I've made soap for almost 40 years. I haven't since we've moved to New York, but I do prefer it as it is so much gentler to the skin and doesn't have all the chemicals that regular soap has. My skin is never as soft as it is with handmade soap. We used to make our own laundry and other kinds of soap, too, even sold some. Nice little moneymaker:-)

No I don't... while they often smell great, and leave soft skin, they usually 'decompose' very quickly. I will get through a bar of handmade soup much quicker than commercially sold ones.

well handmade of course! I love the feel and look of them. I've been a soapmaker for five years now. and loving every moment of it:)

and I only make the glycerin kind. nothing like it!

It depends who makes each. I enjoy the rose-scented Dove bar, Tone, and Bath & Body Works glycerin soap, but I love goat's milk soap (if it's well-made).

I've seen some people "guesstimate" the amount of lye they use in soap and I wouldn't touch it, even after weeks of "curing". (I've discussed soapmaking with chemistry professors. I think I'm more paranoid than they are. And, yeah, I'm a dork.)