View Full Version : soap for the shower
SO being extra environmental and frugal I have been getting bar soap for handwashing in the bathroom. One paper wrapper, bar lasts a long time, not filling up the landfill with more plastic crap. Then as the last of the shower gel my mom bought got used up I started using it in the shower. It seemed really drying (an actual concern in Colorado) so I switched to the big Dr Bronners bottle I have. Not peppermint! Wash your delicate parts once with the peppermint and you learn. However this is still rather drying and a little difficult to use in the shower. So now I am on a quest for the best soap for the shower in an eco-friendly sense. That means no tiny plastic bottle of fancy things made from carrots because the tiny plastic bottles are being added to the landfill even if you are saving the world by making it out of carrots instead of chemicals. A long time ago you could refill soaps at stores with your own bottle I think, like your own honey or make your own peanut butter. Do those still exist?
The leftover suds from my shampoo washes my body. I only have shampoo in my shower.
I use old pump bottles that I have refilled for years for shower body wash and shampoo. I suspect we could do fine with just shampoo (and do when we travel) since we use the Suave brand of each and have for years. Does not dry the skin/hair and we wash daily. Plus it is inexpensive when bought on sale. Right now I have about 10 bottles waiting to refill the pumps. Note that Suave does private label too and we check to see which is less expensive.
The pump bottles help measure out the soap since I think hubby would be too generous if having to pour it out each time and it is less messy.
iris lilies
4-4-17, 11:00am
I am very disappointed in myself in that I started using liquid soap just a few years ago when someone gifted me some. We use it in our downstairs bathroom.
we still use bar soap in the shower.
Chicken lady
4-4-17, 11:12am
We use Castile bar (paper wrapper) or homemade goat milk soap in the shower.
i actually switched away from Sauve shampoo because it has a fairly poor environmental rating, but I haven't found a replacement I like yet.
you could try a shaving cream bar - still soap, but extra sudsy and moisturizing.
With our hard water any bar soap I've tried tends to scum up the tub and shower walls. I would probably buy bar soap if it wasn't for that issue. Even handmade soaps and handmade bar shampoo was more "scummy".
With our hard water any bar soap I've tried tends to scum up the tub and shower walls. I would probably buy bar soap if it wasn't for that issue. Even handmade soaps and handmade bar shampoo was more "scummy".
A few months back I bought a brush that is made to be used with a cordless drill - it works very well on the shower walls.
A few months back I bought a brush that is made to be used with a cordless drill - it works very well on the shower walls.
Like this? What a great idea! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXEDnFmLNnI
ApatheticNoMore
4-4-17, 12:23pm
Have you tried some of the natural soaps like Kiss My Face? (maybe that was the problem I don't know, it's ok with me). Could try at the farmers market for soap, Whole Foods sells soap in no packets at all (that fancy artisan soap stuff) eh well being that it's there I hardly have to mention that it's pricey, but don't think it's drying. Truthfully half the time I barely use soap, it doesn't seem all that necessary, but I bathe more than shower (yea waste of water, but I have my vices).
As for refillable bottles, you are probably only going to get that if you try a co-op, if you are lucky enough to have one.
Like this? What a great idea! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXEDnFmLNnI
Yes. That one is much bigger (I'd rather have this one, it would clean faster), but the idea is the same.
I use Dove unscented bar soap in the shower. I've never tried a bar shampoo.
The leftover suds from my shampoo washes my body. I only have shampoo in my shower.
Ditto for me. When I do use bar soap, it is Dove but it lasts a long time. I tried a homemade bar of shampoo which was very hard on my fine hair so got moved out of the shower. I am going to dissolve it and use it for hand soap instead.
I mix Dr Bronners (liquid, from a big bottle) with a bit of jojoba in a smaller squeeze container when the air is dry. It does attract more dirt in the shower stall though with the oil added. For hair, I use Liggets solid shampoo bar. The first week my hair looked like hell, but after that its smooth, not frizzy and doesn't need a conditioner since the shampoo (which is soap not detergent) doesn't strip all the oils from my hair. A big bottle of Dr Bronners last me a long time, and a shampoo bar maybe 4-5 months. Relatively frugal and environmentally friendly.
This is not at all frugal, but I have a real thing for fine soap. I think I love Pre de Provence most of all, especially the grapefruit and cucumber scents. They are made with shea butter, so not really drying. I rationalize that surely it is so much cheaper than even the cheapest spa visit.
