Before I get to the main subject of challenges, allow me to preface it with a brief history of soap making in India.
History of Soaps
History of Soap Making isn't a subject covered in school, and it is not something anyone would study unless you are in the soap making business, but I feel that there are some facts that everyone trying to take care of their skin should know of.
I’ll make it short and sweet.
The invention of the first soap is attributed to the Babylonians and the proof has been found that Babylonians knew soap making as early as 2800 BC. by boiling fats with ashes in clay cylinders. A medicinal record called the Egyptian Ebers papyrus from about 1500 BC describes a soap-like substance made with the combination of animal fat or vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a material used both for treating skin diseases and for washing.
Early kinds of soap were also used by many other ancient societies. Soap was named after an ancient Roman legend about Mound Sapo, an old site where the animals were sacrificed. Rain washed away the animal fat and ash gathered under the ritual altars, down to the banks of the Tibet River, after the animal sacrifice.
Women who used to wash clothes in the river found that after heavy rain if they wash their clothes in a particular area of the river, their clothes come out a lot cleaner. This is how the first soap, or at least the first use of soap, took place.
By the 7th century, soap-making was developed as an art in Italy, Spain and France and became an early centre of soap production due to its steady rationing of source ingredients such as olive oil.
In 467 AD, after the fall of Rome, the downfall of bathing habits in Europe led to unsanitary conditions and uncleanliness of that time. This contributed greatly to disease, including the Black Death which took place in the 14th century.
During the 12th century, the English started making soap. King Charles I, in 1633, granted the Society of Soapmakers of Westminster a 14-year monopoly. Soap consumption in England was at an all-time high, during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Until the 18th century, bathing was in vogue. In 1791, when a French chemist, Nicolas Leblanc, discovered a method of turning common salt (sodium chloride) into an alkali called soda ash, a major step towards large-scale soap making took place.
Since alkali was crucial in the manufacture of soap as well as other products, this chemical discovery became one of the nineteenth century's important processes. In the same century, Louis Pasteur proclaimed good personal hygiene.
American colonies began commercial soap making in the 1600s but remained a household chore rather than a profession for many years. By the 19th century, one of the fastest-growing industries was soap manufacturing. Using a method developed during Colonial times, rural Americans produced homemade soaps.
They'd save months of ash from their fires and burns. They would make soaps when they had sufficient fat accumulated from butchering hogs.
Until 1916, the chemistry of soap manufacture remained essentially the same. However, during World War I and II there was a scarcity of animal and vegetable fats and oils which were used in producing soaps. As an alternative, chemists had to use other raw materials that were 'synthesized' into chemicals with comparable properties. They are what are known as 'detergents' today.
Most soaps are actually detergents today.
Before modern days soaps arrived in India, natural ingredients were used to solve the purpose of cleanliness. Pieces of evidence have been found from our literature, Vedas, Purans and Epics. This shows that women used natural products such as Multani mitti (fuller's earth), Gram-flour, Curd, milk, buttermilk, honey, Rosewater, fruit juices and pulps, floral attars, and essential oils in earlier times to maintain hygiene and maintain healthy skin. For hair cleansing and laundry purposes, soap-nuts (Reetha) have also been used as soap substitutes.
The first soap bars were invented in the 19th century when modern soaps were imported and introduced into the Indian market by Lever Brothers England. The first soap factory was founded during British rule in India in 1897 by the North West Soap Company in Meerut, UP.
Mr Jamshed Ji Tata set up India's first independent and experimental soap manufacturing unit in 1918 and introduced the first branded soap in the early 1930s. The soap began to gain popularity among the wealthy class of society by 1937.
This basically shows that India doesn’t really have a history in making soaps. What history we do have in making soaps is based in modern times and has been carried on and forward by industrial giants who make soaps on a large scale. Soap making in India never had a specialized category which means that India never really saw exotic soaps being made for luxury or specialized skincare. What we always had and what we have always used has and are soaps made for the masses, which isn’t a bad thing in and of itself. Still, there isn’t a market in India for people who want specialized soaps to cater to their skin needs or to cater to their luxury cravings though there is a demand for it.
Then there are people like me who are aware of this absence of supply. However, being in the soap making business isn’t easy. I understand that we don’t have a history in soap making at all and honestly, we don’t need one, but it shouldn’t mean that we can’t create one. Indians have always been good at learning new things and making it our own, and soap making shouldn’t be an exception to this. There are many challenges faced by handmade soap, making entrepreneurs like me in India. I’ll list some of the main points below.
