Looking for old-school soap

Hey everyone!

My skin is incredibly sensitive. It started with this weird, random itching that comes and goes. Eventually, I realized my washing machine isn't rinsing properly—there's way too much detergent left on my underwear. Now, I run an extra rinse cycle every single time. It was actually eye-opening to see how much soap finally came out during that second rinse. 😲
Most of the issues went away.

Not for long, though. I doubled down on the strategy and switched from one extra rinse to two. Then it hit me: this is ridiculous. I’m likely allergic to every single molecule of detergent left behind. And yes, even after a second extra rinse, there's still residue. My washer is brand new and works perfectly fine, so that's not it. So, I decided to ditch the detergent entirely. I swapped brands. Then swapped again. Honestly, I've hated using detergent on my hands for years; I always wear gloves. Now, I want to cut out chemical detergents altogether.

The problem is, what do I wash with? Is there anywhere to buy old-school soaps or something similar that's free of harsh chemicals? Most of my laundry isn't even stained. I don't have kids running around in the mud, so I don't need heavy-duty cleaners. I'd even resort to boiling my underwear if it would fix this. Beyond the constant itching, I'm starting to get red spots now.

Can you actually find soaps or detergents today that are like the ones my grandmother used to use? 😕

You should totally check out that little corner shop over on 72 Fifth Avenue, near Union Square. They carry some really incredible stuff. Honestly, it worked wonders for me. I used to deal with that exact same issue while showering, and now it’s completely gone. The only thing I do differently is I don't put anything in my towels except for regular detergent.

Is that Lush? It’s just handmade and cruelty-free. Fine, I guess, but does it actually lack the specific chemicals I'm worried about?

Exactly, Lush. I honestly feel like they shouldn't be using any harsh chemicals at all. I actually went into the store myself a while back to talk about some issues I was having. The girl working there was super helpful—she suggested two different products. I ended up buying one made with coconut and rose, and I just grabbed a little sample of the other one to test out first. My advice? Just go in, tell them exactly what’s bothering you, buy one thing, and ask for a sample of another. She'll usually give it to you! I tried a little patch test in the shower first just to see if my skin would react, and it was totally fine. Honestly, I have a hunch they don't use any nasty synthetics. Oh, and if you end up buying something, ask if they have any of their newspapers or brochures lying around; they have some great stuff in English you can read through to check the ingredients. It should be all good. Personally, my skin spots have completely cleared up since I switched. I also stopped using fabric softener when I wash my towels, which might help too.🙂

Thanks, I'll swing by. I checked out their website (www.lush.com) and they carry shower soaps and bath stuff—but doesn't look like they have laundry detergent?

Does anything like that actually exist? For instance, I'd just toss my delicates in a pot and boil them; there's no way I'm sticking to hand-washing everything...

You can pick up Annie's Homegrown
products over at the Whole Foods Market located at 72 Fifth Avenue.

They carry a decent selection of cosmetics and cleaning supplies, though I'm not entirely certain if they stock anything specifically formulated for laundry; you might want to check with one of the clerks there--

If you're looking for a better way to wash your clothes in the machine, maybe try using a liquid detergent instead, since I feel like it just rinses out way better than those old-school powders

Hmm... Annie's Homegrown. I might make a trip over there.
As for that liquid detergent, I've never actually used it. Might be worth a shot for my delicates.

sorry if I’m totally going off on a tangent here, but soap—whether you’re talking about that "old school" stuff made from rendered lard and lye or some "modern" version—is still just a chemical.

honestly, it’d be a smart move to go get tested so you actually know what you’re allergic to...

I’m looking for old-school soap
Traditional soaps are still being made in a few spots across Europe—places like Italy and France—and even parts of Southeast Asia—but honestly, they’re becoming such a pain to track down these days.
There's one famous factory over in Marseille that makes an olive oil soap—it's supposedly the most expensive and prestigious stuff on the planet. I can't recall the exact name right now—I think I saw a segment about it on some TV channel, though I can't remember if it was local news or something on satellite... maybe someone who knows their way around France could do a quick search? All I know is the factory is located right in the heart of the old port district in Marseille.
That specific soap works for your body, but you can also use it on laundry. Over in Italy, they have this specialized laundry soap that comes in flakes—I think the concept is pretty self-explanatory.

