Good Body Soap

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:38 pm

imurhuckleberry wrote:Thank you for the advice and replies. I did buy a bar of Pears at the local BBB and found a nice scent but was not impressed with the performance.

Pears used to be good soap but the formula has been changed. (Not some kind of minor adjustment either - the old and new ingredient lists are almost 100 percent different, and that scent is just about the only link that's left with the original Pears soap.)

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 5:02 am

The Seeker wrote:My wife recently introduced me to Knights Castile soap, a tallow-based bar that's been around since 1919. It's wonderfully creamy with a mild scent that most importantly doesn't dry my skin out.

I managed to find a multi-pack with six bars for £1.00.

I'm curious as to whether Knight's might be somewhat similar to Kurt's Castile, based in the US. A tallow based bath bar that's been around just about as long. It's priced somewhat "higher", around $1 per bar. If I could get it at the significantly lower price as Knight's, that would be great!

The Seeker · Post by **The Seeker** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:12 am

bernards66 wrote:Lucky you. I've tried to find a source for that in the US...and failed.

I'd be more than happy to send you a multi-pack if you'd like

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 1:22 pm

brothers wrote: I'm curious as to whether Knight's might be somewhat similar to Kurt's Castile, based in the US. A tallow based bath bar that's been around just about as long. It's priced somewhat "higher", around $1 per bar. If I could get it at the significantly lower price as Knight's, that would be great!

Kirk's Castile is available at Whole Foods and like shops, also online in scented and unscented varieties. Prices vary.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:25 pm

Kirks is also a veg. oil based soap and is not a good 'fit' for my skin. Searching for Knight's I find that the Carbolic Soap folks stock it but I'm not sure how much they charge to ship to the US. Perhaps I should take up my friend from Buxton's offer.....most kind, in the SMF tradition.
Regards,
Gordon

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:27 pm

I'd like to hear more about this soap, Gordon, so I hope you do. But I'd be fearful you like it too much and then can't get resupplied. I'm sure that's never happened to you before. <cough>

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:44 pm

Ron, Yeah....I know. I thought of that the instant after I pushed the key to send my above post. 'Jeez!....I'll wind up getting hooked on the stuff and then go nuts trying to stay supplied....as the Carbolic Soap people suddenly drop the line. I'll be reduced to privately pestering UK members like it got with the Gillette Swedes for awhile....oy!' But still.....
Regards,
Gordon

Scrapyard Ape · Post by **Scrapyard Ape** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:28 am

brothers wrote:
The Seeker wrote:My wife recently introduced me to Knights Castile soap, a tallow-based bar that's been around since 1919. It's wonderfully creamy with a mild scent that most importantly doesn't dry my skin out.

I managed to find a multi-pack with six bars for £1.00.

I'm curious as to whether Knight's might be somewhat similar to Kurt's Castile, based in the US. A tallow based bath bar that's been around just about as long. It's priced somewhat "higher", around $1 per bar. If I could get it at the significantly lower price as Knight's, that would be great!

Hold on a second.... How can a castile soap be tallow based? By definition, castile soap is one that uses olive oil (or coconut, or palm oils) instead of tallow.

The Seeker · Post by **The Seeker** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:44 am

bernards66 wrote:Perhaps I should take up my friend from Buxton's offer.....most kind, in the SMF tradition.

The offer will be there for when/if you decide you'd like some soap

Scrapyard Ape wrote:Hold on a second.... How can a castile soap be tallow based? By definition, castile soap is one that uses olive oil (or coconut, or palm oils) instead of tallow.

I thought the same thing myself.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Sep 03, 2010 9:11 pm

Greg, Yeah, techically that's true....but what the hell. They can call it anything they want so long as it works well for me....which I suspect it might.
Regards,
Gordon

cvc · Post by **cvc** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:46 pm

Chagrin Valley Soaps. These soaps are the best for body, face and hair. Don't take only my word for it. Read all the testimonials on their page. Big bars and good prices and they ship very quickly. I would post a pic of myself from the neck up so you could see how incredibly attractive my skin and hair is but that would be a bit creepy.

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/index.html

Bonzo · Post by **Bonzo** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 8:22 am

US Yardley Soaps, either the Lemon Verbena or the Oatmeal/Almond (my favorite).

I used the Lavender one once and threw it out (personal preference...)

changabang · Post by **changabang** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:25 am

A most interesting and enlightening thread. I am but the learner here.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Well, the Knight's Castile soap that Gavin kindly sent me is in use. Interesting stuff. More than anything else, it reminds me of the US 'Lux' soap from the '50s....one of the better mass produced bath soaps of that era. It even smells similiar....which somehow I expected that it might. Straight forward, not fancy, plenty of lather, and so far no problems with my finicky skin. For those who live in the UK this is one to keep in mind, especially for the more cost conscious.
Regards,
Gordon

joe mcclaine · Post by **joe mcclaine** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:26 pm

Yep, £1.00 from "Poundland".

