floss

yes floss - the thing you use between your teeth.

funny how it can even be interesting enought to warrant a blog post.  then again, i'm a geek. so....

all along I never knew there was any difference in flosses - after all, it's just a string/thread.  how different can they be right?  and the price difference? I assume it was all just marketing and  branding.

One day, i absently minded bought the Oral B floss (despite its horrendous $6 price tag - probably a moment of weakness) and boy oh boy! Was I super surprised!  The floss was smooth, glided well between my teeth, and I didn't get any 'floss cuts'!  Yup, I actually get floss cuts from wrapping the floss so tightly round my fingers as the usual dental floss that I use are hard to get between the teeth and i need more grip.

so here are some of the dental floss i have used, and Oral B's the best out of the three.  It's close to $6 each at Watson/Guardian, and I am sooo happy to have found a much cheaper source!  $6 for TWO - at the supermarket near my home.  heh.  now i can happily continue to use good floss!

[caption id="attachment_1643" align="aligncenter" width="547"] dental floss that i tried![/caption]

 

Eco Dent Gentle Floss and Pearlie White are basically about the same.  Both were difficult to get in between the teeth and a few times, the floss got stuck and i got slightly worried cos' it was VERY difficult to get it out and I could feel tension on my teeth when it gets stuck - not a good thing for floss to be doing that.  I also got floss cuts on my fingers cos' it can be difficult to floss especially around the molars and I think i wrapped the floss to tightly around my fingers. heh.  I bought Eco Dent from iherb and Pearlie White from Guardian / Watsons.  sadly both don't work so great for me.

Oral B's the best! smooth, glides well between the teeth and I actually use less cos' I don't need so much thread to wrap around my finger for grip!

Ta-dA! review of dental floss.  yes - boring old geeky me. but hey! just in case you planning to buy some - now you know which is better!

SuKin

I came to know about SuKin from a friend who recommended it cos' of its natural ingredients.  While its deodorant didn't work for me, I have been slowly testing some of their other products - some I love, some not so.

The ones I didn't quite like are their deodorant (probably cos' i'm too stinky, but it does work for my friend) and their rosehip renew shampoo (doesn't lather well, and somehow I don't feel that it cleans well, and I saw a lot more hair fall!  it's could be a cycle when we 'shed'. or i rubbed too vigorously - so it could be just me and not the shampoo.   regardless, it's a meh for me).

[caption id="attachment_1495" align="aligncenter" width="163"] Sukin shampoo and deodorant[/caption]

The ones I do love?  Quite a few actually - i particularly like their facial wash and rosehip oil! and their body oil is not too bad!

[caption id="attachment_1494" align="aligncenter" width="595"] SuKin products I love![/caption]

Their foaming Facial Wash smells heavenly (then again, most of their stuff smells quite similar), washes decently - doesn't leave your face dry.   When you need a light refreshing facial wash - this does the job very well.  Very reasonably priced too - esp when you get them on promotion.  I got two bottles at $17 and I reckon they last probably a good 3 - 4 months.   Convinced my sis to change to this cos' it's a healthier and safer wash and she ended up loving the smell too.  Good price and good for your skin too! well, why not?

The other product that seems to work for me is their rosehip oil.  I NEVER ever thought I would use oil as a moisturizer, but it works for me!  it's supposed to be for more mature skin.  I have dry skin and I guess 30+ skin is mature?  and the best part is - it doesn't feel oily AT all!  it's a dry oil - meaning it absorbs really quickly, and I do feel my skin looking better than when i used other moisturizers.  so i'm sticking to this for a while!

I bought their bodyoil when there was a 20% and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it came in a glass bottle! it had a normal cap, and they even provide an extra pump dispenser.  boy - I as superbly impressed by the thoughtfulness.  and it wasn't too expensive - $17.52 after discount - given that other body moisturizers are about the same price too.

the next few I might wanna try?  eye serum and the other shampoos. let me finish my current shampoo first loh!

