Soap instead of shower gel

[Firstaidnovice]

Just wanted to say that based on a thread I read on here probably a few months ago, I swapped my shower gel for soap (I think the original thread was about deodorant, as OP felt a bit whiffy not long after showering, but lots of people recommended switching shower gel for soap instead).
Anyway, the difference is remarkable! I went to a stupidly hot soft play with DS at the weekend, where I had to follow him round the bloody playframe for an hour, (which is a whole other thread!), and still felt pretty fresh that evening, which I never would have been before. Same for the mornings, I usually wake up feeling a bit stinky because I seem to get very hot overnight, but no more! I'm just using Simple soap bars, two for £1. Amazing!

Just seen that there is currently a third off Little Soap Company in Waitrose. They do an unscented one with avocado oil for sensitive skin. Plus lavender and rose geranium ones.
A couple were discussing whether to go bar or liquid, they plumped for bar

I’ve never used shower gel, always used soap. Dh is the same.

And they use sustainable palm oil

Floris soap is lovely

I’m so jealous that I don’t live anywhere near a Waitrose 😕

I have always used soap in the shower. Makes me feel very clean.

My favourite soap is the white musk soap bar from bodyshop, but shame that they have discontinued it.

Ha

coolcarrie and murphys.
Came on this to find looking for recommendations - and my mum has just been on the phone from SA asking what she can bring me —- I shall send her to Rosebank!

I used to live in greenside.
And my high school is in parkview.
Rosebank was my fav mall!

hi you get knights castile soap from that well known online site which is named after a river in south America

Personally I use non scented soap first then shower gel after for the smell. Soap tends to dry your skin and seems worse in winter. The shower gel is basically to moisturise and to smell nice!

I'm doing the same. Saves so many plastic bottles!

The whole point of switching from soap to liquid hand-wash is because it's more hygienic, do you have any idea how much bacteria is breeding on that soap?

gogreenhongkong.com/2011/09/20/the-truth-bar-soap-vs-liquid-body-wash/

OK I'm in. I'm a personal trainer so I take a lot of showers and I'm paranoid about smelling fresh for my clients. I spend a fortune on shower gel.

I don't have a shower area that lends itself to soap storage though. I'm wondering if you can 'make' a liquid soap by grating bar soap and melting down with water and glycerine or somesuch. Or does that defeat the point? Perhaps it creates a solution that's too concentrated.

Germs can and most likely do live on all bars of soap, but it's very unlikely they will make you sick or cause a skin infection. Generally, those with a compromised immune system are really the only ones who should be extra cautious and stick to liquid soap

bit.ly/pBCI48 DM link

Body shop soap bars are lovely. I also like trying out artisan soaps from little gift shops or trendy market stalls. Much nicer than shower gell and can be interesting hunting for new types.

I have a birthday coming up and my dad always asks me what I'd like,I'm going to ask for lots of Nesting Dante soaps!

**nesti

I have never used shower gel, it's full of chemicals. I usually use either some lovely expensive Roger and Gallet which lasts for ages and ages or I have organic type lavender soaps from Waitrose. They also have one which is Moroccan rose.
I find shower gel makes my skin sore and itchy and also I do not use anti perspirant. I use Cuticura medicated talc and patchouli oil under my arms and bosoms.
I smell worse with deodorant.

Ps I have no idea how much bacteria is on the soap and i do not care, no one ever got ill from soap if they do not share it- probably prefer germs to petrochemicals on the whole! NO ONE must touch my soap though- they can have banana shower crap

do you have any idea how much bacteria is breeding on that soap?

Do you? How many are there?

My nan always smelled of soap. Its a lovely clean smell. I have always bought soap and recently found my 5yo DS squashing it into a ball whilst washing his hands. I have bought the anti bac pumpy soap and now his hands are so dry!

Sorry, NRTFT

I gave up soap when I developed acne in my teens as I was advised by several people, including a doctor, that the soap would make it far worse due to bacteria levels from the rest of the family using it. And also because soap is so drying it would cause my oil glands to become even more overactive to compensate, as well as having lots of chemicals and fragrances in them to make them smell nicer.

I've never touched soap again and have stuck to unfragranced pH balanced shower cream only all these years. Was all that advice wrong?

I still had acne, only Roaccutane had the power to tame it in the end. But I still get clusters of cystic spots to this day.

If I switch back to soap could it help with spots, does anyone know?

Aha! I'm soooo gonna try this soap thing and see if I can be converted! I'm a bit worried about smelling and never thought that switching from shower gel might help. Every day is a school day!

Argh! Haven't read the whole thread but saw someone say glycerine was derived from palm oil and had to leap in...

Soap facts

Glycerine is a natural product from soap production, whatever the oil or fat used.

Triple milling actually removes the glycerine, to make a finer-textured bar that doesn't go snotty* as quickly.

Manufacturers then take the glycerine and add it back in to the premium soaps and charge you extra

Coconut oil is very good for lather - only soap to lather in salt water - but drying to the skin, so best kept as a minor ingredient.

Olive oil makes a fantastic creamy soap that doesn't lather brilliantly, but is lovely and soft on the skin. It will however start snotting* unless dried out lots between uses.

When I make soap, I add a small quantity of beeswax to help it stay hard for longer (phwoar) and maybe a bit a coconut for foam as we're in a very hard water area

Try making your own - Google "room temperature soap" and you won't even need thermometers - but do melt beeswax first if using. And use gloves, goggles and tie something over your mouth and nose. And have a small vat of vinegar to hand in case you splash any over yourself.

You can make 2 years worth of soap from a litre of cheap olive oil plus a bit of sodium hydroxide (try the Soap Kitchen online) and a bottle of still water. Which will all come to about a fiver. Throw in a tiny bottle of essential oil for another five and you've got some serious luxury for not very much

*technical terms, obvs