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Coal tar soap anyone?

(91 Posts)
Whethertomorrow Sun 21-Jul-24 11:21:48

Does anyone else use coal tar soap, the proper one made by wrights?

I’m having a lot of skin issues at the moment (spider bite) and then a sweat rash inside my elbow from too much crocheting.

Usually I use loads of different creams to heal these sort of things and shower with different shower gels. But I treated myself to a bar of old fashioned coal tar soap and it worked a treat. It’s not too drying and smells wonderful.

I’m just wondering if there’s any actual detergent in shower gels or is it all perfume and emollients.

Is there anything you would recommend?

Pinkhousegirl Tue 23-Jul-24 11:59:35

I would recommend Savon de Marseille, made from the third pressing of olives. Lasts for months, smells wonderful and doesn’t dry your skin. Mild enough for babies as well.

lovesreading Tue 23-Jul-24 11:49:53

We buy the bar and the liquid soap as well. The bathroom always smells wonderful.

Grandmama Tue 23-Jul-24 11:43:55

Discontinued using it years ago then more recently my late DH insisted on it for the kitchen. New bars seemed to smell throughout the house!!

PamQS Tue 23-Jul-24 11:41:37

We always had coal tar soap, I think it was for its disinfectant qualities. I was always falling over and scraping my knees!

I can’t use shower gels any more as my skin reacts badly. I have to use stuff from the chemists for washing dry skin.

sandye Tue 23-Jul-24 11:41:20

for a sweat rash I use Sudocrem or 1% Canesten. I worked in a pharmacy and that is what we recommended and they are very good. Soap wise coal tar is good or tea tree.

handbaghoarder Tue 23-Jul-24 11:40:38

Always have a bar of Wrights in the shower room. Love the “clean” smell.

Pammie1 Mon 22-Jul-24 16:08:36

I love the smell of coal tar soap - it makes the bathroom smell clean too.

mae13 Mon 22-Jul-24 16:05:46

Yes, definitely. It's the smell that does it - wonderful! It's a truly clean smell.

Esmay Mon 22-Jul-24 15:04:02

The best bath product which I've used is by Tulipan Negra - a Spanish company .
A friend stocks it . I could buy it on line of needs be .
I can shampoo my hair and use it on my body without getting any dryness nor irritation .
My skin is really touchy .
It hates the sun or being hot and many skin products aggravate it .

Casdon Mon 22-Jul-24 13:24:52

Oh no, you’re right JamesandJon33 I’ve just checked and it’s been discontinued. I had two bars for Christmas, this is my last unopened one. That’s really upset me, it’s brilliant, and I’ve been using it for at least 10 years.

JamesandJon33 Mon 22-Jul-24 11:09:26

Casdon I have just been on the Sanctuary website; they do not seem to have a salt scrub bar. Pots of salt scrub but no bar. Am I looking for the right thing ?

Casdon Mon 22-Jul-24 07:04:07

It reminds me of the outside toilets at junior school, cold water and coal tar soap, I hated it. I use the Sanctuary salt scrub bar now instead of traditional soap, it’s not drying, lasts ages and I love the smell.

NotSpaghetti Mon 22-Jul-24 06:53:27

Wrights Traditional Soap is no longer a coal tar soap - it's a tea tree soap now. As karmalady says, coal tar is a carcinogen and although still available for treating, say, psoriasis, it's not a good idea to use it every day.

Greyduster Mon 22-Jul-24 06:51:12

I use it but only for my hands. It was the only soap DH would use in the bath or shower. He hated liquid soap.

karmalady Mon 22-Jul-24 06:15:43

Coal tar is potentially carcinogenic. A good quality neem soap and/or moisturiser is recommended

25Avalon Mon 22-Jul-24 05:36:26

Isn't soap back in fashion? Or rather bars are so you get shower bars and hair shampoo bars to save on plastic packaging.

JamesandJon33 Mon 22-Jul-24 05:34:40

Does anyone remember the coal tar burners, used for heavy colds and coughs?

Whethertomorrow Sun 21-Jul-24 23:32:51

Wow, seems like good stuff. It’s a shame soap has gone out of fashion and shower gels are heavily advertised.

25Avalon Sun 21-Jul-24 22:14:49

Years ago dd had a sort of eczema. The dr prescribed coal tar baths. The coal tar came in emollient form, turned the water brown, and left a disgusting ring on my pale blue plastic bath. It cured the eczema and also inhaling the bath water opened the airways and cured any cold I might have whilst giving dd her bath.

NoraBone Sun 21-Jul-24 22:06:16

I use it all the time. I have psoriasis and in the 70's used to have a thick ointment that absolutely reeked of coal tar to treat plaque psoriasis. I now have strong medications for psoriasis but love the smell ...

Purplepixie Sun 21-Jul-24 22:00:23

Yes, use it all the time. Great!👍

rubysong Sun 21-Jul-24 21:50:23

We use Pears soap in the shower. Not only does it avoid bringing plastic bottles into the house, it also avoids waste as when the bar gets very small it fits into the new bar.

CV2020 Sun 21-Jul-24 20:42:38

I use Dove soap in the shower. Anything else does not agree with my skin. Used it for years. Love the smell of Wrights Coal Tar bars of soap.

Primrose53 Sun 21-Jul-24 20:22:09

Very occasionally I buy a bar just to sniff it. It is just such a clean and evocative smell.

J52 Sun 21-Jul-24 19:43:53

When DS was young had an unidentifiable rash on his back the doctor prescribed coal tar shampoo used as a body wash, it worked to take the irritation away.
DH’s Dermatologist advises Sanex as a shower gel.