Oliva Olive Oil Soap - 125g

As a vegan with madly sensitive skin, who's been known to get a nasty case of dermatitis from an allegedly gentle shampoo and finds most "simple" or "baby" products too harsh, I have a great deal of trouble finding toiletries that a) are not tested on animals and do not have animal ingredients b) don't have a strong smell (I mostly dislike them), c) don't bring me out in a rash. Oliva does all three, and it's relatively cheap for "natural" product ranges (which are often horribly expensive). Olive oil is excellent for both dry and oily skin, and is agreed to be one of the best bases for soaps. This soap does not contain glycerine, which personally I prefer as glycerine feels nice to the touch but actually tends to have a drying effect. The odour is neutral and very low, and you get a mild creamy lather rather than lots of bubbles. The colour is a rather unattractive olive green, but hey, I'd far rather have a soap that suits my skin than a soap that matches my bathroom tiles.rnrnIncidentally, I never did find a cleanser or moisturiser that I really liked, so I wash my face with the Oil Cleansing Method using a mix of olive and hempseed oil, and moisturise with solid coconut oil with a dash of cocoa butter. Olive oil really is great stuff.

Not much foam, and a slightly odd smell and colour, but a good staple soap for the price. Works fine for shaving also.
A trick I picked up on the road was to buy several at once, and let them get as old as possible before you use them. 1 year or more is best. That way they get harder, and lasts longer. Especially for soaps you use for washing your hands, and they never get the chance to dry properly, this works well.

Having tried lots of natural soaps, this is by far the kindest to skin. My husband, who is very prone to dry skin, also uses it for shaving and has found it much nicer than traditional shaving soaps. It is certainly not the most attractive soap though, and after a while it does tend to get in a bit of a mess - so I would definitely reccommend a soap dish!