Question from LW
I had been using Clearly Natural Unscented Soap (glycerin based) without any problem for a year. Then there was a change in the product that has been denied by the company, but it is definitely a different product.
What kind of gentle, unscented soaps are out there? What are others using?
Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
I personally can and like to use handmade soaps with natural fragrances, so I can’t recommend an unscented soap I use, but I’m sure you’ll get many responses!
My general recommendation is to check out the websites that sell handmade soaps at Debra’s List: BodyCare: Skin: Handmade Soap. Many of them sell unscented soaps and since they are all handmade, you can talk with the people who are making them and find out what’s in them.
Penn’s Hill makes a wonderful liquid olive oil castile soap – in unscented or naturally scented options. I dilute it in a foaming soap pump, so it lasts much longer (and is thus more affordable). It doesn’t dry out my skin, and it worked for me even when I was sensitive to pretty much everything else. Also, Branch Basics is now back in business with their new product that is supposed to be very safe even for the very sensitive.
I have an intolerance to glycerin and I had to discontinue using this product.
Hi Bev, Clearly Natural was not a good fit for me either possibly because of the corn- or sugar-derived ingredients. I don’t know if they use a masking fragrance. Sometimes it’s challenging to nail down which is the problem ingredient. So I just test them out.
I’ve experimented with a lot of soaps in search of fragrance-free options and used to blog about it. The winner, for me, is Grandma’s Lye Soap by Remwood. Don’t be put off by the name. It’s a very gentle and basic soap. They have a baking soda option but the bar doesn’t last as long.
Their basic bar’s ingredients:
Lard (food grade), Water (aqua), & Sodium Hydroxide (lye – w/Retained Glycerin).
You’d be the best judge if this is one worth trying. Sometimes the local Ace Hardware carries it or lots of places online.
Best wishes.