Take a good look before you buy your soap

Yes, we all know and experience the unbearable cost of living today with the prices of essential items rising steeply without any control day-byday.

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a 1 Kg laundry powder packet for Rs. 220 for which I had to pay Rs. 370 yesterday.

And then, has anyone noticed what’s happening to our soaps which we use multiple times a day? Please have a look at the label and observe the TFM value of the soap. If one searches the internet for the meaning of TFM, it will inform you that; “The most important factor to be considered in soap quality is its total fatty matter (TFM). Higher the TFM quantity in the soap, better is its quality. As per BIS, Grade 1 soap should have 76 per cent minimum TFM, while Grade 2 and Grade 3 must have 70 per cent and 60 per cent minimum TFM, respectively.”

The SLS standards are: (please see table)

What is the difference or type of use between a Toilet Soap and a Bathing Bar? To my understanding, both are used on the human body. What really is a “Bathing Bar”?

Now have a look at the soap product you use. Many soaps are now labelled as a Bathing Bar, in very small print and at most times illegibly!

Next, I’ve noticed another “trend” in the packaging patterns! For example, solids packed at 1.2g, 1.8g, 80g, 85g, 90g, 136g, 140g, 190g, 245g etc. and liquids packed at 240ml, 330ml, 370ml, 840ml etc. These weights, quantities seem to go down (never noticed a rise) without any prior notice.

Can some expert educate us, the innocent citizen, about this phenomenon, please? Concerned citizen

Colombo