THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO A TRANSPARENT BAR SOAP WHICH INCLUDES (A) SATURATED STRAIGHT-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS HAVING 12 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS AND/OR SALTS THEREOF AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM A BRANCHED FATTY ACID SALT AND AN UNSATURATED FATTY ACID SALT, THE TRANSPARENT BAR SOAP FURTHER INCLUDING (B) ONE OR MORE SUBSTANCES SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NONIONIC SURFACTANTS, AMPHOTERIC SURFACTANTS, POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOLS WHICH ARE KEPT IN A LIQUID STATE AT A ROOM TEMPERATURE, AND SACCHARIDES, (C) AN INORGANIC SALT, AND (D) WATER, WHEREIN THE FATTY ACIDS CONSTITUTING THE COMPONENT (A) ARE PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM 20 TO 40% BY WEIGHT ON THE BASIS OF THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE BAR SOAP, THE COMPONENTS (A) AND (B) ARE PRESENT IN SUCH AN AMOUNT THAT A WEIGHT RATIO OF THE FATTY ACIDS CONSTITUTING THE COMPONENT (A) TO THE COMPONENT (B) IS FROM 30:70 TO 45:55, THE COMPONENT (C) IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM 0.5 TO 5% BY WEIGHT ON THE BASIS OF THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE BAR SOAP, AND THE COMPONENT (D) IS PRESENT IN A REMAINDER AMOUNT OF THE BAR SOAP, WHEREIN C12, C14, C16 AND C18 FATTY ACIDS CONSTITUTING THE COMPONENT (A) ARE PRESENT IN SUCH AN AMOUNT THAT A WEIGHT RATIO OF THE C12 FATTY ACID TO A SUM OF THE C16 FATTY ACID AND THE C18 FATTY ACID IS IN THE RANGE OF FROM 30:70 TO 60:40, A WEIGHT RATIO OF THE C12 FATTY ACID TO THE C14 FATTY ACID IS IN THE RANGE OF FROM 20:80 TO 80:20, AND A TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE C12 FATTY ACID AND THE C14 FATTY ACID IS FROM 14 TO 22% BY WEIGHT ON THE BASIS OF THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF THE BAR SOAP. THE TRANSPARENT BAR SOAP HAS A HIGH TRANSPARENCY, A GOOD FOAMABILITY ESPECIALLY IN HARD WATER AND A SUITABLE HARDNESS NECESSARY FOR BAR SOAPS, AND IS FREE FROM PROBLEMS CONCERNING DETERIORATION OF ITS SMELL OVER TIME AND SOGGINESS. THE BAR SOAP ALSO HAS A HIGH PRODUCTIVITY AND CAN BE EASILY MOLDED INTO A DESIRED SHAPE.