7 Handmade Soap making Challenges in India
Lack of Knowledge: People underestimate the importance of taking a 'fulfilling' bath. I stress on the word fulfilling. Everyone takes a bath to be hygienic but to be hygienic and take care of your skin at the same time and that too, with natural ingredients tailored to their skin needs. I am sure everyone would like to walk out of a bath feeling not only clean but refreshed. I believe that if we can start the day on a good note, the rest of the day would be good too.
Lack of Resources: Since no one in India has ever undertaken a business of such kind openly, there is an acute lack of knowledge, awareness and resources along with its availability. Resources like moulds and other equipment which are specially designed and made to aid in the soap making process are unavailable. There are no dedicated vendors for this type of undertaking. Every small thing used in the manufacturing of handmade soaps has to be scoured and procured from all over the country and at most times, internationally.
Quality of Materials: Since there is an abundant lack of resources; the meagre available resources are also not up to acceptable standards. The available ones are unreliable and cannot be trusted because they are seldom tested and tried. Untested fragrances and colours spoil batches which lead to waste of not just the fragrance but of the whole soap batch. If the oils/butter used in soap making have already passed their shelf life, it gives off an unpleasant odour. The same applies to fragrances too. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to determine the shelf life of such materials unless they are tested in soap making (or if the manufacturer specifies it which never happens). I have to say this is a costly way of testing it. Even if the batch of soaps turns out to be fair, there is no telling if it may become spoiled or go rancid during the curing period.
Lack of professionalism: Suppliers who deal with wholesale orders don't pay a lot of attention to budding entrepreneurs like us. Even if some do, they don't feel it is essential to provide complete and necessary information about their products. If you already know what information is required, then you will learn how to deal with them. However, if you do not then be ready for wastage and this wastage is not just limited to the materials you bought, but also your time, energy and in the worst case, your customers. The disappointment that follows has no measure. Information about material composition, purity, usage temperature and rate, testing status and reports, certificates etc. are not displayed on their websites. Such data can only be gleaned if you contact them directly and then too there is no guarantee if they would have it. It's a waste of time and a complete lack of proper work ethic. These required changes can only be made mandatory if the customers demand them.
Curing: A dedicated space is needed to cure soaps. It needs to be dark, cool and free from humidity. Humidity is a significant factor in spoiling soaps during the curing period. A lot of attention and precaution is required to cure the soaps correctly.
Cost: The curing time, natural ingredients, oils, butter, fragrances and the non-availability of raw materials required in manufacturing is enough to demotivate anyone who wants to get into this business. The above reasons, to some extent, raises the cost of handmade soaps also. Other than this, the additives used are all bought from local stores. These additives cannot be bought in bulk to avoid expiry of the shelf life of each ingredient and keep them as fresh as possible.
Lack of Regulations: There is a stark and alarming lack of information and regulations regarding the manufacturing of homemade soaps. There is no clear guideline as to what permits are required and where to obtain them from. Even if you try to follow the available information trail, it inevitably leads to a dead end. Unlike the U.S.A. and the U.K., there are no clear set of regulations to follow for people wishing to enter and set up a homemade soap business. This is something, I wish, the Government of India should look into.
Handmade soaps are yet to receive the recognition it deserves as an art form like any other celebrated talent in India.
In my opinion, it deserves more popularity because this talent can also be used to serve and satisfy the needs of many looking to get a bang for their buck and excellent skincare.
However, this will only happen when people are willing to look beyond conventional methods of skincare, try something new and stop compromising with their skin health.
Skincare and other benefits aside, this art or profession is also economic activity and has the potential for creating employment. This economic activity also requires dependence on products which are produced and sold in India in line with the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Women mostly do handmade soap production, and this also works towards women empowerment. All these factors put stress on the points made above regarding the need for regulations and availability of high-quality resources.
In the end, not only is the production of handmade soaps unappreciated but also underestimated in it's potential to be useful not only for skincare but as an economic activity too. There are too many intricate factors involved, and I have only touched base with a few of the significant points. I hope this field of work and research reaches its full potential.
The above-provided information is purely based on my own research and study through different sources and hope this is a useful resource for you!
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