History and cultural significance
Before face washing was known to be for hygiene purposes, humans started the practice of face washing for religious or cultural rituals back in history.[1] It started with simply scraping off the skin using objects like stones. Across different civilisation, humans started to discover soap making, and naturally incorporated the use of soap to help with face washing. One of the earliest record soap making processes is seen in Sumerian clay tablets in 2000 BC.[1] In 600 BC, plants and natural substances like tree ash and animal fat were added to soap made by Phoenicians. Romans similarly discovered the formation of soap around Mount Sapo.[2] In modern days, saponification is the process used to make soaps of all kinds. The idea of using soap for face washing continued to expand and develop to fulfil humans’ needs. Plant extracts are still seen to be added to face cleansers available in the market due to a wide range of proven benefits.[2]