Malki Black Mud Mask Soap

It's hard to buy my dad presents cos' the things he loves are gadgets and electronic stuff....and I know nuts about them.  My eyes go a dead blank when my dad enthusiastically tells me the exciting new features of his latest purchase.  i try to listen, but man...it can get hard. probably the same way his eyes go blank when I enthusiastically tell him how i helped cleaned his flat.

So I was pleasantly surprised when my dad loved a small gift that I bought him...and surprise surprise...it's not any electronic stuff.....it's a bar of soap!

I bought a Black Mud Soap for my dad about a year or so ago to try, and he ended up really loving it!

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Malki Black Sea Mud Mask[/caption]

I was pretty surprised by his enthusiasm  - he says his skin feels very clean after he uses this soap, and even uses it as a shampoo!

Also got one for the hb to use - to replace the commercial facial wash and when I asked him "how?" - he had the most boring answer "ok lor".  and "ok lor" from the hb is a decent rating.   And surprise surprise - it double ups as a shaving cream too!  I read it online and asked him to try it  just last week and he says it works!  So now he doesn't need to use shaving cream loaded with hard-to-read-and-understand ingredients!  and saves money too from one less unnecessary purchase!

Personally I don't have any personal preference for the soap.  Works alright for me, didn't do anything out-of-the-world for me.  Smell?  I don't like it (it is called mud for a reason) But I guess this soap works well for people with oily skin like my dad and hb.

You can get the bar from Real Foods or Zenxin, but it's really really expensive at $17.80 per bar!   My dad ran out of the soap really fast, so I went to search if there was a cheaper option and I managed to buy it online for about a third of the price!!! and that is even after currency conversion and shipping (then again, I did buy 30 bars to make shipping viable!).   I just checked and the company I ordered from went....bust!  Lucky I got it early!  I guess I will have to start my search again when my dad runs low...which will probably take a while!

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap!

remember a few months ago I was writing about a pretty red dispenser that I bought, but smelt really bad when I poured in the hand soap?

I googled and the only explanation I could find was that the fragrance in the hand soap reacts with the metal, causing the bad smell - so I decided to put the red pump aside until I found some more natural soaps.....and....I DID!:):)

It's Dr Bronner's Magic Soap - seems to be widely known in the US, though not so common in Singapore (though I've been seeing it pop up at NTUC Finest, Watsons and mostly organic or health stores).

[caption id="attachment_936" align="aligncenter" width="371"] dr bronner magic soap[/caption]

what appealed to me was that

1. NO NASTY CHEMICALS

It's going to take too long and you probably be bored by the time I go through each ingredient....so what I linked the nasty stuff in red (possible links to cancer, fertility issues, etc), the neutral stuff in green.  The links in blue - well, it's not bad or good on its own - it depends what goes into it.   Read the articles using your discretion.  And if you are interested, you can further investigate and decide what works for you!

i) Dr Bronner's Tea Tree Liquid Soap 

INGREDIENTS: Water, Organic Coconut Oil*, Potassium Hydroxide**, Organic Olive Oil*, Tea Tree Extract, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol * CERTIFIED FAIR TRADE INGREDIENTS ** None remains after saponifying oils into soap and glycerin

I like that their ingredients are easy to read and understand.  Personally I have a good experience with using Hemp Oil based products for my eczema.   I think it's not available in Singapore in its pure form cos' it falls under the cannibis family  even though THC - the drug is not present in concentrations that induces a 'high'.  at least that's what I read.  I'm just happy to find out that hemp seed oil heals my skin!:)

on the smelly topic of....deordorants!

ok...i'm gonna share with you something embrassing.... my smelly pits!  sorry to gross you..but it's a real stinky issue that I have to deal with - especially with the warm humid weather here in singapore.  no kidding since average relative humidity level is in the 80+%!  on a positive note - the high humidity has its benefits for people with dry skin - keeps the skin hydrated and looking young!  on the flip side - encourages mouldy food, mould in cupboards, and skin issues like pimples from all the clogged pores (prob from the heat!)....ah well...i'm digressing!