We also got some liquid African Black soap that we really like, only we got the tangerine citrus scent (yummy) and paid a fraction of the price from Marshall's. This is essentially the same product:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/alaffia-authentic-african-black-soap-unscented-16-fl-oz-475-ml/56866
There's lots of stuff on the bottle about fair trade, gluten free (lol), and $$ supports African reforestation, eyeglass donations, school supplies, etc. If I knew how much we would like it and what a good deal it was, I would have bought more (I paid less than $5.00).
I use Dr Bonners castille soap and put it in these. You only need to add about 1/4 of the container with soap, add the rest with water. Works great. I use it in the bathrooms and the kitchen.
http://www.premiumvials.com/250-ml-8-75-oz-clear-pet-bpa-free-refillable-containers-foam-pump-soap-dispenser/?gclid=CPjvvM_1i9MCFQYQaQodfUIAAg
Benefit of being a frequent flyer is all that free hotel soap. I'm not fussy when it comes to soap, and I always use bar soap in the shower. I used to use the free hotel shampoo, too, until my hairdresser told me my hair was falling out too fast. So I do use expensive shampoo now (Redken or Biolage). But I buy big bottles that last forever. Also I stopped using conditioner (but I do use a hydrating spray which works WONDERS with my frizzy hair).
I normally wouldn't buy certain things at Dollar Tree but stumbled onto some goat milk bar soap there that I am very happy with. Naturally, I don't have the box it comes in but it is a large almond shaped bar with a very mild coconut scent. I noticed that it doesn't leave any sort of residue on the tub and lasts a long time. Doesn't seem to dry my skin either. Compared to some fancy French bar I was gifted, I find it a much better soap. I may just go back and buy a stash of them in case they get discontinued.
You could try making your own. My mother has done that and I don't think it was too onerous. Then you could modify the ingredients to adjust for drying.
ToomuchStuff
4-5-17, 10:21am
Dove, typically. With how long the bars last, I should have several years supply (that seems to be something given as a Christmas gift since it is useful, along with toothpaste, etc). I have done the shampoo thing, but not regularly as a bad memory of the city working on my block, and shutting off the water to service the block, "but we rang everyone's doorbell to let them know", to which I knew was a lie and the person telling it was a coworkers father.
You could try making your own. My mother has done that and I don't think it was too onerous. Then you could modify the ingredients to adjust for drying.
Soap making is more involved than I want unless one uses the prepackaged glycerine that one melts and reforms. i bought some homemade soap from the basics using lye, etc., and it is OK. I was at the home of someone making it and got my laundry supply of soap from her after mixed it so got lots of info. I will try grating and dissolving it in water for my dispenser. Others may find it a great and delightful adventure so different strokes for different folks.
My sister & I recently made soap (she has a soap thing too, which she surely got from me). The actual process wasn't too bad, but there was a bit of a learning curve. I'm sure we'll do it again and we'll be more efficient next time. She had been collecting supplies and tools for a long time, but we needed the following: dedicated sauce pan, bowl, & stick blender, a food scale, molds, palm oil, olive oil, fragrant oil, lye and I'm probably leaving something out. It's still curing, so I don't really know how it came out. We had fun though!
Soap making is more involved than I want unless one uses the prepackaged glycerine that one melts and reforms. i bought some homemade soap from the basics using lye, etc., and it is OK. I was at the home of someone making it and got my laundry supply of soap from her after mixed it so got lots of info. I will try grating and dissolving it in water for my dispenser. Others may find it a great and delightful adventure so different strokes for different folks.
I've taken to making my own. I have a recipe/instructions for a cold-process method that uses a blender. I bought a glass blender for the effort ($5 at a garage sale).
The instructions I use are in a book called "Making it: radical home ec for a post-consumer world" by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. I would offer to share the instructions, but since it uses lye there are (easily manageable but real) safety considerations. This leads to long instructions! Library might have it if you wanted to try, though.
It's made of olive oil and lye, and I don't add any scents. I share it with a couple of friends who have scent allergies, and it's popular with them.
Chicken lady
4-6-17, 7:18am
Rosarugosa,
if if you do it again, I encourage you to find a recipe without palm oil. It's a major anti-environmental player.
mine is olive oil, goat milk, coconut oil, and lye. Use gloves and eye protection in case of splashes.
equipment - stainless steel bowl, big glass measuring cup, food scale, candy thermometer, stick blender, stainless steel whisk, microwave (to melt coconut oil) spoon (to scoop out coconut oil), heat resistant spatula, molds (or empty box/carton lined with wax paper).
