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?

You can get moisturiser bars.

Yes I use soap. I moisturise after.

I use a dettol soap which works brilliantly

Late to this thread but if you’re still reading, OP I got this too when I first started using soap. I realised after a few days that I was just rinsing much more than I needed too - because shower gel just takes a bit more water to wash off me for some reason! Anyway I found I could be in and out of the shower in less than using soap 😂

I use soap over shower gel now. However, the soaps I buy are from a woman who makes organic, natural ingredient, essential oil and botanical scented soaps. I buy them in bulk from her. I find they do not dry my skin out due to the oils she uses in them. So perhaps you could find somebody like this, rather than commercially packaged soap?

On occasion, but I like the novelty soaps

I use Little Soap Company soap in the shower. Switched to soap bars as I felt uncomfortable re the packaging/storage/freight/non-biodegradable plastic impact on the environment of shower gel bottles.

I use a separate Eco Warrior face soap bar for my face and one by the same brand for shaving.

Both of these are available on Ocado where I shop anyway and they're on offer frequently enough that I never pay full price so works out similar cost as shower gel.

No. I prefer shower gel. Feel horrible just touching soap. Also I'd need 5 of them for each person (I'm not sharing a bar with anyone, no matter how much I love them!). Not sure what residue people are mentioning from shower gel, but in 38 years I've never had residue from it. I feel lovely and clean and smell nice.
Also, to the person who mentioned about using it in "their fanny". You don't. Outside only.

@LittleRebelGirl , what soap is it that repulses you? You can buy anti-bacterial soap, but regular soap won't be germy.
Shower gel is basically detergent. If you have ever washed a floor with washing-up liquid, it leaves a visible film on the floor, and shower gel leaves something similar on the skin.

@FayCarew
People who use the bar of soap on their body and not the flannel or sponge. I've seen it too many times and I know full well the others in my house would do it. 🤮
I don't want someone else's butt hole germs on me!
But on a separate note, I've never washed a floor with washing up liquid, no. But I still don't find the gel leaves a film on me at all. 🤷‍♀️

I briefly switched to soap in the shower, but have gone back to shower gel mostly because the soap sat in a slimy mess on the recessed glass shelf and was spoiling the aesthetic 😬

Use a soap dish?

You don't use it directly on your body, you rub it in your hands and use the lather on your hands to clean yourself. But still, DH and I do have separate bars of soap for the shower.

I love a good soap , I buy a lot of mine on Amazon like Savon de Marseille (French) or Nesti Dante (Italian) . I did discover a Pharmacy near me selling other luxury(ish) brands . I bought a lovely smelling Bluebell soap , think it was the Old English soap company . Now when I see a Pharmacy I've never been in before, I do pop in to see what they have . I don't buy supermarket soap though , find it too drying .
I do use one of those shower puffs to lather up the soap .

For those interested, a few things to bear in mind:

If you're veggy or vegan you will want to avoid tallow & lard; and possibly milk, honey & beeswax.

If you use soap for ethical and/or environmental reasons, be aware many major mass produced brands rely heavily on palm oil (sodium palmate) or palm kernel oil (sodium palm kernelate) - this is because it's readily available, cheap, moisturising, vegan & creates good bubbles. However, if you're avoiding palm oil in food, you may want to choose different soap to avoid it too. A few major brands already mentioned are made with palm - Imperial Leather, Pears, Nesti Dante.

@APurpleSquirrel , which soap contain lard?

@LittleRebelGirl , you won't see it on your skin, but it will be there.

I use Dove doesn't dry my skin out.

@FayCarew some artisan/small scale soap makers use lard as it's cheap & a byproduct of the food industry. It also makes very good soap - very moisturising & bubbly but obvious some people will have an issue with it. It would most likely be called Sodium Lardate on the ingredients list.
Our great great great grandmothers etc would have used lard or tallow to make soap, as they we the most accessible oil's available.
In places like the US many small scale makers use deer tallow, beef tallow, bear tallow, lard etc.

Dove isn't soap, @MrsCarson , the ingredients are different.

Thanks, @APurpleSquirrel . I'm currently using a vegan one Oliva Pure Olive Oil Soap | Holland & Barrett (hollandandbarrett.com)

I use Nesti Dante soap or the Scottish fine soap company. From Nesti I love their black cherry.
Yorkshire soap company has some nice ones too.

No inside the vagina but definitely wash the vulva folds and around the anus and perineum. Otherwise eeewwwww

Isn't Dove a 'cream bar'?

I have always used soap, any type all over my body.

I'd never associate soap with being moisturising. I want to feel squeaky and 'tight'!

I use a thick body moisturiser after a shower.

Just use plain water on the vulva. Soap unnecessary and can cause irritation or thrush, and can get in the vagina accidentally. You can use an emollient if you prefer which will stop water making things feel dry.
But I'm referring to the person who said they use it inside. I'm not saying don't wash!

Yes, I know how to use soap. But as I said above, plenty of others do not use it correctly and I'm not one for taking a chance on it!