[caption id="attachment_547" align="alignleft" width="225"] i wish I could smell as good as theses lovlies![/caption]

I found myself smelling less than great, and then slowly but surely, progessed to smelling really stinko! Eons ago, I lasered the hair on my pits - and a wonderful side effect was that I stayed stink free for a good 3-4 years (yes, really that long!)! I figured the stink sweat follicles got blasted and got laid to rest for a while!:)

When I started smelling a bit, I used a off-the-shelf deordorant daily, and after a year or so - had a lump under my pits!  I went to see a doctor - the lady doctor checked and even commented my breasts felt lumpy.   She gave me a pill (she said it contained papaya extract) and after a while, the lump went away - of course I stopped the deordorant too.

Since then, I found that there are some pretty horrible substances in the usual deordorants and antiperspirants which are bad for our health!   Here are some quick info so that you can take note and avoid them if you can!

1. aluminum

there are deodorants, and antiperspirants.  antiperspirants usually contain aluminum-based compounds are used as the active ingredient in antiperspirants. These compounds form a temporary plug within the sweat duct that stops the flow of sweat to the skin's surface.

there's quite a bit written about aluminum - from causing breast cancer due to antiperspirants to alzhimers by ingesting it.  of course, it's up to the individual to decide whether to believe it or not - and I choose to - simply because avoiding aluminum is something I'm more than willing to do, as compared to the possibility of damaging my health.  cancer? alzhimers? ney.  no thanks. It's not worth risking my health.

that's why I don't cook anything in aluminum directly, avoid carbonated drinks in aluminum cans, etc. You might be amazed to know that they are even present in some medicines (antacids!) and vaccines!  gosh.

2. parabens.

parabens are usually used to preserve in cosmetics - to prevent bacterial and fungi in our cosmetics and lotions...and sometimes even food!!!  they are used essentially cos' they are effective and cheap.  but apparently they disrupt your hormones, and are linked to cancers.

The alumiunum and parabens freaked me out so much scary - for a while, I even went without deordorant!  *gasp* true story.  During that time I felt horrible!  after a short time out of the house, I already smelt bad, and it was horrible!  I was conscious not to raise my arms as I sure as hell didn't want to assualt someone's poor nose!

So in my zealous quest to become stink free and at the same time make sure I take care of my health - here are the deordorants I have tried!

.

.

.

.

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1.  Khiels

[caption id="attachment_659" align="alignleft" width="140"] khiel deodorant[/caption]

I can't exactly remember what was on the ingredient list that made me throw it away after I got my Su Kin deordorant, but i think there was some aluminum in it (I threw it away already - so am unable to check the ingredient list). I recalled I bought it cos' it stated "Orange, Lemon and Linseed Extract" - so I naturally assumed it was all natural.  Not so.  Still have to read the ingredients list.  Other than that - it worked decently, though a little wet upon application.

Ingredient list:  I threw it away.  can't exactly remember what was on the ingredient list that made me do it - so it's a fail for me.

Smell control:  7.5/10.  not bad.  kept me from smelling too bad.  medium control.  not for heavy duty sweating!  

dry factor: 5/10.  a slight wet sticky feeling upon application...and throughout the day - slight dampness or a grosser term - slimy.  

2. Su Kin

[caption id="attachment_660" align="alignleft" width="178"] Sukin deodorant[/caption]

 

When I first used it - the thing I note was the nice pleasant smell.  and it was really easy to use - just spray and it dries pretty fast.

down side?   NOT effective - at least not for me! to be fair, my friend says it works for her. so maybe I just smell wayyy too bad.   In fact, I thought it made me even SMELLIER!  cos' you know - my stinko sweat PLUS other stuff = SMELLIER than ever pits.

