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?

Milk based soaps - donkey, goat etc dry less.

Wouldn’t you smell of sour milk afterwards?

I use pears soap. Now I am going to go to TK Maxx and get some fancy french soap!

I find shower gel not as effective for me. I moisturise daily anyway after a shower and my skin would dry out after a shower gel anyway.

Waitrose have lovely own brand soaps, really cheap too

i find the glycerine ones leave less scum in my v v hard water area but I’m not sure they’re as good for my pits

Soap. Always and forever.

Same I love it

OP- you’ve described the problem I’ve always had with soap and never been able to put into words. I love using it in the shower, but when I rinse it off, my skin feels weirdly tight and squeaky. People look at me like I’m mad when I say that!

Most soap bars do that to my skin but tar soap doesn't so that's what I use even though it makes me smell like an old ship also fixed DS's dry skin/mild eczema after all the different prescribed creams and emollients failed.

Saves me so much money as lasts a lot longer than shower gel, and I lather it onto a scrubbing glove so exfoliates a bit as well.

I sort of rotate the soap into a shower puff thing held in the other hand. This lathers the soap up really well.

If you rinse the puff out at the end and hang it somewhere I’ve never had one go manky/mouldy/rotten. Plus the ones I get can go in the plastic recycling once they’re no good any more.

Another vote here for goats’ milk soap. Very soft and gentle. Doesn’t smell in the least bit ‘goaty’.

simple soap
havent had shower gel in the house since dc left home

Another soap-maker here, it's so easy once you know what you're doing. Because the glycerine produced during soap making is left in it makes it extra moisturising (artisan soap is like this too but most commercial soap has the glycerine taken out and sold separately.)

This recipe is lovely as we have our own bees so use our own honey and beeswax; lovelygreens.com/honey-oats-and-beeswax-soap/

@Isoqueen we have little jute bags that hold the soap and give a bit of a scrub in the shower, and I just slip the old bits into that. Or you can save the ends until you have a few and just squish them together.

We have been soap converts for about three years now. I won't be going back to shower gel.

I use soap and shower gel! I have some olive oil soap that I bought in Greece from and Olive Farm and it doesn't dry my skin (I use it on my face sometimes). I have two more bars then I may have to go on holiday to Greece again to stock up on it (and the olive oil).

@BillLius seriously 😳 ? Obviously you don't smell of sour milk. They don't make it with sour milk.

So strange isn't it?! It's not necessarily drying on the skin at all, but that initial rinse off feeling is so strange

I use L’Occitane shower gels/oils. The bottles can be taken back to the store for recycling - as can all their packaging - or you can buy refills of some products or even refill in store from dispensers.

The squeaky feeling is dryness, but also it shows you are properly clean - shower gels don't remove oil etc from your skin, so they leave behind lots of sweat/dirt/bacteria. Have you never heard the expression "squeaky clean"?

I use soap and then moisturise my legs afterwards. The rest of my body doesn't seem to dry out from soap, it's probably used to it.

I use a dove bar but after rinsing it off, I use a cheap body lotion while still in the shower and give that a quick rinse off too.
Makes your skin lovely and soft without the greasiness.

We moved to handmade natural soaps (Cloverly) about 6 months ago.

I've not felt a difference in my skin. Plus be the type of soap?

You don’t need to strip all the oils out of your skin. They forma natural protective barrier.

I've always used soap, I don't really understand the point of shower gel. It's so much more expensive and an unnecessary use of plastic.

Sorry, rant over If you want non drying soap, try olive oil soap, really gentle on your skin. I buy Aleppo soap normally.

People are so weird on Mumsnet. You don't have to squeak to be clean.

We use dettol bar soap after having it recommended by a gp when I'd had some nasty bug bites.
That was about 8 years ago! Hate shower gel now, it feels so slimey in comparison.

I only use Simple, not keen on gel!

Yes. Dettol. That's the brand I use. Couldn't think of the name. Thank you.