▁China , ▁Australia ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁manufact ured ▁and ▁market ed ▁by ▁Un ile ver . ▁Pers il ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁by ▁Hen kel . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁commer cially ▁available ▁" self - activ ated " ▁la und ry ▁d eter gent . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁two ▁of ▁its ▁original ▁ing red ients , ▁sod ium ▁per bor ate ▁and ▁sod ium ▁sil icate . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁ch ore ▁of ▁was hing ▁the ▁la und ry ▁began ▁to ▁change ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁was hing ▁pow ders ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁These ▁new ▁products ▁originally ▁were ▁simply ▁pul ver ized ▁soap . ▁New ▁clean ing ▁product ▁market ing ▁success es , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁introduction ▁of ▁Gold ▁D ust ▁W ash ing ▁Pow der ▁( created ▁by ▁industrial ▁chem ist ▁James ▁Boy ce ▁for ▁the ▁N . ▁K . ▁Fair bank ▁Company ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ), ▁proved ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁ready ▁market ▁for ▁better ▁clean ing ▁agents . ▁Hen kel ▁& ▁C ie , ▁founded ▁in ▁Düsseldorf ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁purs ued ▁the ▁opportunity , ▁and ▁on ▁ 6 ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁launched ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁product , ▁Pers il . ▁The ▁manufact urer ▁had ▁found ▁a ▁method ▁to ▁add ▁sod ium ▁per bor ate — a ▁ble aching ▁agent — to ▁its ▁base ▁was hing