If you don't get responses here, try posting on the Conversations side of the Home Decorating forum. Or the Kitchen Table forum.

I buy my soap at Costco, usually their own brand.

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Decorating - conversations

I have used Dove bar soap for many years and because it doesn't leave ring in the tub it also rinses off of me easily. Just recently a dermatologist recommended it, that reassured me I was using the right soap.

I do not use an antibacterial soap on anything.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Thu, Jun 5, 14 at 13:30

My doc, not a dermatologist, suggested Dove soap also, but I found that I prefer Oil of Olay for its moisturizing qualities.

I never use antibacterial soap except in the kitchen when I've been working with raw chicken.

My first consideration is will the bath bar cause a rash (hubby is soap sensitive). Second, will it work well in our extremely hard water (the moisturizing types like Dove, Oil of Olay, Caress, etc. work the best in hard water). Third, cost (less than $1 per 4-oz. bar). We generally use unscented Dove or Kroger or Equate (Wal-Mart) "Dove" knock-offs.

There are any number of tests that have proven antibacterial soaps do not actually remove more bacteria than regular soap and water. The link below gives more information about that.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: WebMD - Plain Soap as Good as Antibacterial

I have read the same thing. Twenty seconds of soap and warm water do just as good. I don't lay any meat on my counter top I use a dish in the sink or a tray of some kind.

I use a spritz bottle containing a teaspoon of bleach to 1 quart of water for sanitizing the surfaces in the kitchen before, during, and after food preparation (and don't forget to wipe the handles on your refrigerator and dishwasher ;-). This solution kills the three most common kitchen bacteria that cause food poisoning and is recommended by the CDC.

-Grainlady

After years and years of using the blue and white Coast deodorant soap on everything, even my face... my dermatologist suggested switching to Dove for Sensitive Skin.

I now use Cetaphil liquid soap for face, cream for a moisturizer, and the lotion for the rest of me.
I had hubby do the switch too. Both of us have fewer and less severe skin issues. For years we had no issues at all but as we aged things changed. :(

Now we'll use a deodorant soap only on underarms when we expect to be or get really dirty or sweaty.

Never use anti bacterial soap except for in the kitchen because that's about all I can ever find.

I wish that Dove soap was as effective at eliminating my itchy skin in the summer as Safeguard and Dial soaps are. I have old, sensitive skin, but in the shower in the summer I really like an antibacterial soap after working up a sweat and I'm 73 years old. I once had a dermatologist who listed Dial (original gold or white bars) as one of the least irritating soaps available and I have found that to be true. Dial has less triclosan than Safeguard, and Cetaphil Antibacterial has even less triclosan than Dial but I can't stand the smell of Cetaphil.

So what I'm saying is that I have to throw in some antibacterial soap to take care of some itches I get in hot weather, but maybe I'll see if I can reduce the amount this summer and use Dove Beauty Bar more often.

Thanks for your replies.
Pat

Triclosan, is very bad and the org. in charge of stuff like this is thinking it should not be used anymore. The level in our bodies and rivers is very high. There are antibacterial soaps without it, most have just alcohol now.

I think itching gets worse as our skin gets thin and dry as we age. My BIL's doctor told him not to bathe every day, if you feel the need just wash the stinky area's. I leave my skin damp after a bath and put lotion on. That way we lock in the dampness in. When I use bath oil, I get in, get wet then put oil in the tub, that helps me.

I do not use bath soaps as they irritate my skin and make it feel drier than it is.

I use Olay Moisturizing Body Wash. I've tried the store brands. The Target brand isn't as rich or creamy. The WalMart and Sam's Club brands are comparable to the Olay brand and a bit less expensive.

Isn't body wash the same as soap just in another form? I don't use body washes, I think they are more expensive to use than a bar of soap.

No, not all body washes are the same as soaps. The body wash I mentioned is soap free.

Yes, body washes maybe more expensive, but not always because one does not need a lot of it to wash completely.

Additionally I have extremely dry skin (a diagnosed skin condition) which is very sensitive to any type of soap. I've been known to simply rinse my hands in hot water in public bathrooms because one squirt of the harsh soap will bother me the rest of the day. A small squirt of an alcohol free hand sanitizer follows.

Sorry about that, it must be awful.

I will try the Olay Moisturizing Body Wash. I did not know it was soap-free. I do not like the Dove Sensitive Skin body wash so I just assumed the Olay would not be any better.
I thank everyone here for commenting.
Pat

I use Dove bar soap in the shower. My husband has been using lifebouy white soap. I find that my skin does well with the dove bar soap. If I use the lifebuoy it gets very itchy.
Mary

I buy plain white unscented Dove in bulk at Costco and have it in all three bathrooms + laundry room sink, but keep a pump bottle of something mild too at the sink in the guest bath and kitchen sink for those who might not want to use a bar on their hands.

