposedly natural targets of publicity. Pantene Shampoo advertisers have made our ladies and girls shampoo addict. They have been kneeling at the feet of the Altar of Beauty and Health for increase of sales. They have put into market one time use and throw small shampoo pouch within easy reach of all of them.
One never feels clean oneself, doesn’t matter how much one cleaned him. He must use a particular soap to feel him clean. The gap between rich and poor is widening. The poor rather crave for all the luxuries of the rich. Ridiculous TV advertisements of shampoos and soap lead them to buy such things though it may be beyond their reach. People have since times immemorial always cleaned themselves-but often with too much of soap. The emerging germ and bacteria theory has argued for use of soap. The Biological truth is that without proper antibiotics in the soap, please note that scrubbing cleans better. Carbolic anti biotic soap helps to prevent the germs. But we do not bother. Glycerin soap does not dry the skin but we smell the fragrance and see the label and buy the soap.
