Does anyone use soap instead of shower gel?

[shimmerondown]

I've seen it recommended loads on here but I have a question...

I tried using just a soap bar and I feel loads cleaner, squeaky clean and fresher for longer

However, it really does seem to dry out the skin? I don't know how to describe it, but basically it's fine when cleaning with it but when you rinse it under water, the skin has this tight feeling?

I don't mean dry skin when dry if that makes sense.

What soaps do people use that don't have this as any soap I've ever tried does this?

I use dettol soap. Not exactly the most luxurious smelling but need an antibacterial soap now I've hit the menopause. Love Pears soap too.

I use Faith in Nature soap in shower & use for shaving under arms, legs and it feels cleaner. I use a small amount of shower gel. I also try to use soap to wash hands. It's to be more environmentally friendly. But it does leave a nice scent for longer than liquid gels.

I just lather it up in my hands, if I had to use something else I'd use a new washable flannel each time but hands work absolutely fine. Sponges/shower puffs are a breeding ground for bacteria which kind of defeats the object of getting properly clean with soap.

I have used body shop soaps for ever before over the years they have got smaller more rectangular and now changed formula pink grapefruit was my all time favourite 🥺 help

Yes they are huge. I cut mine in half and put half on the sink, half for the bath in little soap dishes. Last forever and make the bathroom smell lovely

I don’t understand shower gel. I was beguiled once by the marketing of the all in one shower gel, bubble bath, and shampoo. I didn’t like it. You have to keep pumping more gel out and applying more because it doesn’t lather up much or it disappears after I’ve done just the top of my arm. I also don’t like the residue on my skin. I like my products to rinse clean.

I like using French soaps, they are natural, smell delicious, lather hugely, and only have four or five real ingredients instead of a paragraph of toxic chemicals I don’t want. Also French hand soap. I would buy any brand from any country but so far the French soaps are the best I’ve found that actually live up to their ‘natural’ advertising.

Not in my experience and ive used soap only daily for over 20 years.

Me too! I haunt their reduced section looking for lovely soaps in damaged boxes. Then I hide the soaps in drawers and cupboards ready to rediscover when needed.

It’s very satisfying to lay a fresh cake of naturally scented French soap in the shower. Shower gel, just no.

I wonder what happened to the crème rinse hair conditioners? Can’t find them anymore.

Flannel mostly, hands, and a puffy thing on a stick for my back.

I’ve read the word soap so many times now it doesn’t feel like a proper word.

That and I keep reading it as soup.

I went back to bar soap a couple of years ago, mainly for environmental reasons, and now much prefer it, both for using in the shower and for normal hand-washing. It lasts much longer and is more effective.

I sometimes buy Imperial Leather but my favourite soaps are round clear ones that I buy from the local health food shop. They come loose so there is no wrapping except a brown paper bag.

I don't find soap drying, but I do moisturise after a shower anyway.

Agreed 😁

I use Rose Otto argan oil soap from Waitrose. Other soaps dry out my skin but this is lovely.

Oat soap or goats milk soap are my fav to use. I have v sensitive skin and find both gentle and moisturising

Same and I never went back to shower gels or any other soap after I used it

I like using French soaps, they are natural, smell delicious, lather hugely, and only have four or five real ingredients instead of a paragraph of toxic chemicals I don’t want.

Me too. L'occitane or Marseille, all the way. The big block ones. Love them.

I actually use both depending on what I fancy at the time.

I’ve used Imperial Leather soap for over 50 years, and Lux before that for 16 years. I’ve never found either of them dry my skin, but since being post menopausal I bung on a bit of moisturiser occasionally, more for my hands after gardening, than my face. I’ve never been keen on either plastic bottles or potions, and prefer a long hot soak in the bath to a shower, so shower gel never appealed.

I absolutely love soap and use it in the shower. It’s my guilty pleasure though and I spend a fortune on it and always look for the best ones that are not drying and scents that last too. I am currently using a Chanel one that is gorgeous and a tiny bit exfoliating too.Before that I a Miss Dior one that was nice but I am not a huge fan of the perfume. My favourite one is a rum soap that smells amazing and lasts for ages, it is moisturising too. Nesti Dante dries my skin out a lot and the smells don’t last. Neom used to do a lovely one but it looks like they have discontinued it. I have used L’occitane and Jo Malone too. Always on the look out for lovely smelling soap. I also always buy olive oil soap whenever I go to Greece. For cheaper soaps I like Fenjal and also the detol sensitive one is great in summer,, it washes off any bacteria from sweating.

Soap is so much better for cleaning your skin and in the summer is great for armpits etc, it properly scrubs off your deodorant and stops any sweat smells. I hate shower gel, it is so drying, doesn’t last long and leaves my skin feeling weird. Plus using soap is environmentally better because it reduces all the plastic packaging used.

I use soap. Hand washes and shower gels etc. just seem so wasteful of plastic.

I too switched a few years ago to cut back on the plastic bottles and haven't regretted it for a minute. I'd recommend soapsforlittlesuds.co.uk/ fabulous soaps (plus bath bombs, shampoo, conditioner etc).

I use a Body Shop body polisher (which can be bunged in the washing machine), and Nesti Dante soap - current one is fig and something or other. Smells lovely.

I use soap, too. I really don't like the gels at all. Certain soaps don't agree with me - funny thing is, they are usually the more expensive ones. I get handmade soaps quite often and find they are usually good. I would like a nice easy recipe for recycling the bits at the end instead of throwing them away as I do just now.

Same.