Soap isn’t something that instantly strikes you as being particularly attractive. One of the oldest cleansers ever invented, it’s basically a mix of fat and an alkaline – nothing glamorous about that. But on a recent trip to TK Maxx – a favourite haunt of mine – I was struck by these beautifully wrapped soaps. Rows upon rows of colourful blocks wrapped in beautifully illustrated paper, some tied in string or raffia and very enticing.
For years, bars of soap have been the poor relation to liquid soap, much maligned, and a complete no no for use on the face. They have definitely lost favour and only really gifted at Christmas by ageing relatives to the younger generation, who either discard them at the nearest charity shop or stick them at the back of their underwear drawer to impart the flowery scent over their socks and pants.
Although wait, the alternative is liquid soap in plastic bottles. Single use plastic bottles at that, which we are encouraged to avoid. Bars of soap are making a bit of a resurgence with the need to reduce plastic and save the planet.
Bars of soap lost favour originally as they can be quite messy, leaving a gungy mess all over your basin and woe betide you leave a bar in the bath. But there really is nothing like getting a bar of soap and rolling it between your hands to create a lovely rich lather which leaves you with a satisfyingly clean and pleasant smell. They last ages too.
A friend’s mother had the most ingenious soap holder. It was small and arm like, similar to an extra tap, that hung over the basin with a magnet underneath. Another magnet was pushed into the bar of soap, so that the bar could air dry and not leave a congealed mess. Brilliant. When I was young I thought you could buy bars of soap with magnets in like that, but later I realised how it worked.
Who wouldn’t want to give or receive one of these lovely bars of soap. The individual flowers in this photo are also made of soap to be floated in your bath but are almost far too pretty to use.
I have attached a link to TK Maxx HERE but for me it is one of those shops where you have to visit in person and take time to have a good rummage around for those never to be seen again bargains.
All items shown have been bought by me or gifted to me.