Cheia soap traces history from ancient civilizations to Romania

The history of Cheia soap, a long-standing Romanian product, began 140 years ago in Galați when Lipa Braunstein received approval to open a soap factory. The product has evolved through different eras, serving as a luxury item during the interwar period and becoming widely used in households, industry, agriculture, and the military during the communist era.

The origins of soap making extend back thousands of years, with evidence of production in ancient Babylon around 2800 BCE. Ancient Egyptian medical documents, such as the Ebers Papyrus from approximately 1500 BCE, describe substances similar to soap created from animal and vegetable oils mixed with alkaline salts for washing and treating skin conditions.

Roman legend attributes the name soap to Mount Sapo near Rome, where rainwater mixing with animal fat and ash created a cleansing clay. By the 7th century, soap production was well-established in Italy, Spain, and France due to the availability of raw materials like olive oil.