Beauty
The Pleasantly Scented Story Of Soap
By
Oct 19, 2005, 00:11

(NAPSI)-The origins of personal cleanliness date back to prehistoric times. In biblical times, ashes, limestone and oil were mixed together, making the first recorded soap. In 3000 B.C., the Sumerians stumbled onto a method of creating a diluted soap solution with potash and fat. But the earliest indication of soap use are Babylonian clay cylinders containing a soap-like substance.

The next advance occurred when Roman women washing clothes in the Tiber River found they washed cleaner in a part of the river that had become full of lye. They invented actual soap, separated from the solution the Sumerians had discovered. Roman ruins at Pompeii included a soap factory, with completed bars of laundry soap.

Later, in the seventh century, long before the Dark Ages, soap making was an established-and secretive-craft in Europe. Soap-maker guilds closely guarded their trade secrets from competitors, due, most likely, to its inherent profitability.

By the time Colonial America came of age, tallow and soap makers-such as the family of Benjamin Franklin-prompted the beginning of American commercial soap making. Some of the country's best-known manufacturers began around this time, such as the legendary Caswell-Massey, founded in 1752.

To this day, America's original purveyors of personal care products continue its commitment to quality and its dedication to the cherished consumer by creating items with:

• The finest perfume-grade oils for scented products

• The purest ingredients, including natural botanicals that deliver true benefits

• A practice of no animal testing since the company's founding

• A practice of providing environmentally responsible packaging.

Believed to be the fourth-oldest company in America, Caswell-Massey creates soaps for both women and men. The new Olive Oil and Orange Blossom collection features handmade vegetable soaps in the shape of olives and that come with their own porcelain dish. Their Shea Butter collection contains more pure shea butter than any others on the market, according to the company.

The company's fragrances and beauty items are available at their boutiques nationwide or at www.caswellmassey.com. To request a catalogue, call 1-800-326-0500.

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