Soap bars -going back in time

I love Jo Malone, but it’s purely birthday present territory as it’s too expensive, so I use L’Occitane as an everyday soap. It isn’t exactly cheap either, but it lasts, and doesn’t seem to go into mush on the sink.

The scents are evocative, I can’t smell Wrights Coal Tar without thinking of my grandmother, who had a no-nonsense approach to toiletries! My other grandma always had beautiful little round patterned floral soaps, but I don’t know the make.

I'm a soap girl too. Never stopped. Mine is either Bronnley lemon or Wrights coal tar. Extremely different but both lovely.

DH likes Wrights Coal Tar, I wash my face with Pears and the smell is so evocative. On holiday in America last year I bought a mat that fits the soap dish. It’s made of rough plastic wire so the water drains through it and I just rinse it under a tap every week. No soggy soap!

I use Caurnie soap which is made locally in kirkintilloch. It comes in different flavours/smells : rose,manderin,lavendar and there is nettle soap which is supposed to be good for sorisis(sp).

Also remember Cadam-for madam, but do agree that Pears used to be bigger. Would love to try the olive oil soap, where is the best place to get it from?

I use Pears soap, also Palmolive, but must admit we do have liquid soap for anyone having a phobia about bacteria.
I am glad bars of soap are back again.

The best way to stop soap bars going soft and mushy, is to stand them on the bristles of an upturned nail brush

Definitely Pears Soap - it's a lovely golden amber colour and has a no-nonsense smell. It's almost too nice to use!

I use beautiful handmade soap I got from Etsy. I promoted my husband to get me a box of three fabulously scented bars for my Christmas. I cut them in half so I can swap fragrance more often. I’m on my second half , so four to go and it’s june! My skin has never been better. I can’t think how many plastic bottles of body wash I’d have use.
It’s defiantly worth spending on an artisan product as it really could be the thrifty and eco choice

I love Imperial Leather but my DiL bought me some soap from LUSH. It's wonderful. I'm using up all my liquid soap with the aim of going back to bars - the 'olden' days are returning!!

Mum always had Sunlight soap in the kitchen for washing up and Lux in the bathroom. No bottles of washing up liquid, shampoo or shower gel when I was growing up!

Soap bars here cause such a lot of scum - I expect it is because we have very hard water?

Thanks all for remembering Shield. Surely all soaps are deodorising! ?

The Wonderful man always uses a bar of soap and has two favourites; Cyclists Soap and Wright’s Coal Tar. In the loo used by visitors I have a liquid soap and a bar of Imperial Leather.
I was gifted an enormous box of beautifully fragrant French soaps the Christmas before last and store a bar in each of my bedroom drawers, my undies and nightclothes smell lovely. I also buy Olive Oil soaps when I'm in Greece.
When my youngest son was in his teens he was a keen potter and made me several very pretty glazed soap dishes.

When my Mother lived in Spain, she sent me 'Maja' soap, delicious and full of olive oil. Now, any lemon scented soap is perfect.

After reading these posts I'm going to unwrap and use some of the lovely soaps I've got stashed away.
While on this no plastic thread has anybody tried bar shampoo and conditioner?

I’m using the olive oil soap I bought in Greece and my elbows and heels are much softer and no dry skin. I wouldn’t say it has a fantastic lather and I’ve got soft water, but it goes on like a cream. I’ve stopped using body lotion as well. It’s a win-win.

T K Maxx do a lovely range of soaps, quite large size bars too. Discovered these recently when in the queue to pay the soaps were all in the area near the tills. Used to use Pears soap for years until it changed the original formula a few years ago. I read a newspaper article about someone who was devastated Pears were changing some of the ingredients, that this person scoured the country buying up the "original Pears soaps" before they completely disappeared of the shelves. I think it now uses palm oil to replace what was in its original formula. I have tried it and although it still has the lovely fragrance it is not the same as before. I now use Arran Aromatics, a Scottish made soap, and have one of their wooden grooved soap trays which stops the soap becoming too sticky.

Sorry to say I didn't know that shower gels and liquid hand washes were plastic.
What about laundry detergents?
I still use bar soap - got some coal tar and dove at the moment. And we used to use Carrefour's Nectar of Nature range. Also savon de Marseille whatever that's made of.

ps My Mum never used soap, only water. And I rarely use it, apart from shampoo.

I use the 'Godiva' shampoo bar and 'Jungle' solid conditioner from Lush, and my hair's in fabulous condition, even being washed and blow dried every day!
Also, their 'Rock Star' soap is, or was lovely, they've recently changed the formula and I'm not as keen on it now.
I can also recommend 'Volcano' foot mask, also from Lush, it works wonders on my sore and aching tootsies after days of running around after DGS!

I tried an expensive shampoo bar (forget the brand), but my hair felt like straw after using it, so went back to Dove shampoo, alas in a plastic bottle.

I’ve been trying to cut down on my plastic consumption as well. I’ve been using soap bars for my hair too, and buy from a company called Funky Soap, as well as The Body Shop.
I use a bamboo toothbrush now, an old fashioned safety razor, and bamboo, metal and paper straws.
I always buy my soaps from companies that don’t test on animals...sadly some of the soaps others have mentioned do still test on animals ?

Interesting post. We are now going to try using soap now as the plastic outlet pipe in the shower seems to be deteriorating and I'm wondering if it's the shower gel we're using.
On the subject of soap I remember that Grandma always used a dark green type, think it was Cuticura.

I use Sanctuary salt scrub bar in the shower (sometimes it is on a 3 for 2 offer) .
Great.
It lasts a long time.
Pears soap has a lovely smell to it -nostalgia.
I once met Miss Camay 1960 -or maybe 1958 -at a function.
She still looked good

I used to love the smell of coal tar soap and lifebuoy.