Ms. Beng, my fellow Toastmaster gave me a lovely and blossomy soap package earlier today as a birthday gift. I liked it very much. In fact, what inspired me to write this was the fresh scent of this gift. Haha!

I like soaps, body wash, long baths. Bathing’s invigorating and it’s part of my daily routine (like majority of Filipinos), something that I can’t live without even in cold temperature, and even in illness (in several instances). If I still my mind and just focus on the scent, I can imagine vicariously the scent of various soaps we had used at home since I was a child, some of which we still use interchangeably sometimes–Safeguard (white, pink, green), Palmolive (pink, green, orange), Johnson’s baby soap (blue, pink, white), Tender Care (white, pink), Irish Spring, Heno de Pravia, Bioderm (pink, white), Dove, Nivea, Lux, Ivory, Green Cross, Avon products, Sandalwood soap, Giv. I even tried some Papaya soaps not because I wanted to be fair-skinned but just because my sister loved them and because I liked the scent (Silka, Likas, Kojie-san). I will not even include the shampoo brands here.

Let me share my opinions based on experience:

Which scent smells cleanest? I think it’s white Safeguard. It will make you feel squeaky clean. However, you can’t let it stay on your skin for long ’cause it can dry your epidermis.

Which smells the sweetest? Palmolive body wash, the whole line, I think. Although I have not used this product for sometime now.

Softest? Dove. But don’t use it if you have only a few minutes for bathing before going to work as it takes some time to rinse off.

Gentlest for your face? Cetaphil. I have been using it for over a year now. Of course, I have tried various brands in the past — Ponds, Human Nature hydrating creamy wash, Celeteque, Myra, St. Ives Apricot Scrub (this smells so good), Garnier, and others, but now, I prefer Cetaphil.

When I stayed in Paris for about four years, I discovered new bathing products like Yves Rocher and L’Occitane, The Body Shop (I frequented the shops in Beaugrenelle and Passy), and even those bathing essentials in pharmacies, which are ubiquitous in Paris streets. I think I tried all the Yves Rocher body wash scents but I preferred the pamplemousse scent most. For L’Occitane, I tried all their hand cream; all smell good but I think Verbena and Cherry Blossom top the list.

Now, what do I have in my restroom? I have several ready for use depending on what I feel like using each (except for the constant Cetaphil for the face) –Amparo’s Apothecary (Oh my gosh! Amazing products, gentle on the skin, subtle fresh scent, organic); Isarog Beauty Botanics, Ivory, Aveeno, Belo Illuminating Soap (I bought one after my facial session a few months before), these new bar soaps given to me today for my birthday, and another set which I got from a stall during a recent cultural festival. I also have four shampoo bottles — Pantene (smells good), Tsubaki Premium Moist and Repair Shampoo (nice scent and silky soft), Moringa Herbal Shampoo (just to try; it’s okay), and Masko Aloe Vera Shampoo (my daughter’s online discovery; this product feels light and clean).

So, how do I conclude this? Do I want to be a bath product reviewer and post videos online? No, never. Haha! But I just want to share and maybe, you can try these products too especially Amparo’s Apothecary and Isarog Beauty Botanics.

Will I sell soap for business? No too. 😀 I became a member of some shops in the past but instead of purchasing for a bit of profit, I ended up buying many gifts as giveaway items for Christmas and birthdays. 😛

Bathing is a form of self-care. More than hygienic reasons, it also calms the mind and improves your well-being. Especially when you use products with scents and texture that you like.

So here goes my conclusion–

Take a bath. Be fresh. Be invigorated. ^_^