Soap or Shower gel?

John_Rambo · 09-03-2026 05:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298069#Comment_124298069

I wouldn’t be so sure it’s purely generational. Shower gel definitely dominated for the last couple of decades, which is why supermarket shelves are full of it, you're 100% correct there, but bar soap has actually been making a bit of a comeback with younger people recently. A lot of it is down to less plastic packaging, lower cost, and the rise of natural or artisan soaps. You see it in gyms, travel bags and with people trying to cut down on single use plastic. Shower gel is still probably the default, but bar soap isn’t nearly as rare among younger people as it was 10 or 15 years ago.

I'm older, but gave up on plastic bottles of gel 20 years ago in favour of carrot soap and various other ones I'd get in the city. Great for camping too, lighter, smaller & never leaks

Hooked · 09-03-2026 05:52PM

I started using soap from the Irish lad that runs "the black stuff" soap company. I find the "Rough feel" options are coarse enough to give a great clean feeling after a shower and have really cleared up my skin on my legs and groin (after sports/sweating) in particular compared to washing with shower gels. They're handmade from natural ingredients - so I'm happy to pay a bit more and support a growing Irish business.

myfreespirit · 09-03-2026 06:19PM

Mostly use soap in the shower, but haven't completely given up on shower gel.

Soap is a bit more environmentally friendly than gel, at least the only waste from a packet of soap is the paper/plastic wrapping.

SVI40 · 09-03-2026 07:05PM

I've just completed a training module in work dealing with allergens and cross contamination of food stuffs. Biggest risk from cross contamination comes from your hands.

The course said to use liquid soaps as bars of soap can harbour bacteria. So, from a safety point shower gels are better.

Learn something new every day.

kneemos · 09-03-2026 07:20PM

Got some moisturising soap on Temu,just for the hands that get dry sometimes depending on what I'm doing

Quite good actually.

Dial Hard · 09-03-2026 07:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299104#Comment_124299104

The link I posted earlier included a fairly in-depth look (with lab testing) at whether or not soap does actually harbour a lot of bacteria - spoiler alert, it doesn't. The idea that it does, believe it or not, seems to largely stem from that episode of Friends where Joey and Chandler talk about sharing soap.

I suspect the towel you're using to dry your hands in the kitchen is crawling with far more bacteria than anything you could wash your hands with.

Rock Steady Edy · 09-03-2026 07:22PM

Shower gel is mostly water, soap is the bit that cleans you with the water taken out and condensed into a small block. So soap takes up much less space, there's no plastic packing and no pointless water. A block of soap also probably lasts twice as long.

Sarn · 09-03-2026 07:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298641#Comment_124298641

SDS and SLS are the same thing, just different names.

Dynomutt · 09-03-2026 08:20PM

I like Mircea shower gel. You buy their glass bottle once and it gets refilled by a paper sachet of crystals that mixes with water to form a thick gel. The fig and peppermint version smells great.

BrianD3 · 09-03-2026 08:30PM

Normie herd animals love specific purpose marketed products. Corporations take advantage of this. I'm having a shower therefore I must use shower gel. I'm having my breakfast therefore I must eat breakfast cereal.

And anyone who doesn't do the above is some sort of weirdo, outlier.

Shower gel is sh1te. You are getting far less surfactant for your money than you get with a bar of soap. Similar to how washing powder is far better value than liquid detergent.

blackbox · 09-03-2026 08:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124298633#Comment_124298633

Me too.

Mister Vain · 09-03-2026 09:01PM

I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine.

SupaCat95 · 09-03-2026 09:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299153#Comment_124299153

I swore the lecturer said today that "they did the same thing but slightly different". I mean we have used SDS in the lab experiments in the past but Sodium Laurlyn sulphate I would have noticed on shower gel labels. I looked it up and yeah its the same thing. Bumkin lecturer.

nachouser · 09-03-2026 09:17PM

I just checked and I have 10 bars of soap and 4 different shower gels. It's good to mix it up. My current soap is a charcoal thing. Next will be a lemon thing. If I need a quick shower, I'll just use the soap. If I'm feeling like I need a 10 min shower, I'll go to the gels as well.

cj maxx · 09-03-2026 09:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124297617#Comment_124297617

Looking ar Dove ads online it's a cleansing bar not soap er se.

I keep going back to the Friends episode where Joey tells chandler to remember " the 1st thing you wash and the last thing I wash

sprucemoose · 09-03-2026 10:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299379#Comment_124299379

the fact that i'm the first to like this is disappointing

Greyfox · 09-03-2026 10:31PM

Always shower gel for me, buying soap is something I have never thought about doing and I don't know why

nachouser · 09-03-2026 10:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299545#Comment_124299545

People don't read books anymore, sadly.

sprucemoose · 09-03-2026 10:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299652#Comment_124299652

i mean, i havent read the book to be honest either but its in the movie

Dial Hard · 09-03-2026 11:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124299545#Comment_124299545

It's been done to death, that's why. Comes up early and often in every thread about showering, cleanliness, skincare and sometimes even how often you change your bedclothes/wash your towels.

padd b1975 · 13-03-2026 09:05AM

Dr. Squatch Freshfalls.

8.99 from Boots but lathers up really well.

The scent does fade a bit as it gets smaller but just about worth the cost.

adaminho · 14-03-2026 11:19PM

Which is best for getting the taste of cheering for England out of my mouth?

odyssey06 · 14-03-2026 11:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124313191#Comment_124313191

Jameson then Listerine.

watchclocker · 16-03-2026 10:03PM

I got a hamper from a vendor that had that some of the black stuff stuff in it, it was very nice but the best thing was a home fragrance oil thingy that made the house smell amazing but I could never find it on their site, I'm off now to look again that you've all reminded me