Besides the eye/hand covering, the safety instructions are basically work in a ventilated area, always add lye/lye mixture into other ingredients slowly, and pour away from yourself.
if anyone wants detailed instructions and measurements, I'll be happy to post them.
Chicken Lady: Our provider does say their palm oil is sustainably sourced, although I can't really verify that.
Chicken Lady: Our provider does say their palm oil is sustainably sourced, although I can't really verify that.
When I checked out the source for Bronners use of palm oil, they have a sustainable fair trade supplier in Ghana (?) that provides a good living for the local small farmers. Sustainable is possible for corporations.
Chicken lady
4-6-17, 7:24pm
The problem isn't the specific palm oil itself, it's that the demand for it is so high that it's driving rainforest deforestation, so while it's great that that farm is an existing farm that is growing sustainably, they should still have no trouble selling their product if demand falls.
(soy also, which I still eat, but I've tried to cut way back.)
I used to buy scented fancy soaps from Marshalls/TJ Maxx or use Dr. Bronner's in the shower. The Bronner's leaves my skin a bit rough and dry. The peppermint is really refreshing in the hot summer.
After much research, I've settled on high quality goat's milk soap from here: https://www.bendsoap.com I've used other ones and there's no comparison. They don't last forever, nor are they strongly scented, but my skin has never been so baby smooth in ages. This was the first winter that I didn't really need to use body butter on my legs. I even use it on my face on the nights I don't oil cleanse and my sensitive rosacea skin hasn't had a problem.
Ooh, I just checked their website and saw they still sell a discontinued peppermint one.
Gardenarian
4-7-17, 2:57am
Alaffia products are wonderful. I use the "Everyday Shea" body wash as a hand soap (and occasionally in the shower) and my hands have never felt better. Smells great, very moisturizing, feels clean, no weird ingredients, profits go to charity, and it's affordable. My health store has in bulk for around $4.00 / pound, so no plastic waste either.
Alaffia has a full line - shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. Dd has somewhat oily hair and the shampoo works for her - too drying for me. Everyone LOVES the body wash though. It comes in various scents and also unscented. Great stuff.
I'm a fan of Kiss My Face products. They don't exactly promote themselves as environmentally friendly but do claim "natural" ingredients. Their olive oil bar soap doesn't use palm oil and they don't use any animal by-products. My eyes are somehow sensitive to ingredients in products that I use on my face and anywhere near the eye. I've never figured out exactly what causes this. I can use Kiss My Face soap, shaving lotion, moisturizing cream, and face sunscreen without problems.
Most olive oil (castille) soaps are hard and don't lather a lot, but last a long time. I used to make my own soaps. The most common ingredients in a lot of natural soaps are coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, natural fragrance and sodium hydroxide to saponify the oils. Coconut oil helps add lather but I think is drying. Palm oil is used to harden the soap. I don't know that they really are needed to make a good soap, although I never had much success making a pure castille soap at home.
Common super market soap generally uses "tallow" which is basically rendered fat as a by-product of animal processing and is usually listed as it's saponified product, tallowate. That's probably my main objection to them, although they also commonly use titanium dioxide which I a brightening agent and other artificial ingredients that I'm uncertain about.
I'm a fan of Kiss My Face products. They don't exactly promote themselves as environmentally friendly but do claim "natural" ingredients. Their olive oil bar soap doesn't use palm oil and they don't use any animal by-products. My eyes are somehow sensitive to ingredients in products that I use on my face and anywhere near the eye. I've never figured out exactly what causes this. I can use Kiss My Face soap, shaving lotion, moisturizing cream, and face sunscreen without problems.
Rogar, I have the same problem with my eyes and have used Kiss My Face products for a few decades now.
Rogar, I have the same problem with my eyes and have used Kiss My Face products for a few decades now.
That's pretty interesting! I have even talked to my eye doctor about recommendations and she didn't have any suggestions. My eyes are pretty normal otherwise. It's taken a lot of trial an error for me to find what I can use. I spend a lot of time outdoors and the Kiss My Face "hot spots" sunscreen stick is the first sunscreen I've used that doesn't bother my eyes and I'm sure glad I found it. Also, their moisturizing lotion, even with fragrance, is the only one I can use on my face. I've tried to figure it out from the ingredient lists and not come up with much.
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