Clean and Mature Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cashmere Bouquet

Cashmere Bouquet was first made in 1872 and was one of the first soaps to have a floral scent. It is made by Colgate-Palmolive Company started by William Colgate on Dutch Street in New York City in 1806. The original products were starch, soap and candles.

Answer: Pears

This translucent soap dates back to 1789 in England. It is claimed to be the world's oldest soap brand. Pears won a medal at the Great Exhibition in 1861. Their ads feature charming Victorian images.

Answer: Dove

In a 1957 TV commercial, the makers of Dove claimed that their product was one fourth cleansing cream and thus was gentle and restorative for the skin. The commercial showed a clear container the shape of a Dove bar with liquid pouring in part way up and then the cleansing cream poured in to fill the empty space.

In 2004 Dove's advertising attracted attention (literally) when they created billboards of "real women" using their product, not just anorexic models but "women with curves".

Answer: Irish Spring

The original Irish Spring bar was green and Colgate Palmolive named the scent Ulster. Since the 1990's the brand was extended with advertising targeting women and various other scents were marketed and discarded.

Answer: Pumice

Lava contains pumice (grit from volcanic rock.) It was originally manufactured in 1893. In 2012 it was part of the WD-40 product line. Whereas many other soaps in this quiz brag about how gentle they are, Lava trumpets its harshness.

Answer: Ivory

Ivory Soap was first marketed by Procter and Gamble in 1879. Until 1992 it was also promoted for the fact that the bar floated in a bath tub. The reason it floated had to do with the minimal number of ingredients and the fact that air was beaten into the soap before the bars were formed and packaged.

In recent years the company added glycerine and some other ingredients so that the bar no longer floats. In the 21st century, aloe is another ingredient added to the soap in an attempt to increase market share.

Answer: Prevent rashes from poison ivy or poison oak

The composition of Fels Naptha includes harsh chemicals which can irritate the skin but also wash off the oily organic substance called urushirol which is transmitted by touching the leaves of poison ivy or poison oak. Ironically, if not washed off quickly the soap can be a skin irritant.

Answer: Lux

Marketing for Lux began featuring actresses and highlighting how Lux soap improved their image. The Lux Radio Theatre (and later Television Playhouse) broadcast scripted plays featuring well known actors and actresses of the time. The bar soap was promoted as being made with by the same processes as "fine French soap." Lux detergent was also featured.

The radio show ran from 1934 to 1955 and the television version from 1950 to 1957.

Answer: Round the clock protection against perspiration

Dial and one of its brand partners Coast are touted for their protection against perspiration odor once a person has showered with it. When Dial was introduced as the first antibacterial soap in 1948 the price of a bar was twenty five cents.

Answer: 2800 BC

An inscription on a Babylonian tablet dated back to 2800 BC contains a recipe for soap: fat with ashes boiled into it. Soaps continue to evolve with liquid body wash outselling the old fashioned but reliable bars.