Items Retrieved from the Titanic: Vinolia Soap Survived

Who isn't familiar with the tragic history of the Titanic? Even before the 1997 movie Titanic, which depicted the evening of April 15^th, 1912 became a smash hit, people were fascinated with the history behind this great ship, also famous for being the largest ocean liner built at that time, and its passengers. Even the most trivial of information continues to be of interest to those who researched the famous event, right down to the brand of soap used by the First Class passengers onboard this luxurious ship that was believed to be unsinkable.

Vinolia Soap is a luxurious reminder of days gone by. An expensive soap for its time, it was priced at around 35 cents a bar, which made it a little too expensive for most people, who would hesitate to spend even 10 cents for soap. This is more than likely the reason it was the choice for the First Class passengers. Many of these unlucky souls had the distinction of being some of the richest and most prominent people in the world. They were used to luxury, and the White Star Line, owner of the Titanic, wanted to make sure they had the very best soap.

I was amazed to find out that this soap is still available for purchase. It is made in England, and you can order it online through the Vermont Country Store, or by mail through its catalog.

Knowing the history behind this soap, I just had to purchase some of it. The packaging is very impressive. Royal purple and gold are the colors of the individual boxes containing each hand packed , wax paper wrapped bar. The British Royal Warrant, signifying that this is a product supplied to Queen Elizabeth, is shown on the box. The soap is a large, 5.9 ounce, hard milled white bar of clean-smelling goodness. The scent is a bit like lemons. It is a very rich lathering soap due to the coconut oil and petroleum jelly included in the ingredients. Advertisements for this soap state that it is rich in "cold cream", but I don't see any indication of this listed. However, it is a very luxurious soap indeed. It leaves the skin feeling very soft and moisturized. I do wonder how it lathered for the passengers of the Titanic, though. It seems the bathrooms in the First Class section of the ship were provided with both fresh and salt water. In the early 1900s, salt water bathing was believed to be quite invigorating, but I'm not sure if soap and salt water mix very well!

Though not easily found in the United States, Vinolia Soap is considered as a luxury soap in other countries. It is exported to China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, The United Arab Emirates, and many other Middle East countries where it is known as the largest selling luxury soap.

The Vinolia Co. LTD has a fascinating history. Originating in England, it was in business at least as early as 1894, and more than likely for some years before that time. The company made many products with the Vinolia trademark besides its famous soap such as face and baby powders, ointments, toothpaste, perfumes, cosmetics, and shaving soap. William Lever bought the company in 1906, and the brand name still belongs to Unilever. However, the Vinolia Soap manufactured today is sold under the Pears trademark. Whoever sells it, it is quite a good soap that could hold its own and do well when compared to any soap on the market today. I enjoy using this soap, and imagining its use back in the early 19^th century. Vinolia Soap began to receive a lot more attention when the movie Titanic was released as more and more people became enamored of all things Titanic. If you'd like to experience what bath time was like for the wealthy passengers of this ship, do try a bar! I'm sure you'll enjoy using it just as much as I did.