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!

Can I ask what soap bars you use on your face please? I have dry (sometimes flakey in the winter) skin and am wondering what would be best to use.

Offs. Since reading this thread is have ordered soap to the value of £45. I think it will last me a lifetime .

I use dove soap for face and nethers, and Lush sandstone and lime soap for the rest of me. Makes me feel and smell fantastic :)

For dry skin, you ideally want a traditional cold method soap with all the glycerin still in it, made from a base of olive or sunflower oil (not mainly palm oil as it can be drying), that's made with extra oil so some remains to moisturise after the soap has cured (often labelled as a mild, gentle or facial soap for dry/mature skin). The most important bit is the glycerin - it's a natural byproduct of soap-making but commercial soap often has it removed because it can be sold on for ££.

Artisan/handmade soap makers are usually a safe bet for proper traditional soap. I like these ones and am also using a pomegranate olive oil soap from Palestine that I buy locally. They're lovely and not drying at all.

Btw Dove isn't a soap - it's a bar with soap, other detergents, and moisturisers combined. Many Lush soaps have added SLS. They're both much harsher than a gentle traditional soap - I can't use them at all!

That purenuffstuff looks great. Will have to have a look next time I'm in Penzance.

I use these soaps, they are hand made locally to me and I love them. They are organic so have no chemical or anything. They even use recycled products for their packaging where possible.
Its made a massive difference to my skin and it's definitely less dry than it was when I used shower gels

www.cliffehouseorganics.com/collections/standard-soaps

I came across a 4 pack in Morrisons before Christmas and it feels just like my beloved Waitrose soap. It’s just “Morrisons Pure Soap” but is £1.25 for 4 bars rather than £1 per bar in Waitrose.

Also did the same and switched to soap - Simple. So much cheaper than shower gel and got rid of the slight whiff when I got hot. Cheaper and less plastic waste.

Well, today I spent a long time in TK Maxx looking at the soap. They do have some lovely soap, but a lot of it looks like it would irritate the skin and is highly perfumed. I bought a couple of bars of Korres and then went to L'Occitane across the road. Their soap looks absolutely gorgeous! I am going there to stock up once I've used up my stockpile. The best soap I have used has been bought in France and made from olive oil. They really know how to make soap in France.

Kez, just had a look at the website you mention. The soaps look gorgeous! I am going to order some...

Wonder if Pears soap sales have rocketed since this thread began ....
I'm now converting my DM and sisters.
I've bought a lovely enamel, vintage soap dish for my kitchen sink and it looks so nice.
I find even the act of rubbing the soap really quite lovely.
I'm converted

I'm a convert too!
I bought the Nesti Dante in Lavender and also in Rose & Peony. My teen DD immediately snaffled the Lavender! I love the Rose & Peony, it is a very delicate smell that lingers throughout the day. I have used it daily this week and my skin feels so much better!
Thanks for the face soap recommendations too.
What soaps can you recommend from France? I'm visiting later this year and may try and stock up if there are some good recommendations.

I bought mine from markets. They lasted ages and were absolutely gorgeous.

I converted to soap approx. 3 weeks ago but my skin seems to be getting dry and itchy. I'm going to have to try and remember to moisturise afterwards. I'm using Palmolive olive soap at the moment. I'm also finding it weird because i'm used to shower gel being slippy but when I use soap I feel like it sticks to me.

Palmolive is harsh. If it's their regular soap, it has a lot of weird ingredients like talc and foaming aids (and it's not vegetarian, in case that's a concern).

Try a hand-made olive oil soap and it should be a lot less drying.

My dp's mum just sent me about 6 bars l'occitane cherry blossom soap that she got as a present and didn't want. Beyond excited!

Little Soap Company Avocado soap for sensitive skin is down to £1.96 at Waitrose atm, one third off. Worth a try fairgame84? Really pure ingredients. They also do an olive oil one.
www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/little-soap-company-avocado-soap-bars/842805-604644-604645

Ooh thanks Auntyelle. No Waitrose near me but I'll check out the website.

Looks like Little Soap Co is also stocked at some Boots, Tesco’s and Sains. But I also found this own-brand Sainsbury’s bar which has good ingredients, fragrance-free and is 50p a bar, 24p/bar if you buy a 4-pack:
www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/soap-handwash/sainsburys-pure-bar-soap-125g

I found a few 6 packs selection box of Nesti Dante in my local TK max yesterday. They had the fruit fragrance selection and their Toscana range, both for £15. The bars are smaller than the full size ones but I don’t mind that!

I've been using soap all this time since the thread started and would never bother with shower gel again now. But I still use loads of cleansers on my face so I very much doubt I've improved my carbon footprint in any way, tbh.

But I just prefer it. Am working my way through a pack of Cussons Pearl and it's lovely. Not very exciting though so I must look in the market! We live in a markety type of town so I'm sure there are artisinal soaps everywhere if I look.

This thread is interesting. Do any of you use soap on skin with eczema?I have always been lead to believe that its a no no for my eczema yet I once used some Lush honey soap and it was lovely and didn't irritate me and my skin felt fresher than when I use emollient washes. But I stopped using it because of the bad press about soaps and eczema.This thread is interesting. Do any of you use soap on skin with eczema?I have always been lead to believe that its a no no for my eczema yet I once used some Lush honey soap and it was lovely and didn't irritate me and my skin felt fresher than when I use emollient washes. But I stopped using it because of the bad press about soaps and eczema.

Not myself, citygirl, but I’d go for as pure as possible, eg www.littlesoapcompany.co.uk/product/olive-oil/ or the Sainsbury’s pure soap mentioned above.
Some of the supposedly traditional brands include lots of synthetic chemicals that you wouldn’t expect to find in soap.
Lush Honey I Shrank the Kids soap includes SLS, which to me is bizarre - putting a detergent into a soap

citygirl I have eczema and I use Dr Bronner’s soap on my face and body, and to wash hands. No problems with it at all. I also always bought soap would be awful for me but it isn’t!