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3 Soaps to Skip

By Julyne Derrick, About.com

Funny thing happens when you stand in the soap aisle. You get overwhelmed. And then you go to the boutiques & the department stores & they are filled with $20 bars of soap & $30 bottles of bath gel. So really then, do women who bath with $80 bath bars have better skin than someone who rubs on the, oh, say Ivory? (We do hate that smell, by the way). No really. But then again if they can afford $80 bath bars, they probably pay for $200 monthly facials & body scrubs as well. Sigh.

Ok, ok, we'll get down to the real nitty gritty. The truth is the best body cleansers are pure & simple. Plain works just as well as fancy. Here's the rundown:

  1. Deodorant soap These soaps actually contain bacteria-killing chemicals that can dry out your skin. Regular soap will get rid of odors just as well. We like French-milled soap. But yes, Ivory or Dove work fine.

  2. Anti-bacterial soap The only people who really need this special soap are doctors, elementary school teachers and those with bad back acne. Normal soap (again, Ivory, Dove or any other typical bath bar found just about anywhere) will keep you just as clean and bacteria-free.

  3. Shower & bath gels Most bath & shower gels contain sodium laurel sulfate, a chemical that can be drying to your skin. Who knew? Yep. Might as well keep them for your guests only or for special occasions. They are fun to use after all. One great body wash bet that's non-irritating is Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash.

    So what soaps should you
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