What kind of foam do you like?

[mbarker]

Now that was odd. One of the lunchtime variety shows had a short piece about research going on here in Japan to provide improved body soap -- you know, that stuff you use to wash your body with in the shower or bath?

Anyway, they showed us a researcher putting a dab of new, improved soap in the palm of his hand, then adding a little water, and rubbing. Moment later, he had two hands full of suds. And, for the highlight, they showed us that the suds are so solid, you can put a one yen coin (aluminum, and very light) on them, and it just sits on top without sinking in at all.

They also did a side-by-side comparison with current generation soap -- about three times as much suds from the same amount of soap and water.

The reporters got into the act, taking a dab of soap, adding water, and rubbing their hands together to produce mounds of soap. And commented that it felt good.

But, I have to wonder, do I really want lots of suds, stiff enough to hold up coins? I'm not quite sure that I ever thought of that as a desirable quality in my shower...

Comments

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

I'd be a little concerned about how long it takes to get the suds to go away....I mean, if they are that solid, what happens to them once they get in the drains? Do they ever wash off the skin? That doesn't seem like a great advance in soap, but thanks for the warning!!! :)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Good questions. It felt as if they've figured out a way to make the soap do something... but was anyone interested in having it do that? Of course, now I'm noticing the ads for shampoo and soap and how many of them seem to have mounds of foam as a main point. Maybe people really do want to play with the foam?

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

When I was little I liked to pile foam on my head to make a bubble wig (do only little girls do that?) so it might be great for that. Or for those times when you want to be decorously covered with foam as a concealment (okay, I can't think of any occassions I'd use foam for that but there might be one). Otherwise, it doesn't seem that useful, but I could be wrong. I can't wait until it comes here and comes under the scrutiny of the enviromentalists.