Newly converted real soap users - what changes have you noticed?

[KnownUnknowns]

I'm not sure if this is related to using soap instead of shower gel or something else has caused this change but I no longer have hard dead skin on the heels of my feet and dh whose feet have always been a bit of a mess with cracks etc has found the same thing - but he's a bit more cynical about soap being the reason.
So I'm curious soap users - have you noticed the same thing?

Waitrose own brand 4 pack.

Shampoo bars - I've tried 3 from Lush and one from a local stall. All contain SLS. I just rub them a bit onto my wet hair and they lather up really quickly. Then I put the bar down and lather up some more - just like with normal shampoo.

The Lush ones were all good. The local indie one was extremely harsh - if I had started out with that I wouldn't be using shampoo bars at all.

Tomorrow i will try the Kerenza & Lola bar (up a few posts) which is SLS free, vegan, scented with essential oils etc - I think this is what I am looking to progress onto - something with less harsh chemicals and more natural oils. I will report back.

flippin make sure that those soaps are well drained after use - they need to dry out a bit between uses. If you leave them in a puddle they will go soggy v quickly. I've found goat milk soap is very delicate.

You can use soap for washing your hair - what makes it shampoo? - they add extra oils for moisturising dry hair, sometimes extra glycerine - or less oils for greasy hair. Your hair is not any more sensitive than your skin - give good quality bar soap a go - see what you think. Sometimes I get a lather on my hands and sometimes I rub the soap on my hair depending on types of oils in soap will determine how quickly they are to lather. Coconut lathers well but it isn't moisturising and olive oil lathers poorly but it is moisturising, if your skin is sensitive to variations you need to choose carefully.

I get the Dr Bronner pure castille hemp soap from Ocado they have all the flavours. It's so lovely and mild and lasts ages.

I converted in February!

I just bought 20 bars of Knights Castile online - my favourite, and dead cheap. I like Johnson's baby soap too. I switched from shower gel in February.

My skin is less dry and irritated, my clothes smell fresh after wearing even if I've been sweating, and now you mention it my heels are indeed much better! I used to use one of those foot files but I would find that a few days after using it my skin would be even rougher than before.

The only drawback is the chalky residue it leaves on the sink and bath. On the flip side, as someone already mentioned, there is less bathroom mould. Would rather chalky residue than mould!

I bought some of those magnetic soap holders that stick to the tiles - means you don't need a shelf or similar and the soap dries properly between uses. £2 each from eBay: www.ebay.co.uk/i/153050781671?chn=ps&adgroupid=49511180526&rlsatarget=pla-399467217094&abcId=1130086&adtype=pla&merchantid=6995734&poi=&googleloc=9045598&device=m&campaignid=1029032630&crdt=0&ul_ref=https%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover%252F1%252F710-134428-41853-0%252F2%253Fmpre%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.co.uk%25252Fi%25252F153050781671%25253Fchn%25253Dps%2526itemid%253D153050781671%2526targetid%253D399467217094%2526device%253Dm%2526adtype%253Dpla%2526googleloc%253D9045598%2526poi%253D%2526campaignid%253D1029032630%2526adgroupid%253D49511180526%2526rlsatarget%253Dpla-399467217094%2526abcId%253D1130086%2526merchantid%253D6995734%2526gclid%253DCjwKCAjw9qfZBRA5EiwAiq0AbUQ3yYR9NV8E5KMJFO0KLIR-7ZavitOWMocxKD6s_8Ei-AMAcbDnjhoCUggQAvD_BwE%2526srcrot%253D710-134428-41853-0%2526rvr_id%253D1571952670005%2526rvr_ts%253D1e6106d11640a860e1511c58fff36991

I've been using one of the Friendly shampoo bars (lavender and geranium) and I can thoroughly recommend it for anyone with fine, floppy but straight hair. My hair has volume and shape with no other product on it. It feels dry as well. I didn't use conditioner but then I never do. I tried a Lush shampoo bar but it didn't have this effect, plus it's more expensive.
I will still need dry shampoo for day 2 but I wouldn't mind washing every day again and not using dry shampoo.

I like the idea of bar shampoo but what about conditioner?

Been using the Lush shampoo bar and conditioner for a few months - I prefer them to bottles but the shampoo is very snappy so kept breaking up. Think a ball would have been a better shape!

Anyway, I've just ordered a shampoo bar and face one from Friendly Soaps so will let you know how I find them!

Spooted some bars of both shampoo and conditioner on the Superdrub website. Has anyone used "Hair O" range? They are SLS free.

