I’ve got a thing about soap. Growing up, it was all about Ivory and sometimes, if I could get my hands on my mother’s, Dove. To this day, the scent of either can bring me right back to childhood. Not a bad thing at all, unlike that time when I washed my face with the new soap I found next to the bathroom sink. That one experience with Lava convinced me to never use anything that wasn’t described as “mild” or gentle. Lesson learned.
For the last 20 years or so my favorite soaps are from a company called Pre de Provence. They’re gentle and come in a great variety of different scents, my favorites being the hard to find eucalyptus, sage and, in summer, cocoa butter or verbena. They’re obviously more expensive than what I grew up using, but the bars last a really long time making them a modest indulgence.
A couple of winters ago I discovered the Bliss Mammoth Minty Bar – a huge slab of soap with bumps on one side for massage and gentle exfoliation. Amazing! This soap is as close to a life changer as I have ever experienced in the shower and when I received a surprise bar for Christmas, I couldn’t have been happier.
Speaking of gifts, I was lucky enough to be given a few bars of soap last fall for my birthday that I’m still working my way through. They’re from Chasworth Farm Soaps, a company in Saint Albans, VT and the fragrance these babies emit is heady! I’ve got the egg yolk and honey bar, as well as a lavender thyme one still to go.
Despite my extensive soap experiences I still haven’t explored the local market as I should. I hear really great things about Rad and their new space in Stuyvesant Plaza looks fantastic. Have you checked them out yet? How do you wash your daily grime away?
DelSo 
For Christmas I was given a bar of Rad’s Zoku. It’s a natural antioxidant Israeli Dead Sea Salt soap. It has helped my dry hands tremendously. I will definitely keep buying it.
Hey Silvia. I have a wicked thing for soaps and skin dry it sometimes hurts (what?). Sometimes I ‘wash’ my face with coconut oil. I found some great handmade soaps by local Black Kettle Soap Company, http://www.bksoapco.com/ . They are made with awesome stuff like blood oranges and coffee. I bought a big bag and then hid it in my house for Christmas presents and I still can’t find it : /. One day I’m going to have a surprise soap discovery party.
I’ll come help you look – and I’ll bring wine!!
I’m totally down! I’ll split the bag if we find it ; )
I’m using Beekman 1802 Boys different scented goat milk soaps. Huge size bars – last forever. Can be bought at their store in Sharon Springs or on Evine. Also found at different motels in NYC and other towns. Lovely scents and the goat milk is amazing for dry or sensitive skin.