Getting On My Soapbox

Whilst showering the other day, I got to thinking about soap of all things.  I've been trying to use up a stash of soaps I've had for ages, as part of a Beauty Challenge of not spending more than £100 in a year on beauty products/toiletries.  I had about 15, if you include the small ones you get from hotels.

I'm slowly working my way through them and slowly is quite an apt word as they seem to last inordinately longer than a bottle of shower gel, which makes them seem very good value for money.  Maybe this is because I am the only one in the family using them, I don't know.

I'm not sure when it was that I succumbed to the convenience of shower gels and creams.  I can't remember having them as a child growing up, so it must be in more recent years.  With all the chemicals that go into them it does make me wonder whether they are really worth buying. 

I realise that they can be argued to be more hygienic and very useful when travelling, but to be honest what is so wrong with a good old honest bar of soap, and you can usually buy at least 3 or 4 for the price of one bottle of shower gel.  Besides, I'm not a germ freak and have always believed that a few germs are good to keep the immune system working properly.

I'm rekindling my love of soaps I think.  I used to collect them as a child.  I had so many different shaped ones from Alice in Wonderland to Baba Papa and family. (Does anyone remember this family of characters?)  I think I gave them all to charity at some point which is a pity.  Imagine what a stash I'd have to use now as I must have had 50 or more.  The only one I kept was one that belonged to my Nana and must be over 50 years old now.  It's a little brown bear.  It no longer smells of much, but is still boxed.

I did once try a soap making workshop with Little Bird at a museum we visited.  It was good fun making little lavender soaps in ice cube trays to give as gifts.  I'd love to make a big soap cake and slice it up and give it away as gifts one Christmas.  The ones I've seen almost look good enough to eat.

Anyway, thinking about all these things it also reminded me how we used to put good old Fairy Liquid in the bath water when we were kids instead of using bubble bath.  Did (or does) anyone else do this?  I'm sure this is where my frugal tendencies partly stem from. 

Strange where a little thought in the shower leads.