Bar or Liquid soap?

[noenergy]

Which do most people use?

I assumed that liquid soap to wash hands and shower gel to wash was more hygienic as I heard that used bar soap contained bacteria. And also thought bar soap caused dry skin.

But seen in another thread a lot of people are reverting to bar soap.

So what do most people use and what is best for dry skin?

I use a bar soap in the shower (white imperial leather) partly for ecological reasons, partly because I’ve never got on with show gels (it feels like they’re more difficult to rinse off).

Liquid soap by sinks and basins, usually in a glass bottle, ideally refillable (aside from th bottle of Carex and hand sanitiser that is deployed when anyone gets D&V) just to keep the sink/basin area tidy and avoid soap scum. Though I do get eczema on my hands so I wonder if bar soap would be a better bet.

Kay...in a tin when not in use waiting to be used. Soap dish in shower

But then the tin and soap dish will be all scummy won't they? I would use bar soap but really have a thing about soap scum, it makes me feel a bit sick

Both. Different scents.

Seems like the majority is bar soap. Will give it a try. Agree about the soap scum.

kay you need a wire soap dish then the soap has air round it so it dries naturally and isn’t all wet. I have one like this, perfect. Bar soap here, much better than liquid soaps or shower gels - smell nicer, better for the skin, better for the environment and last much longer.

That thread made me a convert. Now use bars and won't be going back. Better for the environment and I feel cleaner and no more bo (not that that was a regular occurance). No issues with drying. I've been using lush soap but got loads of body shop for Christmas so hopefully I like that too.

Bar of soap isn't dirty. It's kept in a soap dish with holes and I lather it in my hands then use my hands to wash as I felt it was more hygienic.

@LadyPenelope68 will try that thanks

Dove bars for DH and DCs. Brissi soaps for me on a separate soap dish in the shower so the others don't use them (mine all mine and too expensive for those who shrug their shoulders and say 'It's just soap Mum')

I'm going to convert to bar soap after reading all these threads on mumsnet! Only in my bathroom though, will stick to liquid hand wash downstairs as I don't think guests would want to use a bar of soap.

Bars for financial and ecological reasons. We also use shampoo and conditioner bars. We make a concession and have liquid anti bacterial soap as we have a special needs child who is incontinent so use that at change times but bars all the way for normal use.

I use an olive oil bar soap. It’s lovely and leaves skin soft. No plastic packaging or palm oil.

Liquid soap not great for dry skin - full of SLS and the triclosan in anti-bac is just as bad. Bar soap is better or liquid soap specifically designed for dry skin not DOVE which is crap such as Dermol.

I changed to a bar after reading a MN thread on bar vs soap...

Terrible decision. DS got staphylococcal infection resulting in boils on his hands and the soap spread it to his face and mine. We both needed antibiotics.

Stick to liquid.

Duritti surely yours is an extreme case, how can you be sure it was the soap? You'd both have to touch a liquid soap dispenser too!

Bar soap for me, environmentally friendly.

It's very unlikely that it was the soap which spread the infection:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3402545/

Bar Soap in the bathroom, quid soap in kitchen, simple.

Kay..no they not. The tin is for unused soap so not wet so after three years of use it looks like new. The soap dish is washed in the shower and no marks on it one year later.

Bar, better for the environment and nicer soap.

I read that bar soap is far more effective in tackling body odour.

I have recently reverted to bars of soap because it's cheaper, I can buy soap in cardboard and not plastic ( recently learned plastic can't be recycled).

Dove bars of soap dried my hands but I'm currently using Sanex soap (4 bars cost me £1.50) and the dryness has completely cleared up in a few days.

I did use anti-bacterial liquid hand soap/shower gels before this until I seen the Shop Well for Less episode on bbc finding that you'd have to leave the anti-bacterial soap for about 9 hrs I think for it to actually kill all the bacteria, their findings were hands were just as clean with bars of soap.

If you give the bar of soap a final rinse off in hot water after using there’s absolutely no way it’s the soap that caused the infection. If someone has a staphylococcal infection on their skin it will pass to other body areas just by touching different parts of their body, or you touching them, nothing to do with bars of soap. Ridiculous suggestion.

How about for face? I want to get rid of the plastic bottles and switch to bars only. My husband just wants one soap fits all solution but he recently seems to be breaking out in lots of spots. We live in a hot climate although it is cooler at the mo (think height of British Summer). I don’t use soap on my face, only coconut oil to cleanse and then hot cloths. I don’t know what to tell him (except clearly the Johnson & Johnson body wash isn’t working for his face!!)

Are there any brands of soap that don't use palm like?
Even finding a homemade recipe without palm oil is difficult.

Bar soap! It cleans skin better in the shower and gets rid of germs better on your hands (antibacterial liquid kills all bacteria on hands whereas bar soap doesn't, just makes them slide off can't remember where I read that) saying that I use antibacterial hand sanitiser when I'm out and about.

Bar soap is cheaper and lasts longer also and the liquid plastic bottles take up too much space in the bin plus I use a lot more liquid which is not good for my bank balance. If I want to feel luxurious I use Nivea shower creme shower gel after I've soaped up so I don't need to moisturise as much

@chingchok my friend swears by Purdies of Argyle nettle soap for her face.