Noa & Una’s Marginalia 📜 Medieval Soap Making (Patreon)

🧼Soap has a long history, and different cultures developed their own methods of making it. However, the essential ingredients have always remained the same: fat, alkali, and water. In Europe, early soaps were commonly made from animal fats and wood ash. They were often dark gray in color, soft in texture, and could develop an unpleasant smell if the fats were not properly rendered. As soapmaking techniques improved, soaps gradually became harder and smoother, and luxury varieties were even scented with perfumes and herbs.

💭So how was soap made in medieval Europe? The process went something like this:

🏺Make the lye water by mixing wood ash with boiling water. Stir thoroughly, then leave the mixture to settle for a day.

🍲Pour the lye water into a cauldron and bring it to a boil. Add the fat and stir continuously, then mix in salt and flour to improve the texture.

🪄Keep stirring until the mixture thickens. How thick should it be? Thick enough that you can briefly see the bottom of the cauldron while stirring!

💨Once all the ingredients have fully combined, remove the cauldron from the fire.

🫗Pour the thick mixture into pre-moistened molds and place them on a level surface.

⏳Allow the soap to dry and harden naturally. After enough time has passed, a fine bar of soap is ready to be used!

Sources

Bathing and Hygiene in the Middle Ages – Medieval History

How to Make Medieval Soap: A 14-Century Recipe You Can Try – Medievalists.net

I assure you, medieval people bathed. – Going Medieval

Medieval Bath & Hygiene Display – Rosalie Medieval Women

The history of soap – Fake History Hunter