Context:
Renewed focus on eco-friendly cleaning products and environmental concerns about synthetic surfactants has brought soaps and detergents back into discussion.

What They Are:

• Soap: Sodium or potassium salts of fatty acids derived from natural oils/fats (vegetable or animal).
• Detergents: Synthetic cleaning agents made from petrochemicals containing surfactants, bleaches, and fragrances.

Key Chemicals:

• Soap: Vegetable oils/fats + caustic soda/potash + additives like perfumes, colors, surfactants (e.g., sodium lauryl sulphate), antibacterial agents.
• Detergent: Surfactants (linear alkyl benzene sulphonate), builders (phosphates), enzymes, bleaches, dyes, perfumes.

Manufacturing Process:

• Soap: Oils → fatty acids → reacted with alkali → dried into “noodles” → blended with additives → shaped and packaged.
• Detergent: Hydrocarbons sulphonated → neutralised → mixed with builders and additives → spray-dried/agglomerated → packaged.

Differences Between Soaps and Detergents:

Source: TH