Smell control:  1/10. gosh. dont' stand near me on a hot humid day! or after I've been baking! you will faint. 

dry factor: 7.0/10.  dries pretty quicky upon application, and doesn't have a slimy after feel compared to Khiels.   

 

 

 

 

 

3. Honey Tree

[caption id="attachment_661" align="alignleft" width="186"] Honeybee deodorant powder[/caption]

 

initially I didn't quite like it - it was too jasminely for my liking and well...not my cup of tea.  after a while, I got used to the smell, and it was okay.

It's a powder form.  texture's a little coarse but acceptable.

smell control:   4/10 . better than Su Kin but I still stank after a while or if the weather's too hot. 

dry factor: 7.5/10.  

 

 

 

 

 

4. Soapwalla!

[caption id="attachment_665" align="aligncenter" width="570"] soapwalla deodorant cream[/caption]

i heard so many raves about soapwalla's deordorant and in my desperate attempt to not smell so bad, I wanted to ship in from the US, but shipping was a killer!  luckily Rachel, the owner directed me to a online shop in Singapore! Poppibleu!

It is a cream that you apply - and was slightly surprised that it was coarse - similar to Honey Tree.  it is acceptable, but was a little surprised as I expected a smooth cream.  easy to apply.

smell control: 9.5/10!!!! went cycling and there was no smell!!!! no kidding!  oh my gosh, I sooooo happy to finally find something that will let me stay stink free!  thank you thank you thank you!

dry factor:  9/10!  strangely even though it's a cream - i think there is some clay or something in the cream - when you apply - it's not wet, and throughout my cycling - didn't feel any wetness! 

So TA DA - MY LOVE!!!!! SOOOOOoooo happy to have found this deodorant!

 

5. Magnesium oil 

Read from somewhere that magnesium oil spray thing is able to double up as a deodorant so I will just try that the next time I get my hands on some!:)

thankful for everything.

sorry for the lack of posts recently!

was busy settling the kitchen and was pre occuppied with selling the equipment, settling rental stuff, logistics of moving stuff back home, etc.  plus being the anal me - once things were back home - i HAD to repack them nicely and neatly.  I get really affected by my surroundings - that could explain why I'm a little OCD at times.  Although, on convenience, my OCD can be switched off! heh. like my messy desk. and especially paperwork!  I will be tackling them soon though! at least i started!

[caption id="attachment_295" align="alignnone" width="470"] breathing![/caption]

Well now that I have everything settled - I honestly have to admit - I feel a lot happier! perhaps from the immense sense of relief from trying to get enough sales each month to cover operational costs!  I love baking - though it's a tad different baking for yourself vs baking for for sale.  I am a advocate of using the best ingredients we can.  On the other hand,  for business, you need profits to survive and continue providing a service.   Plus, I'm not so great at business.

I'm decently good at baking simple straight forward desserts though!:)  Our brownies got covered on Her World magazine '90 best desserts in Singapore'! woo hoo!  it's wonderful to have an external party recognize and appreciate the your love and passion you put in your work!  not every one loves my brownies cos' they are really fudgy and chocolaty, but hey - that's exactly the reason why many others love them! haha.

[caption id="attachment_292" align="alignnone" width="470"] we got mentioned 2 out of 3 - our dark chocolate cranberry and swirled cheese brownie! not bad aei. heh. top right of page under brownies![/caption]

now that I am taking a break until I decide what I'm going to do next - I am grateful for the extra time to spend some time to help my parents tidy and pack their house.   Much as they may not be as fussy about their surroundings as me - I helped give parts of the house a good clean!  vacuuming, washing, decluttering, rearranging --  allowing more natural light to come into the house and a better energy flow!  I would like to think that makes my mum and dad happier.

and....it makes me very happy to do something for them.  They have been extremely supportive of me - never questioning or asking me too much - fetching me home on days I had to bake late into the night, and always being there for me.

