All about soap & shaving in the 18th century.

All about soap & shaving in the 18th century.

Image taken from Perret’s Book “The Art to Shave Oneself” 1770

A question was raised about what soap was used for shaving in the 18th century, so I thought I would do a little research. No doubt many of you carry a piece of soap in your pack as I do, so soap is an interesting subject even if you do not shave.

George Washington's shaving items.

Honing a straight razor  Perret’s Book “The Art to Shave Oneself” 1770

Honing a straight razor  Perret’s Book “The Art to Shave Oneself” 1770

The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy: Which Far Exceeds Any Thing of the kind yet published by Hannah Glasse 1747

It seems that soap came in large bars, sometimes a person could choose the length of the bar they wished to purchase, & this bar was then cut to size. Other methods saw these bars cut into bricks for sale. I do not get the impression that we are talking about the bars of soap we purchase these days, I think these bricks were square & much larger. This type of soap was known as hard soap, soft soap was apparently the sort of soap that was made at home by the settlers. Whether or not there was a preference in hard or soft soap for shaving I can’t say, but it was this ordinary soap that was used for washing & shaving.

Cutting bars of soap by Diderot

Soap.

Ordinary soap was used for shaving in the 18th century.

Spain during the 11th and 12th centuries, where Spanish Muslims made Castile soap.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/03/the-history-of-soap/

Castile soap for shaving, washing & weight loss.

https://www.worldturndupsidedown.com/2017/01/18th-century-castile-soap-for-shaving.html

In 1752 Richard Barnard of Temple Bar claimed to be the inventor of the ‘True original shaving powder’. A rival powder, advertised the same year by J. Emon, claimed to ‘make razors cut easy and [was] very good for tender faces’.
https://dralun.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/splash-it-all-over-a-brief-history-of-aftershave/

“To make very good washing balls take storax of both kings, benjamin, calamus aromaticus, labdanum of each a like; and bray them to powder with cloves and orris; then beat all with a sufficient quantity of soap till it be stiff, them with your hand you shall work it like paste, and make round balls thereof.” 

Gervaise Markham, The English Housewife 1683.

 “TO BE SOLD BY EDWARD LANGDON, IN FLEET STREET, NEAR THE OLD NORTH MEETING HOUSE, A QUANTITY OF HARD SOAP BY THE BOX, SOFT SOAP BY THE BARREL”.

Pearlash soap add, Boston Gazette Mid 18th century.
https://spadet.com/19th-century-soap-making-its-history-and-techniques/

In all the material I have researched so far, no where does it mention the size of bar soap, nor are there any images of sketches of 18th century soap. However, I did find a painting, & it does give a fair indication of the size of a brick of soap.

A Lady’s Maid Soaping Linen

c.1765–82

Soap detail.

This is an image of Marseille soap as it is sold today, I have no proof, but I suspect that this could have been what it looked like in the 18th century.