History of Lava Soap

Lava Soap is an American brand of soap available since 1893 and is currently produced and distributed by WD-40. Lava's unique blend of soap and pumice is the ideal abrasive cleanser for heavy duty cleaning of skin that has been soiled by industrial grease, paint, tar or any other substance resistant to soap alone. Lava Soap is widely available in both bar and liquid form and is found in most American grocery and drug stores.

Origins

Lava Soap was developed by the Waltke Company, of Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1893 as a heavy duty soap designed to remove excessively heavy soils from skin.

Ingredients

Lava soap is a unique formulation of both soap and ground pumice (porous volcanic rock). The inclusion of pumice is what makes Lava unique in its cleaning abilities, as well as giving it its name. Current incarnations of Lava soap also include moisturizers to soften skin through repeated washings.

Usage

Lava soap is available in both liquid and bar forms, and is used for its abrasive properties that allow it to clean heavy stains such as paint, industrial grease and tar from your skin.

Brand Ownership

The Lava brand originated with the Waltke Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1893, it was then acquired by Proctor and Gamble, who sold the brand to Block Drug in 1995. In 1999, ownership of the brand and formula passed to WD-40, who currently holds ownership.

Availability

Lava soap is available in most grocery and drug stores and is found in the soap aisle. Per the company's website, WD-40 is working to make the brand more widely available.

Available Forms

Lava soap is available as both a bar and liquid soap. The bar is available in a 5 3/4-ounce size, while the liquid is available in a 7 1/2- ounce bottle with pump top.