I gave in this evening and washed my hair with a bar of milk soap I got in tk maxx. My scalp is way less itchy already, there's definitely a noticeable difference. Phew.

I can't remember the brand but it was in black and white packaging.

Well I've got some simple soap and a little soap co lavender to get me started!

Flavia, would it be called Au Lait? Clean and soapy smell?

I had a spare in the airing cupboard and checked, it's Korres milk soap. I used it again yesterday and my scalp is way better which is great as I was about to go mad with it.

What about your hair? Mine is coloured and dry - am worried it will damage it!

We use bar soap, shampoo, conditioner and shaving soap here. Currently got a geranium and rose one going on the bath that MIL picked up from a market town on a recent visit. We have a TKmaxx one on the sink called ocean waves. The TKmaxx ones are ok but a bit big for small hands so I sometimes chop the big ones in half. I use lush at the moment for hair stuff but wanting to try something else next. For shaving soap I’m using Taylor’s of old Bond Street in rose scent with my safety razor. So far so good.

I’ve noticed my heels aren’t as dry and my Fanjo doesn’t break out in thrush when it comes into contact lol. I’ve also noticed my KP looking less angry but it’s worse in winter so we’ll see about that lol.

I love bar soap for the environment, my purse and the smell (plus it stops the kids squirting it all down the drain)

It is a bit dry I think, but it's really short and usually pushed up a bit for a messy look, then I get about a third of it chopped off every month or so so any damage won't be there for very long.

I'm not sure I'd care even if I had longer hair though as I'm no longer wanting to scratch all the skin off my scalp! I realised that I'm 3 months postpartum and my hair is falling out due to that so I was wondering if it was linked to the itchiness

Any other recommendations for shaving soaps? I use a safety razor. I'm hoping for a bar with a good lather where I don't need to use a container and brush. The soaps I have in the house have nowhere near enough lather for it. Not sure if it's due to the very hard water.

I wasn't sure if the Dove bars (since they are not really soap) would be good for this? I've never used them. I found what seemed to be a perfect soap on the Funky Soap website but it's so far out of stock.

i don't smell!! i don't like simple. waitrose do a nice one dr. something? i don't like fragrance... I LOVE IT

Anyone tried shaving oil for legs, was wondering about it?

www.amazon.co.uk/King-Shaves-Kinexium-Sensitive-Silicon/dp/B000FX88XS/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?keywords=shave+oil&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1529961790&sr=8-3

To get the shower tray or bath clean just use washing up liquid, far more efficient than shower sprays, and better for the environment in most cases.

I find I don't really need a special shaving soap. I just use my regular soap (cheap and cheerful supermarket own brand) and it works a treat.

Good shout on the washing up liquid LaChatte Will bear that in mind. Baking soda - which I get in handy 5 kg tubs off Amazon - does the same, too.

I get baking soda and white vinegar in bulk.

You don't need separate products for most purposes - I clean the sinks and the shower with an ecloth and vinegar the soap just washes off.

For shaving I always use soap or conditioner, if the soap you are using doesn't have enough slip for a comfortable shave then find one with glycerine, that will help enormously.

An finally not only are my feet less dry, my legs are too! No more scaly skin!

I started to use bar soap instead of shower gel a week after this thread was first posted, so it's been about 3 weeks now.

What I've noticed is similar to others :

less sweaty under arms

KP on arms and legs is much improved. It does improve a little in the summer but not to the extent it has since I got rid of shower gel. It's barely noticeable on my arms now and after being too self conscious to wear sleeveless tops in summer for years, I'm now happily wearing them. Legs are better too but I tend not to get those out in public very often!

Dry skin on heels is massively improved. I'm in the habit of soaking my feet daily in a bowl and would always add a massive squirt of shower gel to the water. Have been using only soap and they're so much better. They are usually worse in the summer.

I've been using the French orange soap mentioned upthread from Ocado/Waitrose. I can't see me going back to shower gel and am looking forward to trying lots of different lovely soaps in future!

I'm convinced that shampoo is wrecking my hair and am interested in using soap instead.Haven't been brave enough yet and won't try Lush as I don't use their products.

I'm using soap on my armpits and PitRok deoderant at the moment.
Results are - fresh dry underarms, no staining on my clothes and no smell (hurrah)

I bought some in Boots ( single bar, wrapped in brown paper £3.50ish) but it was the only non-tested bar I could find (I looked in Superdrugs and John Lewis but I CBA going to H&B)