Concept
Shower gel (also shower cream or body wash) is a specialized liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents derived from either petroleum or plant sources. Body washes and shower gels have a lower pH value than the traditional soap, which is also known to feel less drying to the skin. In certain cases, sodium stearate is added to the chemical combination to create a solid version of the shower gel. Shower gel is a derivative invention of the liquid soap, which first appeared in the 1800s. In 1865, William Shepphard patented the formula behind the liquid soap, but the product gained eventual popularity with the rise of Palmolive soap in 1898, by B.J. Johnson. Modern chemistry later enabled the creation of the shower gel, which specialized in cleaning the entire body during baths and showers. Shower gels are known to consist of the same basic ingredients as soap - water, betaines, and sodium laureth sulfate, or SLS. But the main difference between the two products lie in its surfactants - compounds known to lower the surface tension between substances, which helps in the emulsification and the washing away of oily dirt. The surfactants of shower gels do not come from saponification, that is by reacting a type of oil or fat with lye. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents for surfactants derived from either plant-based sources or petroleum. This gives the product a lower pH value than soap and might also feel less drying to the skin. Some people have likened the effect to feeling less squeaky clean, however. Surfactants can make up as much as 50 percent of the shower gel content, with the remaining proportion being made up of a combination of water and ingredients to thicken, preserve, emulsify, add fragrance, and color. Multiple surfactants are often used to achieve desired product qualities.
