Aim. To study the historical aspects of soap making, technological stages and methods, the main chemical processes accompanying the soap formation, and the peculiarities of choosing components for its manufacture. Materials and methods. Methods of information search, comparison and system analysis, and data generalization were used for research. Materials of scientific databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) were used. Results and discussion. The use of soap as a hygiene product began long before our era and was successfully integrated into our daily life in accordance with the modern needs of humankind. Industrial production of liquid, solid and dry soap is currently established and widely scaled. However, the content of synthetic components makes it impossible to use such soap for therapeutic and preventive purposes. Small “home” soap factories use many natural components and even refuse to add preservatives, synthetic dyes and fragrances, but these are soaps for daily hygiene. Conclusions. Therefore, the development of the composition and technology of soap for the complex treatment or prevention of dermatological diseases based on natural components is relevant.