Softsoap
Encyclopedia
Softsoap is the trade name of Colgate-Palmolive
's liquid hand soap and body wash.
William Sheppard of New York was granted patent number 49,561 for his "Improved Liquid Soap" on August 22, 1865, for his discovery that a small amount of conventional soap could be mixed with large amounts of hartshorn
to create a soap with a consistency of molasses
. His invention became common in public areas, but could generally not be found in homes. Some time later, the Minnetonka Corporation began to offer Crème Soap on Tap in attractive ceramic dispensers through boutique distributors. The Minnetonka Corporation was located in Chaska, Minnesota
.
The product was a success, and the corporation followed up in 1980 with a similar product designed for mass retail sale. Source/Inc. was consulted to produce the brand. They created the Softsoap name and designed a package that included a distinctive custom pump bottle with a cap that obviated the need for a secondary carton to enclose the product. The package made it very easy to spot on store shelves when nearly all other soaps were in bar form. Minnetonka extended their hold on the liquid soap market by buying the entire supply of plastic pumps.
In 1987, Colgate-Palmolive
purchased the liquid soap business from Minnetonka.
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
's liquid hand soap and body wash.
William Sheppard of New York was granted patent number 49,561 for his "Improved Liquid Soap" on August 22, 1865, for his discovery that a small amount of conventional soap could be mixed with large amounts of hartshorn
Hartshorn
Harts' horns, are the horns of the male red deer. Various substances were made from the shavings of the animals' horns.The oil of hartshorn is a crude animal oil obtained from the destructive distillation of the deers' bones or horns....
to create a soap with a consistency of molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
. His invention became common in public areas, but could generally not be found in homes. Some time later, the Minnetonka Corporation began to offer Crème Soap on Tap in attractive ceramic dispensers through boutique distributors. The Minnetonka Corporation was located in Chaska, Minnesota
Chaska, Minnesota
As of 2005, there were 22,467 people and 8,194 households residing in the city. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 6,235 housing units at an average density of 454.1 per square mile...
.
The product was a success, and the corporation followed up in 1980 with a similar product designed for mass retail sale. Source/Inc. was consulted to produce the brand. They created the Softsoap name and designed a package that included a distinctive custom pump bottle with a cap that obviated the need for a secondary carton to enclose the product. The package made it very easy to spot on store shelves when nearly all other soaps were in bar form. Minnetonka extended their hold on the liquid soap market by buying the entire supply of plastic pumps.
In 1987, Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
purchased the liquid soap business from Minnetonka.
External links
- About.com blurb
- Source/Inc.
- US Patent and Trademark Office