Can A Stainless Steel Soap Really Work?

Well that’s what I’ll be finding out soon – whether a small (5cm) stainless steel alloy disc can really be as effective as a soap.

The Ziloclass Smellkiller from Zilonka has been sent to me by Big Green Smile and I’m currently testing it ready for a review in the next couple of weeks. Will I be amazed or disappointed? Keep checking back to find out.

Simply Soaps’ Organic Guy Bar Soap Eco Product Review

As the name might suggest, the Organic Guy Bar Soap from So Organic is simple: simple packaging, simple product.

While I usually tend to buy mainstream, branded products – preferring facewashes and shower gels to soaps, which I’ve found leave your skin feeling dry and rubbery – I was reasonably surprised by this product.

I as struck by the sharp contrast it presents against some of its present day rivals, chiefly because it doesn’t claim to use sophisticated, laboratory-developed technology, priding itself instead on being modest and subtle.

In addition it is quite practical: the rough, box-like shape makes it easy to grip and the corners stop the bar from slipping from your hands when wet, unlike oval-shaped soaps.

In all, the Organic Guy Bar does exactly what it is supposed to do; it gets dirt off, with the added bonus being that it didn’t leave my skin feeling as dry as I thought it would.

However I found the product’s excessive simplicity was also its only downfall. While the fragrance is light, earthy, subtle, and calming, I feel it is important not only to feel clean but to smell clean too – a sensation that didn’t last for very long with this soap.

Although I’m not sure I would buy the Organic Guy Bar, if it’s a practical, unassuming product that you’re after, this soap could be for you.

Simply Soaps’ Organic Guy Bar Soap is available from So Organic for £2.50.

Hemp Soap With Almond Eco Product Review

This Hemp and Almond Pure Vegetable Soap from Sativa Bags smells delicious. If you don’t like marzipan, it’s probably not the soap for you but I loved the almond smell which is strong but not overpowering.

The smell doesn’t stay on your hands after washing however, so fear not about smelling like cake all day. The picture is of the olive oil soap as they must be out of stock of this type at the moment.

Unlike a lot of non-natural products this soap doesn’t dry out the skin on your hands. I have sensitive skin that is prone to eczema but this did not irritate my hands at all. The lather is thick and ever so slightly oily leaving hands soft as well as clean.

A little goes a long way as it lathers up very quickly and after washing my hands numerous times the soap still looks the same size and shape as it did to begin with.

This is perfect for anyone with sensitive skin who struggles to find a soap that doesn’t leave their hands dry and irritated.

Bottega della Canapa Hemp and Almond Pure Vegetable Soap is made in Italy and is available from Sativa Bags costing £2.50 for a 100g bar.

Bentley Organic Revitalising Soap Eco Product Review

As I proved with my review of Simply Soaps’ Tea Tree and Calendula Soap review, it’s not easy writing about a soap. I liked that soap a lot at the time, but after testing this one, it pales in comparison.

While it’s still soap obviously, this Bentley Organic Revitalising Soap is the best I’ve ever used – seriously. I’ll try and describe why. Firstly the smell of cinnamon and orange is lovely. Then there is the size and shape which while it’s quite big, it fits into the hand nicely and lathers up well without being too slippy to hold. And the lather itself is luxurious and silky, it’s a treat to use – honestly! And it cleans well obviously.

Made in England and certified by the Soil Association, you can buy the soap from Male Organics for only £1.87, which I think is a bargain. I’ve never been so animated about soap before, but I love this one and think most people would. If you’re a soap person that is.

Simply Soaps Tea Tree and Calendula Soap Eco Product Review

Reviewing a soap is pretty simple, all you need to know is: does it work or not? Well yes, but also it’s good to look at what’s in that soap as they can contain all sorts of dodgy chemicals. Male Organics sent me Simply Soaps’ Tree and Calendula soap to test.

The ingredients are pretty, er, simple: water, saponified oils of olive, coconut, sunflower and palm, essential oil of tea tree and organic calendula petals. When you read ingredients like that, you have to wonder why all soaps aren’t made from similar ingredients. It works perfectly, like any other soap in fact, giving enough foam to lather up with and has a pleasant smell.

It also suits all skin types, with tea tree meant to be a good antiseptic and antibacterial.

Made in Norfolk in the UK using a low energy process, the soap is suitable for vegans and vegetarians and contains no harsh synthetics, chemicals or preservatives. It looks nice too.

Available from Male Organics for £2.50 (or less if you get it in the sale), there are other ‘flavours’ too.

Dr Bronner Tea Tree Castile Soap Eco Product Review

Testing eco-friendly products is always fun, but the best times are when something is useful as well. When Male Organics send us stuff, I can then groom myself nicely all in the name of research.

I’ve mentioned Dr Bronner’s castile soap before, how it’s basically a shower gel and how much I loved the peppermint version, but now I’ve been testing the tea tree version. Essentially it’s the same stuff but different smell. I’ve never liked tea tree oil, creams, facewashes, air fresheners and so on, but think that may be down to a nutty ex-girlfriend who used it a lot. So in the name of product reviewing I ignored my fear and jumped in the shower.

It wasn’t too bad. I mean there’s obviously a tea tree smell to it but once you’re using it you notice it less and get on with the lathering up. Used with one of those shower puff things you can get a lot of coverage with only a tiny drop of the soap.

And if you’re in the bath and are a bit bored, the bottle makes an entertaining, if slightly bizarre, read. But that’s part of the charm. The soap itself contains non of the chemicals you find in shower most gels and is all natural. I’m a big fan… of the peppermint version anyway.

Dr Bronner’s shower soap is available from Male Organics in two sizes – £2.45 for the 118ml and £6.45 for 472ml.

Ecover Floor Soap Eco Product Review

I’d never been one for floor soap before, but I recently rented a flat that hadn’t a single carpet in the place. So, being too lazy to make my own cleaner, I tried Ecover’s floor soap.

You only need to add a capful or two to a whole bucket full of water so a little goes a long way. Although it says it’s not suitable for laminate flooring, I gave it a go over everything – laminate, tiles, varnished wood etc and it seems fine.

Now Ecover products always say what they’re made from (see below for full list of ingredients), but non of the other products I’ve used have quite the lemon smell that this one does. In its raw form it’s overpowering and even when diluted and I’ve cleaned the whole floor of my flat it’s best to go out for a while. Not that it’s a bad smell, just a bit strong and it does say it’s got “fresh perfume from plant based ingredients”.

Leaving it dry, I returned later to find a nice clean home. It did take some harder mopping to get some marks out, but general grime and mud was no problem. Having not used another type of floor cleaner before it’s difficult to compare but I had no problems with it, the smell was reduced after I’d finished so it was quite a pleasant and “clean” smell.

It’s fully biodegradable and not tested on animals. The plastic bottle can be recycled (I’d be happier if it had already been recycled) and like other Ecover products it can be refilled where facilities exist.

The Ecover website gives a complete ingredients list:

The list below displays ingredients in descending order, with those present in highest quantities first.
Linseed oil
Perfume
Limonene
Nitromethylidynetrimethanol
2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
Citral
Geraniol

It’s now stocked in most supermarkets or you can buy it easily online.

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