I want to switch to soap bars, but...

[theneverendinglaundry]

...I really hate the way my skin feels after using soap. It feels like it leaves a waxy kind of residue, whereas shower gel washes away cleanly. Am I missing something? Is it because I'm in a hard water area? Am I just using bad soap? (I tried a Faith in Nature cedar bar which smelled lovely).

Its putting me off trying any kind of shampoo bar too.

Thanks ladies I'll have a browse

I love those French soaps too. I always buy them on holiday. They have amazing scents. I had one which was an exfoliating bar full of gritty bits of seaweed I think. I LOVED it, it felt great on my feet and sloughed off dry skin on my arms and shins. I was so sad when it finished. Need to go back to a France for more now!

Basically glycerine soaps (transparent) are les scummy with hard water. They all foam up beautifully with the shower puff things though.

I like the Waitrose own brand glycerine soaps.

@nearlydinished1moreyear
Make sure you buy at least 40% olive oil soap. It isn't cheap but it is really the best and I live in France with lots of good alternatives like the savon de Marseilles available.

I think make it more of a treat by going to tkmaxx and getting a really luxurious smelling one

WallyWobbles - good to know about the glycerin soaps. I’m lucky to live somewhere there is pretty soft water but I always buy shower gel to go on holiday as my normal soaps have been a disappointment before when away from home.

Another one for Pears soup. No residue but it does smell like my grandma's bathroom 😆

The residue is the point of cold process soap.

It is made with fats/oils/butters mixed with lye. Higher quality soap tend to have a little bit more of the fats etc than the lye requires, thus when the two are mixed there are some unsaponificated molecules of fats (eg Shea butter or cocoa butter). These are left on your skin and help moisturise it.

Cold process therefore tends to be gentler, less drying and healthier for your skin.

Palm oil is used mostly in cheap soaps because it is a good all rounder fat that is cheap. But it is possible to get great quality soaps without palm.

My daughter has been out and chosen a lovely lavender soap for me, from a local seller today ❤ I'm going to have a lovely soak in the bath later, cant wait to try it out.

today i bought a handmade soap from a farmers market and one of those sissal soap bags to try in place of the plastic puff. I shall test them in a while!

Thank you for all your input, by the way. It's my mission this year to reduce plastic as much as I can and support local businesses.

well sissal soap bag is a thumbs up! no more plastic shower puffs will be bought.

soap in the bag, wet in bath, rub over skin. = nice latheryness and a bit of exfoiliating.

@theweebleshavelanded great to hear!

My soap was also a success. I'm a convert!!

you didnt buy it in Uttoxeter did you lol? there was a farmers market thing on today. sausage tasting and all sorts! Id seen the soap bags on the internet when googling alternative to plastic shower puff. But with shipping too many££ if I didnt get on with it. but the soap stall had them, so I thought ooooh Ill give it a go!

i did buy some sausages after i`d tried them lol!

mine was the lavender soap....reminds me of home (the lavender fields in norfolk).

Great to hear the soap love is spreading

@theweebleshavelanded haha, my soap was lavender too! But no I'm in Hertfordshire.

I use lush naked shower gel. It's amazing and lasts months. It lathers up just like a liquid shower gel. I rub it into a sustainably farmed grown sea sponge which lasts about a year. I have also moved onto lush shampoo bars , lush conditioner bars and lush bar moisturiser. All brilliant and overall cost less than plastic as they last far longer.

And no Dove is not soap but it's bloody brilliant and makes your hands feel lovely.

Use Little Soap Company. I find it leaves me feeling much cleaner and don't even need deodorant after.

An easy way to make your own bar soap is to buy the 'melt and pour' soap base.

You simply chop, melt in the microwave, add essential oils for fragrance and additives such as poppy seeds or dry orange peel to exfoliate then pour into soap moulds.

Kids with supervision would love it and be more keen on using their own soap! You can use a pinch of turmeric etc to colour the soap.

And you can have great fun experimenting with base, middle and top note smells. As said before, sweet orange and lavender gets my vote

Johnsons baby soap costs £1 for 4 bars from my local pharmacy. Sainsburys baby soap is 50p . Both smell lovely and designed for babies so ideal for sensitive skin.