Soap bars, I can't believe the difference it's made to my hands

[FlaviaAlbia]

This is sort of a general thank you to those who posted about soap bars on a few informative threads.

I've been meaning to try it for ages instead of liquid hand soap and wandered though the soapy bit in TK Maxx yesterday and bought a bar.

I have awful problems with dry skin on on my hands and the skin on my knuckles cracking. I only started using it yesterday but I can see and feel a difference already. It's amazing!

I think it was just the dove bar - simple was fine! How odd...

Dove bar isn't soap, that maybe why (it's a "beauty bar"). My only complaint with soap is that it lasts so long & I keep wanting to try my new "flavours".

Fekko try Dr Bronner soaps (I get mine from Ocado). So far I've tried the Rose and Almond ones. Both lovely.

Lux bars are lovely too 50p in morrisons

I am confused - I find bars of soap dry my hands out horrendously, whereas with liquid soap they are absolutely fine (and I am a HCP, so I wash them a lot).

If I use a bar of soap just once, I am slathering on hand cream for days afterwards, whereas I don't normally need to use it at all.

Is it that I need to persevere for a while? Or do people either have skin that is dried out by handwash or by soap bars, and you just need to find which one works for you?

If it works for you I wouldn't change it DoubleLottchen I was using liquid and my knuckles were splitting even when I remembered handcream so it was frustration with that that made me give bar soap a go.

I stopped using antibacterial liquid soap and switched to normal liquid soap.

No cracking or drying anymore.

I discovered the joys of regular bar soap for my hands when left cleaning out a really grotty flat - someone managed to pack up the rubber gloves and liquid hand soap is brought along for the task and I was left to get on with the cleaning. I was scrubbing with harsh products on various filthy surfaces and needed to wash my hands frequently. There was only plain bar soap and I expected the combination of the cleaning products, elbow grease and the old-fashioned soap to leave my hands in ruins. I was stunned to find they were in better condition than on a regular day at home or work with fancy liquid hand wash. I never bought a drop of hand wash again.

Funnily enough, I failed to make the same connection with shower gel until I saw the "whiffy" thread on here and now use soap for my showers also.

I don't have hygiene concerns with shower soap as we each have our own shower puff/scrubby net thing and the soap is rubbed on to it, not directly onto the body.

I love the silicone knobbly soap dishes too, cheap, unbreakable, convenient.

I've got 3 soap dishes so far but the plastic ikea one is the best. Really holds the soap up and let's it dry. I'm going to get another couple of them next time I go.

DH is vaguely bemused by my sudden conversion to soap and my constant demand to "feel my hands, just feel them!" but as he uses dove he keeps saying he knew all along that soap was better.