You can get Blue Stratos aftershave there too.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:47 pm

Tallow is rendered beef or mutton suet. It is solid at room temperature and unlike suet will not go rancid. It does need to be sealed as it will oxidise over time.
Traditionally, it is/was used for soap, cooking and as an industrial lubricant. It can also be refined into a biofuel.
Tallow candles were a less expensive option to beeswax;and prefered on many early explorations as emergency rations being edible.
The great Indian Mutiny of 1857 started over rumours the paper cartridges for the new Enfield were sealed with beef tallow and/or pig lard making them anathema for hindu and moslem alike to bite and tear open when loading.
McDonalds faced a similar customer mutiny 1980 when it was revealed their french fries were cooked in tallow for flavour right after a P.R. campaign about them being a vegetarian menu item.
The orchestrated campaign against tallow in the U.K. followed the disastrous outbreak of Bovine Spongiforum Encephaly AKA 'madcow disease' using largely emotion.
Meats, leather,tallow have all faced health and environmental criticisms, largely by people who do not comprehend ocean dead zones from nitrogen fertiliser run off from soy bean fields

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:11 am

KAV wrote:Meats, leather,tallow have all faced health and environmental criticisms, largely by people who do not comprehend ocean dead zones from nitrogen fertiliser run off from soy bean fields

What's wrong with those people!!!???

Just kidding Chris. I have no idea what you, or I, am talking about, but I'm trying.

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 6:40 am

brothers wrote:
What's wrong with those people!!!???

Just kidding Chris. I have no idea what you, or I, am talking about, but I'm trying.

Sometimes those are the best conversations to have...

Whistler · Post by **Whistler** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:16 am

Chagrin Valley Soaps. These soaps are the best for body, face and hair. Don't take only my word for it. Read all the testimonials on their page. Big bars and good prices and they ship very quickly. I would post a pic of myself from the neck up so you could see how incredibly attractive my skin and hair is but that would be a bit creepy.

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/index.html

I tried the shave soap from chagrinvalley and it does not produce a lather, I face lather and by the time you whip up one side then move to the other the first side has dissapeared, not worth even trying. Glad I only bought a sample.

Hope the bath soap is a bit better. I purchased two of their soaps to try.

F.W. Fitch · Post by **F.W. Fitch** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 1:43 am

Six cakes for a Pound is a pretty darn good value.

Here in the U.S. I will still be a booster for "Cashmere Bouquet" found at "Big Lots" for .99 cents for 2 cakes at 113g each.

Let's look at the ingredients. Sodium Tallowate first. We've already determined this is not a guarantor of a 'premium' soap though. So, a bit further down I see Glycerin ,no biggie, then I see "Hydrogenated Tallow Acid." Seems there is even more tallow in these. Then I see Coconut Acid. Then I see words I'm too lazy to type-out.

The bars are an ivory/white color which is good. The scent is a bit sharper than I would prefer,but still light. It's been made since 1872 and you don't have to 'mail order' it. Many find the "Palmolive" shave sticks to be a good performer ,so it is, for the "Cashmere" toilet soap.

Couple photo's to show American 'free enterprise' at it's finest. The first is Colgate's original headquarters at Dutch St. in New York.

The second is "Colgate-Palmolive" headquarters in Manhattan today.

I would love to share the response I received from some lady in marketing there after I had written to mention my displeasure of them discontinuing their lather shave cream + shave soap in the U.S. market simultaneous. I did mention that the shaving soap they offered for the U.S. mens market left a lot to be desired ,however, the soap sticks that are produced in their facility in Germany for the Euro. market are quite good. I thought doing away with both was not a 'fair shake' for men stateside that had loyally used these products for multiple decades.

I asked if they might not find it possible to produce a "Cashmere Bouquet" hard shaving soap ,to make-up, for the other lines being done away with here. I made mention of "ShaveMyFace" and that 'traditional' mens shaving is making a strong return by god! I did receive a nice reply back that she would "pass-on" my information to some other department.

I would ask all of you to go to the Colgate-Palmolive website and send the same thoughts to them. It's fun to complete the survey they have there too. I don't want to say I had any 'undo' influence with D.R. Harris ,but two years before they had re-introduced the 'rose' shaving cream, I had contacted them to ask if they might not 'think' about bringing it back again. I still have this message they sent in return on my computer. Sometimes they do hear what we are saying to them. Can't hurt with the giant Colgate's now can it?

Please don't 'meander around' about a 'lavender', 'rose' or 'sandalwood' shaving soap...alright men? They need to produce a "Cashmere Bouquet" hard shaving soap for us ,because, they have let down the American men's consumer base.

Best,
Fitch

*edit* First photo courtesy of "Razor and Brush."