Fat-Based Soap
Conventional soaps main ingredients are fat with an alkaline solution. When used for cleaning, soap solubilizes particles and grime, which can then be separated from the article being cleaned.
The process of making fat based soap usually entails turning fats (vegetable or animal) into glycerin with the help of an alkaline solution, often lye or sodium hydroxide.
Plants as Soap
In ancient China, a detergent similar to soap was made from the seeds of Gleditsia Sinensis (Chinese Honeylocust). It was ground and mixed with various spices to form mandarin sized balls to clean your face, body and hair.
In many folk records, soapnuts and other plants were also in use as detergents for household and personal cleaning purposes.