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Bath soaps recommendation, natural -no synthetic preservatives or artificial goop

I am a long time bath gel user (think whatever is on sale at Target) ready for the switch to natural bar bath soaps. I am a big fan of Mike's shave soaps and was really looking forward to trying his bath soaps. But, it's been several months since I started checking Mike's site for in stock bath soaps and frankly I have sort of given up hope. They are always out of stock with a note about more coming soon.

Would anyone have a recommendation or two for natural bath soaps - no synthetic preservatives or artificial goop or coloring this 'n that?

Thanks.
 
Look at this:

Tom's of Maine Sensitive Natural Beauty Bar Soap with Soothing Chamomile

Sodium Palmate
Sodium Cocoate
Sodium Palm Kernelate (Palm Kernel Oil)
Water
Glycerin
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Gluconate
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Oil

Good stuff. I have semi-sensitive skin, and this stuff is really nice.
 
For locally available bars I've been using Kirk's Castile and I like them quite a bit. Yardley can also be purchased locally. Both of these options are around a buck a bar or slightly more.

I've also tried Nancy Boy, WSP and Sudsy Soapery.

Nancy Boy makes a great soap and I really like their Signature scent. They aren't cheap at $7 per bar but the bars are huge and last a long time. So buying one bar is really like buying two of someone else's.

WSP makes a nice soap but it was a bit softer than I like in a bar soap. Still some really great scents a bar lasted about a month.

I'm using some Sudsy Soapery bars now and I'm really enjoying them. The nice thing here it that you can buy a whole loaf of soap and cut it yourself. They sell soap by the ounce and the higher the quantity you purchase the lower the cost per oz.
 
If I were still mail ordering soaps (and I may return to that), Stirling. Reasonably priced, natural (many of them; some have synthetic scents), and lather well. Plus, Stirling has great customer service. Currently, though, my local co-op sells natural soaps at a reasonable price with scents that I quite like.

Honorable mention - Filthy Farmgirl in Hawaii. Sadly, their soaps come as 2 types of soap pressed together, and they always seem to separate and fall apart on me.

Honorable mention #2 - Mystic Water. Some don't have dyes (many do, so be careful with that). My big problem is that the bars come in a square cross-section, so they don't "feel" like a bar of soap and are harder for me to lather easily.

Yes, I'm picky. :thumbup:
 
Stirling makes some great bath soaps (and shave soaps).

If you decide to try Stirling keep in mind that some of their soaps use only essential oils and some use fragrance oils. If you're concerned and only want to use the natural essential oils just make sure to read the description of each soap, as they are clearly labeled.
 
Echoing the Stirling recommendation. I was kind of skeptical about artisan bath soaps, for a variety of reasons that reflect poorly on me and in no way reflect the products or their makers. Those illusions were shattered when I received a bar of Stirling's Apple Cider soap in a PIF. I was so pleased with the soap and the scent that I ordered four more bars in different scents when that one bar was near the end of its life. I am now working on a bar of their Black Cherry.

I should note that I use these bars exclusively as bathroom sink soap, leaving store-bought soap for my shower duty. I love the scent strength and the latherability of the soap. And, doing duty exclusively as bathroom sink soap, the bar lasts quite a while. I'm definitely a fan!
 
I appreciate all of the feedback from everyone. I ended purchasing several soaps from Stirling. They have been great so far!

I should note that I use these bars exclusively as bathroom sink soap, leaving store-bought soap for my shower duty. I love the scent strength and the latherability of the soap. And, doing duty exclusively as bathroom sink soap, the bar lasts quite a while. I'm definitely a fan!

I was wondering, is there a reason you are not using Stirling in the shower? Thanks.
 
I was wondering, is there a reason you are not using Stirling in the shower? Thanks.

Great question! Stirling's soap scents are strong and have some staying power. In my opinion, that's a positive sign, in that it means that they're not skimping on scent oils. That said, I don't want to project a body-sized dose Apple Cider, Black Cherry, Orange, or whatever for an hour or two after my shower. My sense of smell is not the most sensitive, so I'm pretty conservative about the scented products I use on my body.

The other issue is that shower soap covers a much larger surface area than sink soap. My present bath bar is much more affordable for that use, while still allowing me to enjoy the luxury a higher quality sink soap provides.
 
Great question! Stirling's soap scents are strong and have some staying power. In my opinion, that's a positive sign, in that it means that they're not skimping on scent oils. That said, I don't want to project a body-sized dose Apple Cider, Black Cherry, Orange, or whatever for an hour or two after my shower. My sense of smell is not the most sensitive, so I'm pretty conservative about the scented products I use on my body.

The other issue is that shower soap covers a much larger surface area than sink soap. My present bath bar is much more affordable for that use, while still allowing me to enjoy the luxury a higher quality sink soap provides.
I see, and thanks! I was actually thinking about ordering Stirling's unscented soaps (I believe they offer a sheep and beef tallow soap) next.
 
A quick update, I am working my way through a bar of Stirling Pig Trail. Woe. It's a great soap. Pig Trail has an amazing, outdoors-like, fresh scent (not a hint of a lab scent at all, very natural). Lathers great. The soap really delivers a squeaky clean feeling, too. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I have other Stirling soaps to try, too.
 
try and find a Dollar Tree and get some of their 100% glycerin soap it's called Pears. It comes in plain and spearmint menthol $1 a bar. Great soap. Sometimes I use it as a preshave.

If you're reffering to the Pears soap that I'm thinking of - amber coloured semi-transparent oval soap? Then I found this soap quite drying.
 
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