Preliminary study on palm-based transparent soap

Soap is a well accepted item as a cleansing product and the process chemistry is well understood. The recent rapid development in soap technology has resulted in a variety of soap products. Significant improvement in processing techniques and mechanization is reflected in the improvement in quality of the raw material available for the manufacture of modern toilet soap with a minimum of odour. Transparent soap is marketed based on their clarity, which has always been associated with quality and purity. The smoothness of the soap and refreshing feel on the skin has slowly gained popularity among a large number of consumers, especially during the winter season and because of transparent soap`s non-roughening effect, and the presence of the emollient which imparts a super after-sensation on the skin. This phenomenon has resulted in an increasing growth of transparent soap used. In chemistry term, soap is the result of the reaction between a fat and an alkali, resulting in a fatty acid salt that has detergency characteristics. Traditional transparent soap processes normally based on the use of tallow fats and lauric oil as a source of fatty raw material with alcohol/sugar used in the formulation to produce the required clarity. Tallow fats as a source of C16-18 fatty acids will contribute to the detergency properties while lauric oils, as a source of C12-14 fatty acids, will contribute towards the lathering and washing properties of the soap. Palm products have similar chemical composition as both tallow and lauric fatty acid, therefore they are suitable replacement for the fatty stock. In general, the project reported here involves a study to try to understand the theory, processing and formulation of transparent soap. Palm-based products will be used as the fatty feedstock in the soap formulation. Polyols and alkanolamine will also be included in the study of the soap formulation to enhance the tranparency of the soap will be determined by the use of a `Transparency Meter` developed by MPOB.