Soap advice, please.

[AuntieDiluvial]

Advice gleaned from the MN Gurus tells me to try using block soap for my sweaty, stinky pits and bits, but to make sure it's not the sort of soap that is shower-gel-in-a-bar or loaded with moisturiser.

I've avoided soaps for years, as I found them horribly drying.

I'm allergic to fragrances, so my choice is limited. Yesterday I bought a handful of different fragrance-free block soaps.

I started with the Simple one. It was really difficult to rinse off. My hands felt slimy. Does this mean it has moisturiser in it? How do I tell?

I haven't tried the Simple one as I have never liked any of their products, ever. However according to its ingredient list it should be fine - it is a true soap. Do you have very soft water?

Both the Waitrose ones are very good.

Ah-ha - I have a water softener! Which, from experience tells me that this soap would probably be good for me to use when I'm staying somewhere with hard water, eg visiting family.

What ingredients do you look out for?

I like french marseille soap. The donkey milk ones are very good for sensitive skin and not perfumed although is a sweet smelling soap. I can buy it locally but should be online somewhere.

ReinettePompador you can buy the French Marseille soap from MrFrenchSoap on Facebook. I originally bought some at a local market but will order when I run out. The verbena and the pavot are lovely.

Holland and Barrett do very good soaps for sensitive skin. And they are bars of soap, not wash bars or cleansing bars or whatever you want to call them.

Please use the Dr Salts one and tell me what you think! I really like their bubble bath.

Thank you DancingHouse

Just in case anyone's interested:

The two Waitrose own-brand soaps: hideous. Used only a couple of times. Left my skin feeling sticky. The clear one felt particularly harsh on my skin.

Simple: very nice. Surprisingly long-lasting.

(This surprised me, as I use and generally like Waitrose Pure, and often find Simple a little harsh.)

Dr Salt: very nice and gentle, but a little too slimy. Like the Dr Salt shower gel, I think this is one for visits to hard water areas.

All the other soaps also slimy, but not as much. All very nice, not much to choose between them. The Avocado one smelled particularly nice (a treat when everything has to be fragrance-free!). It reminded me of childhood...DM's special 'luxury' soap...Crabtree & Evelyn?

I've tried a few other soaps this year. I wouldn't say that they have particularly helped with my nuclear 'pits, but most seem to go a lot further than bottled shower gel, so I guess environmentally more friendly. Cheaper, too, in the long run.

My favourite so far has been this soap. (It looks awful after a while - DH binned it thinking it was a mouldy pumice stone )