Action of Soap, yes soap has a action LOL

• Action of soap[edit]
• When used for cleaning, soap allows insoluble particles to become soluble in water and then be rinsed away. For example: oil/fat is insoluble in water, but when a couple of drops of dish soap are added to the mixture, the oil/fat apparently disappears. The insoluble oil/fat molecules become associated inside micelles, tiny spheres formed from soap molecules with polar hydrophilic (water-attracting) groups on the outside and encasing a lipophilic (fat-attracting) pocket, which shields the oil/fat molecules from the water making it soluble. Anything that is soluble will be washed away with the water. Synthetic detergents operate by similar mechanisms to soap.

  Effect of the alkali[edit]

  The type of alkali metal used determines the kind of soap product. Sodium soaps, prepared from sodium hydroxide, are firm, whereas potassium soaps, derived from potassium hydroxide, are softer or often liquid. Historically, potassium hydroxide was extracted from the ashes of bracken or other plants. Lithium soaps also tend to be hard—these are used exclusively in greases.

  Effects of fats[edit]

  See also: Total fatty matter
  Soaps are derivatives of fatty acids. Traditionally they have been made from triglycerides (oils and fats).^[5] Triglyceride is the chemical name for the triesters of fatty acids and glycerin. Tallow, i.e., rendered beef fat, is the most available triglyceride from animals. Its saponified product is called sodium tallowate. Typical vegetable oils used in soap making are palm oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and laurel oil.^[6] Each species offers quite different fatty acid content and, hence, results in soaps of distinct feel. The seed oils give softer but milder soaps. Soap made from pure olive oil is sometimes calledCastile soap or Marseille soap, and is reputed for being extra mild. The term "Castile" is also sometimes applied to soaps from a mixture of oils, but a high percentage of olive oil.

  Fatty acid content of various fats used for soapmaking

  	Lauric acid	Myristic acid	Palmitic acid	Stearic acid	Oleic acid	Linoleic acid	Linolenic acid
  fats	C12 saturated	C14 saturated	C16 saturated	C18 saturated	C18 monounsaturated	C18 diunsaturated	C18 triunsaturated
  Tallow	0	4	28	23	35	2	1
  Coconut oil	48	18	9	3	7	2	0
  Palm kernel oil	46	16	8	3	12	2	0
  Laurel oil	54	0	0	0	15	17	0
  Olive oil	0	0	11	2	78	10	0
  Canola	0	1	3	2	58	9	23

   Next time: History of cleansing soaps