OT, years ago I came home from the store with Ivory bar soap. DH sneezed for about 10 minutes straight when he used it in the shower - out it went.

Pat, I don't know if or how your younger skin might compare, but my mother is 87, still swims at her Y 5 times a week (chlorine) and she was complaining of overly dry skin. I bought Aveeno bar soap and lotion, both the day and night formulas, at my drugstore for her and she tells me better...

I used liquid soft soap for a couple of years then found Jergen's liquid at dollar tree. I tried it and is wonderful. My thoughts are that soft soap was harder to rinse off. I don't feel the dryness as much when I use Jergen's. Dermasil is almost as good, both are very hard to find. The only place I can find them is a Dollar Tree, but not all the time, so I buy 8 or 10 bottles when it is there.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Fri, Jun 13, 14 at 14:42

I used unscented Dove (bar) for years but changed a few years ago to body wash to help keep the tub cleaner longer. We use Dial body wash. Recently bought the Coconut Water scent. I'm now hoarding it! DH says he loves how well it rinses off and how clean he feels. I use 50/50 alcohol/water in the kitchen.

Whatever liquid body wash is on sale and smells nice. Often Caress, Dove, Oil of Olay, Softsoap. Sometimes use shampoo, if I run out.

Dermatologist colleague of mine said we use too much soap, leading to dry skin.

Stopped using antibacterial soaps years ago. More info on risk of antibacterial soaps:
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10301

Here is a link that might be useful: FDA - antibacterial soaps

I gave the WM brand body washes a shot. They just weren't the quality. DH said he'd try it. He said the same thing...and it doesn't take much to impress him when it comes to things like soap! You usually get what you pay for and (for us) the Dial we use is 100x better than the WM store brand.

for the body, I like Jason's calming lavender - I get a large pump bottle at target and it lasts a good while.
for the face, I like purpose.

Any of the soaps or cleaning agents you use, be sure to check for Triclosan, Dial has used it in some of their products. They may have removed it since the warning came out.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 0:06

Not only may triclosan be hamful (e.g., decreased cardiac muscle function), did you know about the environental harm from microbeads in soaps???

Here is a link that might be useful: soap microbeads

Yes, I have used Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap on my body and face almost exclusively for over 40 years. Very mild vegetable based soap. Great stuff!

Some people complain about the peppermint variety (there are others, like lavender) being too strong on their delicate bits. But I say: Dilute! Dilute! Dilute! I keep mine in little squeeze bottles and dilute at least by half.

I don't use antibacterial soap much, but I do keep a bottle of medical antimicrobial soap, like Satin or Provon, to use when I have fresh wounds or hospital stays.

This post was edited by Violet.West on Mon, Jun 16, 14 at 11:43

Two years ago I started using old fashioned hand made soaps from a little soap shop in Oregon Illinois. Anyway, after about a month my dry, calloused heals were soft and pretty. Skin is soft and the same bar of soap makes a wonderful shampoo. I don't use moisturizer any more and a few spritzes of Argon oil is all I add in my hair. My brother shaves with this soap and really likes it. The soap bars are about $6.50 and only last a couple weeks. I think they are worth it. I won't go back to commercial products. The one bad thing is that if you get the soap in your eyes, it burns like crazy so I am very, very careful.

You can get hand made soaps in many craft fairs. They are probably all pretty much alike but check out the ingredients. Some have goats milk added. Google hand made soap or check out making it yourself. Believe me, it's worth it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oregon Soap Shop

I use the regular/original white Dial soap for bathing (yes, it has Triclosan). I grew up using SafeGuard and/or Dial. When I met my husband, he was an Ivory Soap user, but I can't stand the smell of it, and it feels slimy. Even if I use a body wash (e.g., Neutrogena Rain Bath Shower Gel), I still use Dial soap on all 'sensitive' areas. For my child, I used baby washes when younger, but now buy non-antibacterial soaps/body washes for use.

I use the regular/original white Dial soap for bathing (yes, it has Triclosan). I grew up using SafeGuard and/or Dial. When I met my husband, he was an Ivory Soap user, but I can't stand the smell of it, and it feels slimy. Even if I use a body wash (e.g., Neutrogena Rain Bath Shower Gel), I still use Dial soap on all 'sensitive' areas. For my child, I used baby washes when younger, but now buy non-antibacterial soaps/body washes for use.