Being Asian, expressing in words is awkward and uncomfortable....so doing things for them is my way of saying 'I love you and am very grateful for you loving me as unconditionally as you do' - though you will NEVER catch me saying that.  Too corny lah. and a tad cheesy.  I rather say it through my actions.

Have you done something for your parents recently?   It can be your own special way to say 'thank you' and 'i love you' - whatever works for you.:)

CD Baby

A couple of days ago - i stumbled upon a website by David Sivers and LOVED LOVED LOVED his animation!

this is just one of the many cute ones!

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/25494440 w=400&h=300]

Essentially the videos on his website are extracts from his book 'Anything You Want'.  I borrowed the book from the library and it is a really quick read - you can easily complete  it in under 1.5 hours.

What amazes me is that he accidently stumbled upon a business, worked and grew it, sold it for 22 million, and gave most of the money away.  from the book, i gathered he knew himself very well - well enough to know that even more money doesn't make him happy.  Of course it is something we all need to survive - but his ability to detach from it and keep enough for himself without being too attached is amazing.  Lesson I took away is that money itself doesn't make you happier.  of course a certain level is required to ensure you have less worries - beyond that  - we all need to know how to be happy regardless.

I was out running errands today and many times I found myself uttering thanks for the many small things in my life - my wonderful cats that keep me happy, my family, the pretty red flowering tree just outside my flat, good cold blasting aircon on the bus, the fact that I am born in a wonderful country and many many others.  when you start being thankful, amazingly it becomes easier to recognize the good things in your life.

If you happen to come across this book - do pick it up and give it a read.  for me - there were many good lessons within the book - of course, everyone interprets information in their own way - but I hope you enjoy it regardless!:)

[caption id="attachment_264" align="alignnone" width="470"] hahaha...much as the boy is cute - i dont' really get the cover, but heck! it's a happy cover!:)[/caption]

 

Pimples! My way of tackling them!

this will be one of my rambles on skin care - one of my favourite topics!

I have been blessed with a relatively pimple/acne free complexion (save for a recent memory of a horrible terrible HUGE pimple years ago - almost 1 cm diameter at the bottom of my nose!  morbidly I snapped a photo of the scar - maybe to remind me that it was really THAT huge! *shudder* and no, i shall not gross any of you out by posting it here. kekeke...that would be funny though!).

However in the past year - I had a period where pimples kept popping around my nose and I was a tad upset cos' it left faint albeit visible marks on my nose and it looked well...distracting.  and before the mark completely fades - POP! another comes along.  I was trying hard to pin point what caused the pimple outbreak and I can only weakly assume it's either

1. hot humid environment - when I used to bake frequently for orders


2. loose powder  - i was using to reduce the shine of applying sunblock.


3. some other reason - but i just haven't figured it out...maybe getting older? hmm...

So I tried clay masks, dead sea mud mask soap, exfoliating 2-3 times a week, and the pimples still popped!  boy....was it really annoying.  Then I started using Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair serum, and much as I'm a cynic at times (normally I don't buy the major cosmetics products as I feel that I am paying more for the marketing and advertising costs than the product itself) - it really really worked!  at least for me!  the marks went away quicker and the pimples stopped for a period!  plus it feels good - to be trying to protect my skin from aging!

[caption id="attachment_214" align="alignnone" width="460"] Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum - thank you to the people who created this wonderful product![/caption]

Though I have to disclaim - the pimples unfortunately came back for a little while - i suspect it's because I changed my loose powder and maybe maybe the new powder included micro/nano particles and with the heat of the kitchen, probably clogged my pores. I think.   The nano particles really gave a smoother finish - but ney - not worth the pimples, and to think about it - being nano sized means it's easier to go into my blood stream huh?  Okay - to the dustbin!  Note to self:  Please remember to look at ingredients list!

