A quick note about saponification: Soap, in it's most basic form, was probably discovered a few thousand years ago by ancient priests.  In those days, priests made sacrifices by burning the carcass of an animal on an altar built out of rocks. Wood was used to build the fire.  As the carcass burned, fats would have dripped down to the bottom of the altar, and the ashes would have also fallen down to the bottom. Rain water mixed with wood ash creates sodium hydroxide, also called "lye".  Fats saponify when mixed with lye and water.  That is, a chemical reaction occurs, creating soap. So the soap found at the bottom of the altar was primitive, but it was soap - a basic necessity gift from God.  How cool.