4 ms·

Same here, the joy of a good Marseille soap (I'm in France). It lasts at least 3 months for showers, washing hands, and everything (hair as well) I heard some

Same here, the joy of a good Marseille soap (I'm in France). It lasts at least 3 months for showers, washing hands, and everything (hair as well) I heard some people wash their teeth with soap, I'm not there yet :))

detritus 7y ago
Oh Good Lord, no - I don't know if it's a particularly British thing, but children were threatened with having their "mouths washed out with soap" if they said rude words!
- gshdg 7y ago
  Definitely an American thing too, and there’s no British ancestry in my family.
- merpnderp 7y ago
  I'm American and as a kid definitely had my mouth washed out with soap by my grandmother.
tempguy9999 7y ago
When I was a young kid we were out of toothpaste and some adult suggested using soap. I remember it wasn't very nice, but that's all. For the sake of science, I just repeated that, so as taught in school, the scientific method. experiment: brushing teeth with soap instead of toothpaste. apparatus: toothbrush, soap (sainsbury's cheapo), teeth, darwin-award level of stupidity. result: surprisingly inoffensive. Almost no taste of soap unless the suds reached the very back of your tongue. Considerably foamier than toothpaste! conclusion: for this brand of soap at least, an acceptable substitute. Minty soap would be better. Note that toothpaste actually contains a very fine abrasive which soap lacks. Also laundry soap (came in thick green bars IIRC) was probably far worse.
- lm28469 7y ago
  AFAIK using soap wouldn't do much to clean your teeth. Toothpaste work because it contains abrasive and to a lesser extent fluoride and other additives. Most of the cleaning comes from the action of the brush on your teeth which physically removes bacterias, leftover food, &c.
  - tempguy9999 7y ago
    I agree and have to wonder whether toothpaste really does anything significant, or perhaps it's just a moneymaking consumable.
    - FreeFull 7y ago
      Brushing with an abrasive does make a significant difference. The fluoride also has a significant effect on reducing tooth decay. The other parts aren't too important (flavour and mouthfeel). You can definitely get away with using other abrasives, but it won't be as pleasant.
      - jaclaz 7y ago
        Old toothpastes (and some of the new ones) used sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in the ingredients, it is slighly abrasive, it is whitening, not at all bad tasting and non-toxic if ingested/swallowed accidentally.
mathnode 7y ago
I have never heard of this (UK), a bar of soap you can wash hair with?
- 11235813213455 7y ago
  You can wash your hair with any soap bar, simple, efficient

detritus 7y ago

Oh Good Lord, no - I don't know if it's a particularly British thing, but children were threatened with having their "mouths washed out with soap" if they said rude words!

gshdg 7y ago
Definitely an American thing too, and there’s no British ancestry in my family.
merpnderp 7y ago
I'm American and as a kid definitely had my mouth washed out with soap by my grandmother.

tempguy9999 7y ago

When I was a young kid we were out of toothpaste and some adult suggested using soap. I remember it wasn't very nice, but that's all. For the sake of science, I just repeated that, so as taught in school, the scientific method. experiment: brushing teeth with soap instead of toothpaste. apparatus: toothbrush, soap (sainsbury's cheapo), teeth, darwin-award level of stupidity. result: surprisingly inoffensive. Almost no taste of soap unless the suds reached the very back of your tongue. Considerably foamier than toothpaste! conclusion: for this brand of soap at least, an acceptable substitute. Minty soap would be better. Note that toothpaste actually contains a very fine abrasive which soap lacks. Also laundry soap (came in thick green bars IIRC) was probably far worse.

lm28469 7y ago
AFAIK using soap wouldn't do much to clean your teeth. Toothpaste work because it contains abrasive and to a lesser extent fluoride and other additives. Most of the cleaning comes from the action of the brush on your teeth which physically removes bacterias, leftover food, &c.
- tempguy9999 7y ago
  I agree and have to wonder whether toothpaste really does anything significant, or perhaps it's just a moneymaking consumable.
  - FreeFull 7y ago
    Brushing with an abrasive does make a significant difference. The fluoride also has a significant effect on reducing tooth decay. The other parts aren't too important (flavour and mouthfeel). You can definitely get away with using other abrasives, but it won't be as pleasant.
    - jaclaz 7y ago
      Old toothpastes (and some of the new ones) used sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in the ingredients, it is slighly abrasive, it is whitening, not at all bad tasting and non-toxic if ingested/swallowed accidentally.

mathnode 7y ago

I have never heard of this (UK), a bar of soap you can wash hair with?

11235813213455 7y ago
You can wash your hair with any soap bar, simple, efficient