Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
A little while ago – to be honest, a couple of months back now - I received some soap samples for test and review from The Littlecote Soap Co in Buckinghamshire and I have been slowly “munching” my way through one of the bars, the “Tea Time” one.
The “Tea Time” soap is described as a mild soap and shampoo bar and contains organic tea tree oil and lemongrass.
I have a problem, generally, with soaps per se, as I seem to have rather sensitive skin, especially at the forehead and the hands. Store bought “ordinary” soaps just dry my skin out in such a way that it is nigh on flaking at the forehead and the hands get rather raw. No such problems, really, with this soap and, I have been told this many times by soap makers, it would not be a problem with handmade soaps. I was always a little skeptical here, I must admit.
Though the nice lady from The Littlecote Soap Co nearly flipped when I told her what I normally used to wash my hair with and what I also used as “shower gel”, namely “Fairy Liquid”, I must say that the said liquid never gave me any problems either. That is why I used it.
It is the same when doing the dishes, I must say. I used to use Ecover but, after having had the information as to the high levels of 1,4 dioxane that were found in samples of Ecover in the USA, I reverted back to using said dish-washing liquid and my hands are much better again. Ecover is very harsh to my hands, at least.
Back to the soap in question though, the “Tea Time” soap and shampoo bar. Having now used it regularly I found it working extremely well, even in cold water, as that is what I mostly shower with, and it is lasting a nice long time. In this period any “ordinary” soap (the stuff you'd buy for a couple of bucks in a store) would have gone all yucky and been no longer of any use this bar is going strong still. That is why I have had no time to test the other samples as yet.
As with all real soaps, do take care not to get the suds into the eyes – they will sting – and therefore when used on little ones, one must be especially careful if one wants to avoid tears. Having said that, I have got it into my eyes before and have not had much of a problem with it.
Can I recommend soaps from The Littlecote Soap Co? Well, I though I just did. This is to say, yes... a definite yes.
For the complete range of natural handmade soaps – handmade in the English countryside – and bath salts and other products, check out their website:
www.littlecotesoap.co.uk
© M Smith (Veshengro), June 2008
The Littlecote Soap Co – Product Review
