Advances in bar soap technology

Abstract

This paper reviews recent trends in bar soap technology. Toilet soap markets are highly competitive and the supporting technology is changing rapidly. New equipment and processing techniques have been developed, such as high caustic-high solids saponification, high speed finishing equipment, and more efficient dryers with better pollution controls. Multicolored, marbleized soaps have become important in the marketplace and new plodder designs have been developed for their manufacture. A large number of new ingredients for use in soap-synthetic combination bars have been reported. Also, the antimicrobial/deodorant soap segment, representing over 50% of U,S. market, has undergone considerable shifts due to governmental actions which has resulted in restrictions on hexachlorophene. Future regulatory actions on other antimicrobial agents are probable.