[caption id="attachment_219" align="alignnone" width="300"] Love the packaging and the finish it gave - but i suspect it caused my pimples. The sales lady said it contained nano particles, hence the smooth finish - but couldn't find much information on the ingredients / packaging.  It was also an impluse buy and i didn't read the ingredient list until much later and i vaguely remember being horrified. then again....i suspect most commercial products contain less than desired ingredients.[/caption]

Still, i do get pimples - albeit a lot less now.   You know when a pimple is about to erupt - that small but painful bump under your skin, you may wanna try what my sister recommended - Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment and it works!  I generously dot the area with the cream before the pimple even has a chance to appear, and instead of an angry red burst of pimple erupting - a small red dot appears.  It's a drying cream - so dab it only on the pimple area - else your skin will flake.

soap dispenser - you may wanna note if you are buying a metal pump one!

i was on the hunt for a soap dispenser for a couple of months.   before, i always thought it was strange why one would need a soap dispenser - after all, the soaps all come prepacked in the plastic pumps already - wasn't a soap pump unnecessary?  ha...now i know better!  cos' very simply - soap pumps look prettier than the plastic ones!

I was trying to be eco-friendly and reduce the wastage by buying refills, and the plastic container just didn't look pretty.  Remember the quote by William Morris?



so it took me many months before i finally found a pretty yet decently priced one at SQ FT at Tampines Mall.  It met my requirement of being less than SGD 15!  Still I hesitated for a bit cos' it's  not exactly a necessity, then I thought 'hey! it's been on my mind for months, and now that it appeared before me - I should not do myself a diservice by ignoring it!'

so i bought this pretty little dispenser.:)

[caption id="attachment_161" align="alignnone" width="376"] pretty huh! i chose the red for the burst of color - just gives you that little bit of energy in the morning!:)[/caption]

it works really well and pumps very nicely, and the color is great!  Thing is...after I poured the soap in - there is a very strong metallic smell...which puts me off cos' i have a nose of a dog sometimes.

VERDICT? 

• i LOVE everything about it!  good price, looks good, nice color.


• BUT the soap reacts to the metal pump and smells bad.   I googled and couldn't find much information - the only one that mentioned the metallic smell said it seems like it's the fragrance in the hand soap that reacts with the metal.

if you have a SUPER nose, you may wanna take note.  but if you are not bothered by smells generally (my husband can't really detect any smell, but it's too strong for me!) - then a metal pump one would probably work fine for you.   If you have a super nose, then maybe better to get a plastic pump or if you are using organic soaps - i think should be okay metal or plastic (let me know please!)

so now  I can either buy a new dispenser that has plastic pump (not so keen) OR buy a soap that doesn't have fragrances and is probably better for our skin anyway.

undecided....so in the meanwhile, i went back to my plastic pump.  sad. i love the red pump and still leave it on my sink! next to the ugly plastic one. haaa....

Cleaning Your iMAC Keyboard

I love my iMac keyboard - the white clean streamline look, the soothing 'clicking' sound while you are typing away and also the ease and comfort with its 'flat-ness'... if you know what i mean.

The only thing is that it gets dirty really easily.  I contemplated buying a keyboard guard, but at the ridiculous price of SGD 40+ for that thin piece of plastic - no thank you. Plus, i'm not sure whether it affects the typing feel.  So naturally after a couple of months - my keyboard got greyer and greyer  - not the lovely pristine white as before.  and the grime was super distracting (for me!).

[caption id="attachment_79" align="alignnone" width="870"] can you see the specks of grey?[/caption]

Figured that since the marks on the keyboard were probably due to the oils from our fingers - I thought maybe the kitchen cleaner might just do the trick....and it did!  Check out the before and after photos below!  and now - my keyboard looks as good as new!   plus - it's darn easy to wipe of the grease!  didn't even have to use any force.  I just lightly wiped it across the keyboard!