I use Kiss My Face olive oil soap, and have used it for 20+ years. I spent alot of time in the sun when I was young and I kept my skin soft. Now i love it for the cold midwest winters that leave you dry and itching. Not me! I gift it to friends all the time, with great results.

What ingredient in a cleansing bar tells you it is soap. I have thrown away the main rapper on my Dove bars so can't check for it right now. I have used Dove so long I don't check ingredients. My GYN told me soap is not harmful.

If you are allergic to it...it may be another ingredient in the cleanser. I think dry skin on older women is normal and caused by aging and nothing can fix the itching unless you take a steroid pill.

It's often the fragrance added to soap that is the problem, as well as synthetic detergents. Formulas for "soap" get changed all the time.

DOVE sensitive skin, unscented, hypo-allergenic, and fragrance free - list of ingredients: sodium lauroyl isethionate, stearic acid, sodium tallowate or sodium palmitate, lauric acid, sodium isethionate, water, sodium stearate, cocamindo-propyl betaine or sodium C14-C16 olefin sulfonate, sodium cocoate or sodium palm kernelate, sodium chloride, tetrasodium EDTA, tetrasodium etidronate, maltol, titanium dioxide

Compare that to a bar of Kirk's Castile Soap:
Coconut Soap, Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Natural Fragrance - which is also hypoallergenic, all natural with no animal by-products or synthetic detergents. [Unfortunately, I can only use it in the shower, not the tub, with our hard water.]

I make foaming soap for the hand dispensers by mixing 3 tablespoons Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap or Kirk's Castile Liquid (or other liquid soap) with 1 c. water. If you want to make it disinfecting hand soap, add 8 drops of Thieves Oil - especially during cold and flu season.

Thieves oil is a natural disinfectant with an interesting story, but the oils are clove bud, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. You can make it with the individual oils (there are recipes available on-line), or purchase them already mixed - 5 Thieves Oil, 4 Thieves Oil (check Amazon.com).

I just recently purchased a bottle of Mirai body cleanser. This liquid soap was designed for "older" people. I read recently "beginning around age 40, a personâÂÂs body odor contains a higher concentration of 2-Nonenal, a compound that has an unpleasant, greasy, grassy odor that we affectionately call âÂÂold-people smell.â So for every problem look for a solution, and for this condition it is persimmon extract, which lead me to information about Mirai. It really does make your skin feel great. I'm still in the testing stage.

-Grainlady

Yes, it's an old thread, but I have some comments to add.

I make cold processed soap, and I have dabbled in hot processed soap, bath bombs, shaving soap and the like. I also use both essential and fragrance oils, and other goodies like coconut oil, shea, goat's milk etc.

Nowhere on the box does Dove call it's self soap, a "beauty bar" yes, but not soap.

The slimy feel that someone mentions, is glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant (the spelling might be off) this attracts moisture, which is good for dry skin.

Some large soap companies pour off the glycerin when making their soap, and sell it off for M&P = Melt and Pour that anyone can buy to make their own crafty soap. It's not really making soap with the glycerin, but it is crafty.

You need lye/sodium hydroxide for bar soap, and potassium hydroxide for liquid soap.

All bar soap has a superfatting built in, this allows extra oils to float freely in the 4% to 8% range; you want to have free/extra oil so that when making soap you have a safe margin from having too much lye and causing skin burns.

A highly superfatted recipe also could be considered slimy, and surely slippery in the tub or shower. Look for the info if available (which is usually not), but you could ask the manufacturer or soap maker.

Castile soap was, and is still, mostly made of olive oil, some cheat and add a little something extra, but the castile is understood as olive oil only.

Sensitive persons should use essential oils, or most probably no scent at all, I do make a bar soap and I only add goat's milk which makes a nice creamy bar.

And, a castile soap with the goat's milk would be moisturizing.

Brent B, how kind of you to comment even though this is an old post. Very much appreciated!

Pat

I have my favorite soap, I'm so happy to use it, I'm the one who has a sweet smell like old person smell also my husband after we use it the bad smell all gone now all my family member my cousin and my friends all use it we re happy and confident, If your guy wanna try to use it Im happy to sent you the sample I have about up to 20 pieces now this soap is brand new I can give you one person each please write to me

Cheers

I love the big Bulgari round white tea soap. It is expensive, but it lasts a long time, smells divine and agrees with my somewhat sensitive skin. It makes me happy every time I get in the shower. I love the shampoo/shower gel too, but it doesn’t last like the bar soap does.