What is in carbolic soap?

Question

I purchased some today, it is orange and rather smelly. I used it in tropical countries as an anti-bacterial hand-wash. The place where I bought it also boasted it was a favourite of athletes and helped with acne. Anyone know what is is made of, why does it stink and why is it orange?

Answer 1

Carbolic soap is a mild disinfectant soap which contains carbolic acid, an compound extracted from coal tar. This soap was once the disinfectant of choice from operating rooms to private homes, and it can still be found in some regions of the world in drugstores. Several companies continue to manufacture carbolic soap as a reasonably cheap disinfectant, and some people like to use the soap out of a sense of nostalgia or a genuine liking for it.

One of the distinctive features of carbolic soap is its pink to red color, which is caused by the carbolic acid. Carbolic acid is actually used in a range of products, and in pure form, it can be a mild irritant. People who use a great deal of carbolic soap may find that their skin becomes irritated as a result of the prolonged contact; this is one of the reasons that carbolic soap was displaced in hospitals by more effective, gentle disinfectants.

The scent of carbolic soap is quite distinctive. Many people say that it reminds them of leather, and people who have been using the soap for years may find the smell quite nostalgic. The smell is also a feature in many medical memoirs, with authors remembering the smell of carbolic soap in operating theaters and hospitals.

Answer 2

Car`bol´ic    (kär`bǒl´ĭk)

a. 1. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid derived from coal tar and other sources; as, carbolic acid (called also phenic acid, and phenol{1}). See Phenol.