I think his name is Marius Fabre. I didn't catch the show, but I'm guessing that’s the brand they were talking about.
You can grab their soaps at Modcloth over on 72 Fifth Avenue, though they don't carry the laundry stuff. But honestly, their other products are way better than anything else out there for skin. They're kind of pricey, I guess, but they actually last.
I think you could find that specific flake soap at Target—well, maybe, I haven't been there in a bit.
It cleans great, but I wouldn't touch my whites with it. I think the box said it was some Marseille soap.

Marseille soap is the one thing that actually cleared up my stubborn skin flakes.

Honestly, it’s top-tier. 👍

www.marius-fabre.fr
if you guys can get me that one.

and the one above, those savons de m. soaps... I guess you can only find them in Italy or maybe somewhere here in the States?

I used to pick up Marseille soap even at places like Billings... not from that specific brand, but from someone else, and it was absolutely top-tier!

They were about as neutral as some laundry soap—I think it was called Seventh Generation—and just a standard bar of men's shaving soap.

Hey everyone—for those dealing with allergies to standard detergents or fabric softeners, some people swear by the stuff you find at Whole Foods Market.

To be honest, that kind of detergent is way out of my budget (it’s about $45 a box, whereas I can grab four packs of Tide or Dash for that much)—but I know someone whose life was totally transformed by switching.

If I were dealing with the same skin issues she was, I'd definitely pull the trigger on it. She actually let me borrow some for a load once, and it honestly cleans incredibly well.

The giveaway was these coarse little corn granules and some other ingredients I can't quite recall. I think I have a link to the brand saved somewhere.

Around here, you still see grandmas happily buying the same bar soap they used forty years ago—just a big, plain block wrapped in simple paper for maybe a buck, claiming it gets everything spotless. My grandma used to get hers from my grandpa back when he was working in town. I recognized the scent immediately 😁

But hey, maybe all that scrubbing and rinsing with bar soap is just too much work for you—an "organic" powder might be a better move.

I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to standard detergents too. Honestly, if I ever try washing dishes without gloves, I’m asking for trouble. It’s been an ongoing issue, and since I stopped using bare hands years ago, those blisters on my palms have finally cleared up.

I haven’t heard much about bio or organic powders, but cutting out the heavy chemical detergents seems like the obvious first step.

rustymoose54: I assume traditional soap isn't exactly "pure" either—it's still chemistry—but it feels like there are far fewer nasty additives involved.

magic: Marseille soap—from what I gather, that's usually a body soap. Is it actually good for laundry?

It’s become a necessity for me to shower with CeraVe because my skin is so dry. If I don't use CeraVe (which is ridiculously overpriced) after a regular soap, I have to slather on some body lotion. I’d love to find a cheaper alternative to CeraVe, though; it's way too expensive to last very long.

Winona - it feels like all the health food stores around here just stock snacks.
Where am I supposed to actually buy anything useful?

My husband and I have been strictly using CeraVe for our showers for quite some time now, and I still find myself needing to apply moisturizer immediately after stepping out. Lately, I’ve noticed that handling laundry detergent powder gives me these irritating blisters on my hands whenever I'm loading the washer or reaching into a bag. It’s become clear that even my clean clothes were starting to irritate my skin, so I finally just gave up on using fabric softener altogether. 😢

Sophia Taylor47 said:Winona - I feel like all the health food stores around here just stock groceries.
Where am I even supposed to find it?

If you're in Chicago, you can grab it there, but if you're somewhere else, I don't know. Just hit up Whole Foods. They should have it, since that's where I get my stuff.
They definitely carry those kinds of products.