Soused Soapery - Full Monty product reviews

Before I go ahead with my review of this product let me give you a little bit of background knowledge and me and soap! We haven't had the best of relationships and I can't remember the last time I had a bar of soap in my house! For some time now I have opted for body wash and liquid hand soap and think the only bars of soap that have been in my house in recent years have been those my Dad has purchased when he has visited and subsequently left here for future visits. But I wasn't going to let my not so good relationship with soap stop me from trying this product. I love handcrafted artisan products, especially those made in New Zealand. I too run my own little business and understand how important word of mouth and good customers are, so when putting my request in for this product it was because I wanted to support a New Zealand business wanting to get their products out and known a bit more.

One of the reasons for me deciding not to use bars of soap in my house is that many of them are very strongly scented. The scent of a soap doesn't usually affect me unless it is hayfever season and my allergies are already heightened. The scent of a soap can make my eyes water and itch when they are already halfway there, hence the reason I now use body wash and liquid soap that have a far milder scent to them. This is the main reason for choosing the Full Monty Soused soap to try as it was said to be unscented. Looking at the ingredients it is definitely unscented in the terms of there being no added scent oils, but it does have a soapy, clean type smell to it. Unfortunately, as I sit here writing this review with the bar of soap in front of me it is causing my eyes to itch, although I can't say that this happened when I used it which is one bonus! It's not like I'm going to spend all day sitting in front of the bar!

Being a little bit cautious I first decided to use the soap to simply wash my hands - a smaller area means less soap and if I am going to react it is generally a smaller reaction. Not wanting to wet the entire soap I cut a little bit off the end with a knife. As I washed my hands I noticed that the soap does lather up very well - one important factor in soap. After all, you need the bubbles to make things clean right?! There is just something about a good lather in helping you to feel clean. As I rinsed the soap off my hands I instantly felt how smooth they had become. I wasn't surprised to see that one of the main ingredients is coconut oil because I could certainly feel it. My hands were so soft, and very clean! I dried them off and carried on with my day, and about 15 minutes later I could still smell the soap on my hands. I would be interested to see that whether prolonged use of this product over a few months would make a difference to the condition of my skin as I work a lot with my hands and they are often very rough and dry. I will continue to use this when washing my hands just to see what happens.

I am now very intrigued to try more of the Soused Soapery products, and actually have a couple of things in mind for gifts for Christmas. I look forward to sharing this amazing company with my friends and family!

I was surprised to find that this soap is advertised as being unscented. In effect, it does have a mild scent, clearly the result of the amazing combination of edible oils and dark beer. There was such a smell of ultra-mild toilet soap and cooking oils with the slight suggestion of fresh salad dressing that I was prompted to lick it just to see if it tasted as attractive as it smelled! Not that I recommend eating soap - but I had to check just to make sure. (I did look at the ingredients list first to make sure I would not poison myself!) The taste was that of a flavoured solid coconut oil, and I could certainly imagine it being used in the kitchen. In any case, that is certain proof of the purity of the ingredients.

My second surprise came with the quality of the soap itself. It does not go mushy and melt away like other bar soaps I have used. After two of us showering every day for nearly a fortnight, and leaving it in the shower between uses, it is still solid. The engraved logo is still faintly visible, and the marbling which extends right through the bar is still there - although the swirls change slightly with each use. The appearance is that of rich marble; it would be at home in the fanciest of bathrooms as it looks so sophisticated.

In terms of cleaning power, it has been required to deal with muddy legs and feet, the dregs of suntan lotion and insect repellent, chlorine from the local swimming pool, and a nasty gash on an elbow which was decorated with assorted garden leaves and debris. All of these were speedily dealt with, with the clean skin being left smooth and shiny. I even used it to wash my hair one day as we were out of shampoo, and there was no evidence that it had been too harsh. Unlike cheaper everyday soaps, this product washed out clean when rinsed with warm water.

I love the idea of using this soap as a gift. Although it is a little on the expensive side, the presentation is festive and will appeal to a wide range of people. It is suitable for anyone - some will like the no-nonsense approach, some will like the use of natural ingredients, and some will just be seduced by the attractive black and white packaging. Younger children will enjoy the swirly marble patterns, and we know now that if they accidentally get a little in their mouths it won't do them any harm!