This article will teach you how to know if the soap is good or bad for you. It will also educate you for TFM value and grading system of soaps and the best soap brands of India.
We use soap as one of the most basic things in our household and of course it is the most overlooked item as well. We often but soaps that either have nice looking packaging or those having good fragrance or colour. But do we actually see the contents our soap contains? Do we wonder if it is the right choice to make? No, right? Well, soaps can determine your body and skin’s health, this is why, you must ensure the quality of your soap before you buy them.
It is important to maintain your personal hygiene. The hygiene is not defined by keeping your external environment clean but it also means that your internal environment should also be disease-free. Even if you are not having any diseases, you should still consider getting a routine full body checkup to ensure your overall well-being. Book Now!.
What is TFM?
One of the most important parameters that determine the quality of soap is TFM or the Total Fatty Matter. TFM gives the information about the total amount of fatty matter that gets separated from the soap sample when Hydrochloric acid or other mineral acids are used. The amount of fatty matter present in the soaps usually comes from fatty acids including stearic acid, palmitic acid, sodium oleate and oleic acid. These can bring the TFM levels of the soap to around 92.8%. Nowadays small and medium-sized factories use soap tablets for making soaps that help bring down their TFM value to 78% having and 14% moisture. When we add preservatives and fillers to the soap, their TFM value drops up to 50%.
The main factor or the ingredient that determines the quality of soap is its total fatty matter in soap. The soap is less harmful to your skin when the value of TFM value becomes higher.
- The hydrating nature of the soap is indicated by its higher TFM value. This is why it does not cause your skin dryness. These soaps pose less harm to your skin and are considered safe for your skin.
- If your soap has a lower TFM value it means that the soap can pose certain damages to your skin. These soaps having low TFM value tend to draw moisture from your skin, which makes you feel dryness in your skin. Due to dryness in your skin dryness, it can cause sensitivity that can eventually lead to skin breakdown, skin infections, and rashes.
What Are the Different Grades of Soap?
Toilet soaps are classified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) into three grades depending on their total fatty matter (TFM) content and other properties.
Grade I
The guidelines for soaps under this category (high-grade soap) are:
- They can be homogenised or milled.
- These soaps should be thoroughly saponified.
- They can be added with colour and perfumed or they can be white as well.
- They should contain in themselves a cleaning and good lathering properties.
- They should be compressed into a smooth and firm cake shape.
- The lowest value of TFM should be almost 76%.
Grade II
The guidelines for this category of soaps are:
- Soaps in this category should be thoroughly saponified.
- The soap's texture should be smooth and firm.
- Soap in this category can be coloured, white, or scented.
- Soaps in this category should have good cleaning and lathering properties.
- The TFM value for soaps in this category should be 70%
Grade III
The guidelines for soaps in this BIS category are:
- The soaps should be smooth, saponified
- The texture of the soap should be firm.
- The soaps in this category are usually red due to cresylic acid presence. However, they can also be white or of other colours.
- The soaps must also have a good cleaning and lathering properties.
- The soap TFM value should not be lower than 60%
Which Are the Best Toilet Soaps in India?
The toilet soaps that have a high TFM value are considered as the best toilet soaps. Therefore, investing in a grade 1 soap, you should not buy them as it is a low-quality soap. The details of the soap are given at its back cover, you can easily know the TFM content of it. Some Indian brands of soaps having grade I high-quality.
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Mysore Sandal
It is manufactured by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents. It is made up of 100% natural sandalwood oil of Mysore, vegetable oils and almond oil. This is commonly called the ‘liquid gold’ having a sweet aroma. It has 80% TFM value. Mysore sandal has various properties including antiseptic properties, it softens, nourish and rejuvenates the skin, and helps reduce the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles.
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Cinthol
The Godrej consumer products manufacture this soap. This soap is a refreshing soap that helps in keeping skin healthy and glowing. Cinthol soap has other benefits including- it provides protection from acne, rashes, pollution, blemishes, sun and dust exposure. It helps keep the odour of your body away and helps reduce any problems of skin. It has 79% declared TFM value.
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Superia Silk
ITC manufactures this soap. It contains natural ingredients including butterscotch, orange peel, and almond oil that renders your skin radiant and glowing. It has 76% of reported TFM value.
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Godrej Fair Glow
The Godrej consumer products manufactures this soap. The soap contains a formula of protein which helps increase fairness of your skin and helps reduce the melanin protein amount in your skin. It also helps inhibit further production of melanin. This soap also helps in removing dirt from your skin and impurities. It has 76% of reported TFM value.
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Park Avenue
The forever body care industries manufacture this soap. This soap has a fragrance and contains shea butter. It helps cleanse, nourishe, heal, re-hydrate and rejuvenate your skin rendering it even softer. It has 76% reported TFM value.
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Godrej No. 1
The Godrej consumer products manufacture this soap. This soap contains natural ingredients including sandal, turmeric, and natural oils. It helps provide natural nourishment to your skin and helps clear the skin making it more smooth and beautiful in appearance. It has 76% of the reported TFM value.
Soap Parameters Tested by Consumer Affairs
The various parameters of these grade I soaps were tested by Consumer affairs. The value of these parameters as depicted by the consumer affairs is given in the table below.
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Mysore sandal soap has
- TFM value- 80.67%
- Moisture- 6.33%
- Lather- 10.0ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.47%
- Chloride- 4.93%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 87
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MCinthol soap has
- TFM value- 80.15%
- Moisture- 5.13%
- Lather- 8.42ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.75%
- Chloride- 4.69%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 83
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Supria silk soap has
- TFM value- 76.21%
- Moisture- 7.0%
- Lather- 8.42ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.71%
- Chloride- 4.13%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 82
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Godrej fair glow soap has
- TFM value- 76.07%
- Moisture- 5.96%
- Lather- 8.68ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.75%
- Chloride- 4.61%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 78
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Park avenue soap has
- TFM value- 76.17%
- Moisture- 5.46%
- Lather- 9.21ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.77%
- Chloride- 4.63%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 77
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Mysore sandal soap has
- TFM value- 76.15%
- Moisture- 4.48%
- Lather- 7.89ml
- Insoluble matter- 4.74%
- Chloride- 3.94%
- Total score (Out of 100)- 77
Takeaway
Using right soap can give good impacts to your skin health by not only maintaining its glow and hydratin but it also helps protect your skin from certain harmful pollutants in the environment. Now you must have understood the quality of the soap hence, you should select the soap only after looking at its TFM value that is given at the back cover of your soap.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are grade I vs grade II soaps?
Soaps in Grade I category have more than 76% of TFM value whereas soaps in Grade II category have more than 70% TFM value but less than 76%.
Which are the grade II soaps in India?
Grade II category soaps in India include vivel, margo and lux.
What are the different types of soaps?
Soaps are categories into two types: toilet soaps and laundry soaps. Laundry soaps are manufactured using petroleum and tar containing low value of TFM. The toilet soaps are manufactured using vegetable oils and fatty acids containing high value of TFM.
