肥皂自中世纪后期传入英国，其作为一种产品，起初以家庭作坊生产为主，生产成本高，价格高昂。17世纪，面临行业垄断和高额税收，英国肥皂业发展艰难。从18世纪末开始，肥皂业的发展境况逐渐转好,路布兰制碱法等技术突破、肥皂税逐渐下降，肥皂价格降低。同时，工业革命影响下，环境污染严重，传染病横行，为改变这一局面，强调个人卫生、公共卫生的理念逐渐受到重视，用肥皂清洁身体成为常态。此外，工业革命中兴盛的纺织业也需要肥皂清洗纺织品，购买肥皂的意愿大大增加。在这些有利条件下，19世纪英国肥皂业成熟，进入飞速发展阶段，肥皂从高档奢侈品变为生活必需品。肥皂品牌、肥皂类型日益繁多，其中，梨牌、阳光皂等产品通过广告营销走向世界。本文通过爬梳英国肥皂产业的发展，力图反映19世纪英国的工业化、税制改革、卫生理念、国家意识，为研究工业革命时期英国社会提供新的角度。

Soap was introduced into Britain in the late Middle Ages. As a product, it was mainly produced by family workshop at first, with high production cost and high price. In the 17th century, facing monopoly and high taxes, the soap industry in Britain developed very hard. Since the end of the 18th century, the soap industry has gradually improved. With the technological breakthrough of Lubran caustic soda process and the gradual decline of soap tax, soap price has decreased. At the same time, under the influence of the industrial revolution, environmental pollution were serious, and the transgressive behavior of infectious diseases has changed this situation. The concept of personal hygiene and public health has gradually been emphasized, and the habit of using soap to clean the body has become normal. In addition, the textile industry flourishing in the industrial revolution also needs soap to clean textiles, and the willingness to buy soap has greatly increased. Under these favorable conditions, the British soap industry matured in the 19th century and entered a stage of rapid development. Soap changed from high-end luxury goods to necessities of life. Soap brands and soap types are becoming more and more diverse. Among them, plough board, sunshine soap and other products are going to the world through advertising marketing. By reviewing the development of British soap industry, this paper tries to reflect the industrialization, tax reform, health concept and national consciousness of Britain in the 19th century, and to provide a new perspective for the study of British society during the Industrial Revolution.