by Lorna Gordon

one that drains excess moisture away from

the bar , so it doesn ’ t turn soft underneath .

For years all we had available were bars of soap . Soap to wash our clothes , soap to wash our bodies and hair , soap to use for shaving . Then along came the advent of liquid soap in bottles and the good old-fashioned bar of soap became just that , old fashioned .

In recent years bars of soap have been making a comeback . Beautiful handmade bars of artisan soaps , new kinds of shampoo in a bar and a return to soap for washing yourself . You can even get solid bars of moisturisers now , so even more products are making the move away from bottles .

When you consider the number of bottles in a typical bathroom you can understand why this is a great place to make a difference in your household . By switching to bars instead of bottles you can make a huge reduction in the amount of plastic your home is consuming , simply by using a solid bar of soap .

To make the most of your soap , put it in soap dish between uses , make sure it ’ s

Plastic packaging is only one reason to switch to bars of soap . Here are a few others to consider :

The amount of soap used when using bars or liquid soap differs greatly , you use six times the amount of liquid soap than what you would use with a bar of soap to wash your hands !

There are less chemicals used in bar soaps than liquid soaps ( as well as liquid soaps requiring water in them ), typically only four are used in bar soaps , but liquids may have a long list .

More bar soaps can be transported in one truck than liquid soap as their shape and packaging makes them easier to pack . This means less traffic pollution .

Not only are bars of soap better for the environment , but they are also a great way to support small business too . They make fabulous presents ( a sneaky way to get your friends and family to use bars of soap ) and if you are a crafty person , you could even have a go at making your own soap - perfect holiday stocking stuffers .

Bars of soap are making a comeback . Image : ( Aurelia Dubois – unsplash . com )