I am prefacing this review with a note about a hilarious argument (well, I thought it was) Jessica and I just had. Jessica seems to believe that A) body wash is not the same as “soap” and that B) you cannot get clean with products that are considered non-soaps (as this one is). For the record, I am a body wash user. I don’t use bar soap. I consider body wash just as good as your average bar of soap and, I suspect, some of the body wash brands I use have “soap” in them, while others don’t, though I’ve clearly never paid attention.
So what exactly is “soap” and what does “soap-free” mean? Chemically speaking, soap is made when fatty acid salts (from plants or animals) are combined with an alkaline solution like lye. Soap-free products are detergents that do the same thing as soap but are made from plants with natural high saponin levels. Or something like that. So, basically, if you’re someone who purposefully does not use soap products, you’re likely doing so because you’re not down with harsh chemicals, which can be drying to the skin and aren’t as eco-friendly.
Anyway, read onward for Jessica’s review of The Body Shop’s Spiced Pumpkin Wash, which she would use in addition to bar soap, but those of us who don’t differentiate between soap and soap-free, would use on its own. Keep reading »
