I'm off soap!

[mars]

Yep, Dove was the very first "syndet"

 

[MilfordNJGuy]

Here is what I use:

Melt and Pour Soap Base Shea Butter

Ph is around 7.8 and is really easy to rinse. No issue with sensitivity since using it. Might want to try something similar.

The Melt and Pour soap base that you just posted contains "Sodium Palm Kernelate" "Sodium Hydroxide" "Palm Acid" and "Palm Kernel Acid". "Sodium Palm Kernelate" is Palm Kernel SOAP, "Sodium Hydroxide" is what turns "Palm Acid" and "Palm Kernel Acid" into SOAP. So this melt and pour soapbase is made mostly from SOAP!. True that soap has a higher pH than your skin but about 20 minutes after you use it, your skins' pH returns to normal! Skin's true pH is about 6 to 7 not 7.8. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Merle]

Got a CeraVe hydrating cleanser (syndet) bar today. Going to see how it works out compared to the regular soaps and body washes that I usually use. Stuff isn't cheap though.

CeraVe is products my Dermatologist recommended some one I care for use for elder skin conditioning. So far the moisturizer cream works well. I do notice there is a barrier residue which rinses off in the shower with lite use of Neutrogena Rainbath.

 

[ashcampbell]

Chemicals, such as sulphur trioxide, sulphuric acid and ethylene oxide, are used to produce the hydrophilic end of the surfactant molecule.

I wonder if the sulfur chemicals remain behind to cause potential irritants or allergens.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

I have never had good luck with Dove, I get body pimples when I use it. Maybe I'll try something from CeraVe or Cetaphil to see if they work better. Overall, I still like the cleaning power of soap as someone that works with the homeless and trains Joy-Jitsu. I can keep down the chances of ringworm, staph, etc quite nicely with a good soap with some Tea Tree oil in it.

 

[chaturvedi11]

So if you are off soaps then what are going to use now ?

 

[shave/brush]

I use Dove with shea butter, it's the best soap I have ever used. You can buy it most anywhere and it is great.

 

[chaturvedi11]

Somehow Dove didnt work for me. Currently I just get bath gel from Lush which works fine for me but would love to have a more natural one.

 

[shavefan]

Interesting info...

 

[Rusty Blade]

IMO I think we overuse soaps. Unless you are really dirty and grimy from working outside in the garden, most of what we have on our skin is just perspiration. By using soaps we wash away a lot of beneficial and protective oils and bacteria (called normal flora). Next time you shower try using no soap and just use warm water.

 

[shave/brush]

Interesting thought. Probably true that in most cases all we need is a rinse off.

 

[LinF]

Thanks for sharing this info, unfortunately Vanicream cleansing bar is o/s on amazon.co.uk - do you think your post might be partly to blame?? I've ordered 4 bars.

 

[IMightBeWrong]

Ha, gotta love my autocorrect! I don't mind calling it Joy-Jitsu, I suppose. It does make me happy. I tried Dove Sensitive, CeraVe Hydrating Cleansing bar, and the Cetaphil bar. The Cetaphil bar scent stays in my skin for hours so I don't really like it all that much. If it were scent free it would be my favorite of the bunch. The Dove Sensitive hasn't made me break out like it used to back as a teen. It's the easiest to lather also. The CeraVe is the most gentle of the 3 with the least lather and just smells like its ingredients, just like the Dove Sensitive. They are all really similar overall. They have NOT helped my dry skin in the last week any more than a regular soap. My skin feels about the same. YMMV. The bright side is that the Dove Sensitive is quite cheap and works about as well as the more expensive soaps I use, so I may start keeping it around so that I don't always have to keep buying pricier artisan soap bars.

My experience summarized: Soap and Syndets are more similar than different and make my skin feel about the same. Nothing revolutionary here IMO, just use whatever you like and works for you. Apparently my skin doesn't mind much either way.

Also, it's gonna take me a while to need any more soap since I have all 3 of these bars in my shower right now!

 

[Fat Larry]

Interesting read.. I'm curious about the link between ageing appearance and use of shave products. My starting to use a de/artisan shave soaps coincided with the appearance of fine lines on my cheeks and i wondered if there was a link. Though of course the other link could be that i was thirty four when i started all this.. So are some of you shaving with Cetaphil or am i reading this wrong?

 

[OtterLunacy]

An interesting read. I've been results-focused and can honestly say that I see a significant difference between "standard" synthetic washes and "natural" soaps containing plenty of glycerin. Normal SLS-based products do not agree with my skin at all! I might try some of the products listed here, but I've found Dove to be at beast a minor improvement over the other products that contain SLS.

The pH science mentioned here has made me think about trying a vinegar wash though. The mild acid should help re-balance the skin pH and remove most of the soap residue.

So are some of you shaving with Cetaphil or am i reading this wrong?

This thread is about hair and body washes, not shaving. I know, it feels a little weird talking about something other than shaving on B&B.