[caption id="attachment_80" align="alignnone" width="313"] Magic Clean to the rescue! It's formulated to target grime, which was what was making my keyboard dirty.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_81" align="alignnone" width="870"] check out the key 'J' - top left was wiped a little - see how clean it compares to the rest of the key! and see the dirt marks on the number '7'![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_82" align="alignnone" width="870"] ta-da! all nice and clean now!:)[/caption]

Body Soap!

a couple of months ago, i had a persistent albeit mild itch on my arms, and though i had an allergy to something I've eaten (I have an averse reaction to peanuts....more on that in future!), and my mum asked if it was the detergent I was using. I figured it can't be cos' I've always used the same detergent (though allergies do sometimes react to something you commonly used. probably the chemicals build up to a point where your skin starts reacting - so you may still want to consider that) and also, I use very little detergent in my washing.

However, it made me consider that the liquid body soap I use might be a possible culprit - so I resumed using the Ergo QV liquid soap which is supposed to be very gentle to the skin and the itch really started to ease!  But at $30 for 1 litre (more than 3 times the usual price of a normal liquid soap for the same amount!) - i was certainly not loving the price!  Also it contains  SLS and parabens (bad bad BAD for us - but it's so commonly used in many of the products we use daily - so while I can't eliminate them, i try to reduce them as far as possible), so i started seeing what could be a longer term sustainable solution to preventing the itch!

[caption id="attachment_62" align="alignnone" width="340"] a body wash that is indeed gentle but pretty expensive.[/caption]

i stumbled upon my stash of L'Occitane bar soaps I had stashed for YEARS!  5 years to be exact - cos' they came in the hotel we stayed in for our wedding!  so i started using it, and yes! it works just as well - still no itch, and psychologically i felt better cos' the ingredients didn't contain all those weird chemicals. and also, another important point - it lasts pretty long!

Over the past couple of months - i tried quite a number of soaps and here's a rundown!

L'Occitane 

didn't pay for this but think it's less than $10 per 100g bar.

[caption id="attachment_64" align="alignnone" width="225"] gentle bar soap[/caption]

pros:

• gentle mild soap

cons:

• slightly waxy after feel which i didn't quite like


• didn't manage to scrub me as clean as I like at the armpits! (i suppose I could use a hand scrubby thingy - but i'm lazy).

Dr Bronner's Organic Soap (I used the Citrus Orange Bar Soap)

$7+ per 140g bar (bought at NTUC Finest Marine Parade - organic section near the escalator)

[caption id="attachment_65" align="alignnone" width="274"] I LOVE the smells - even better when I know they are natural oils![/caption]

pros:

• made from organic oils


• smells darn good


• lathers well

cons

• somehow the soap seems to run down quite fast.  or maybe i love it sooo much that i happily used it so often.

Mount Sapola  (I have only used the Lemon Gingergrass)

$8.20 per 120g bar

[caption id="attachment_67" align="alignnone" width="609"] my stash of Mount Sapola bar soaps which i bought from Bangkok! this is only half of what I actually have! sufficient to last me a good year I think![/caption]

pros:

• smells great


• natural ingredients


• scrubs really well!

cons:

• a tad expensive ($8.20 per 120g bar)

VERDICT

My favourites are Dr Bronner's and Mount Sapola.

I would love to try more of Dr Bronner's soap, but managed to get Mount Sapola's soap cheaper in my recent holiday to Bangkok - and after conversion it's about $5 per bar - so now i have no worries for a good year!

Also, I like the 'scrubbing' effect that the ginger has in the bar soap - makes me pits smell good. :)

So if you do have sensitive / dry skins - you can try soaps that do not contain the normal chemicals and see how your skin reacts (I'm pretty sure it will turn out all the better). I'm sure there are good liquid soaps (you could try Su Kin - a huge bottle at $30 and sans nasty chemicals).  The reason why i use bar soaps? cos' economically it's more value for money - cos' liquids generally are more expensive and run down pretty fast.  The bar soaps generally lasts me 1 - 1.5 months.

I heard that Lush body soaps are pretty good too - made from natural ingredients as well.  I would try it if it's convenient, but meanwhile, I will happily soap up with my bar soap.