Dial Soap has been around since the 1940s. According to the Dial website, the deodorant soap was born after chemists discovered that bacteria on the skin caused perspiration odor. They developed an antibacterial ingredient and combined it with a blend of 14 different oils to launch a new soap with a light clover fragrance. The soap was given the name Dial to show it provided “‘Round The Clock” protection.
Triclocarban
Triclocarban is the first ingredient listed on Dial’s Gold Antibacterial Deodorant Soap and the only ingredient termed “active.” This is the ingredient that gives Dial is deodorant quality. Triclocarban, or TCC, is an anti-bacterial agent. CosmeticsInfo.org reports it’s widely used in bath products, cleansing products and powders and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on the skin. Since TCC prevents or slows the growth of bacteria, it’s used in some cosmetics and personal care products to prevent spoilage.
Soap
Soap leads the list of inactive ingredients on the label. Soap is a combination of animal fat or plant oil and lye, which is also known as caustic soda. The soap in Dial is made with one or more of the following ingredients: sodium cocoate, sodium palm kernelate, sodium palmate and sodium tallowate. These are produced when lye reacts with the solid fats from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil and tallow, according to the Science Toys website of soap ingredients.
Other Ingredients
Water and talc follow soap on the ingredient label. Next come a series of acids. Dial contains one of more of the following acids: coconut acid, palm acid, tallow acid and palm kernel acid. According to the Science Toys website, these fatty acids ensure the lye is completely reacted and the soap feels good on the skin. Peg-6 Methyl Ether is used in soaps to make dyes and perfumes blend evenly. The fragrance listed on the label gives Dial its scent, and the glycerin and sorbitol which follow on the label are used to enhance the texture and appearance of the bars. Sodium chloride is common table salt. Pentasodium pentetate and tetrasodium etidronate act as water softeners, and the colorings yellow 5, yellow 8 and red 4 give Dial its gold tint.
References
Writer Bio
Carol Ochs is an award-winning writer in the Washington, D.C. area. During 17 years with The Associated Press she covered health, medical and sports stories as a writer, editor and producer. She has written for the health section of "The Washington Post," a Fairfax County stewardship publication and a biopharmaceutical newsletter. Ochs has a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Ohio University, Athens.