Jul 20, 2006 08:04 PM
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I’ve been using Ivory Soap all my life really because it’s the soap that was given to me when I was too young to really know, and today it’s because it is a basic soap that leaves little residue but also because it has a pureness that other soaps don’t have.
I’m not sure if it is as they claim, that it is 99% pure, but I do know that the way my skin feels after using is better than with other soaps.
Most other soaps have fragrances and added chemicals that complicate it and stay on your skin even after you have rinsed off.
Ivory Soap is just plain and good. Generally you can find it at most grocery stores for $1 to about $1.50 for the 3.1-ounce 4-pack size. The quality and the price are two reasons to use this soap.
Their ad campaign still hits home. Their catch phrase is “The Soap So Pure It Floats!” As if this really matters! But they have established it as an icon for a simple pure soap that cleans the skin, and actually can clean a variety of other items.
I use it sometimes to wash out a pair of slightly soiled socks, and use it as well with a toothbrush to wash my sterling silver ID bracelet, or a silk shirt that I can't launder with other clothes in the washer.
The classic, 99 44/100% pure formula (I scratch my head wondering about those last 66/100th percents) has no perfumery smell or lotion residual feeling and this is what makes it such a great over-all soap with such a wide application.
There is a soap residue. I have noticed that the residual soap that runs down the side of the bath tub near the soap dish does need removing, however the stuff has a consistency that removes easily. The feeling on the skin after a shower is that the soap has cleaned and washed away just as easily and smoothly as it lathers up and spreads on the skin.
It must be one of the great common experiences of Americans that we children have tried to get the soap to sink- Ivory has been the market leader for decades from the time I was a wee tot in the bath tub and trying to make the bar stay at the bottom, but it always floated up to the top.
Ivory Soap is available in the family-size 4.5-oz. bath bar, which is pretty large and sometimes too big for the shower soap dish. I prefer the 3.1 oz. size bar because I feel like it melts a slower speed.
There is a big difference in the way Ivory Soap melts and the way other soaps melt- the melting is a major drawback of the otherwise excellent cleamser.
An old trick I use, which is something my grandmother taught me is to open the soap a day before you intend to use it, and then let it sit on a window sill to dry out- this doesn't affect the response of the product, but it helps lengthen the life.
And always try to keep the bar of soap from resting flat on its side- it tends to melt pretty quickly. There are some little studded soap tray that keep air underneath the bar and allow it to last longer.
The best way to give the soap bar a longer life is to find a soap stand to actually mount the soap on, and then you merely rub your hands on it as it is suspended- these stands can be found in many upscale home products stores, but the best place to get them is from an import house- they are very much in use in France (but this is a story for another time).
I use the regular Ivory but have also recently discovered the Ivory Aloe, which is great variation on the classic Ivory.
This soap has the same great lather and cleansing qualities as the regular white bars. The Aloe added gives this soap a nice ingredient that helps to soften the skin, and the warm green color adds to the enjoyment.
Aloe Ivory Soap does have an ingredients listing though. Considering that its main selling ingredient is Aloe, the list seems pretty comprehensive.
Ivory Aloe lists its ingredients as this: sodium tallowate, and/or sodium palmate, water, sodium cocoate and/or palm kernate, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, glycerin, sodium chloride, fragrance, coconut an/or palm kernal, acid, tallow acid, citric acid, sodium citrate, tetrasodium edta, yellow 10, green 3. (Whew, it's like a mad scientist menu for the elixir of life).
Previous epinons got me thinking about why the regular Ivory Soap doesn’t have an ingredients list, and being the curious homo-sapien that I am and ultimately capable of complicating even the smallest thing like washing, I investigated for the larger truth.
I called the number on the package 800-395-9960. From there I was prompted to go to: https://pg.com/product_card/brand_overview.jhtml?document=%2Fcontent%2Fen_US%2Fx
ml%2Fproduct_cards%2Fprod_card_main_ivory.xml&brand_name=Ivory to find out more.
Proctor and Gamble own Ivory and control its distribution and offer much propaganda (they own and market over a dozen other commercial soaps, and household products).
As to the positive uses of the soap, the site does indeed give quite a bit of information, but alas no ingredients listing.
A list of tips from the Ivory Soap web site:
The P&G web site offered this little historical tidbit that may be useful:
“The famous slogan, "99-44/100% Pure®," originated in the 1800s when samples of Ivory were sent to college chemistry professors and independent laboratories for analysis. Comparison tests were made with castile soaps, the standard of excellence at that time. One chemist's analysis was in table form with the ingredients listed by percentage. Harley Procter totaled the ingredients that did not fall into the category of pure soap; they equaled 56/100%. He subtracted from 100, and wrote the slogan "99-44/100% Pure: It Floats." This became a pledge of quality to Ivory consumers. This phrase is so identified with Ivory that it's registered as a trademark.”
Ivory with Aloe is also available in a Body Wash which I don't use really because I like the ability to use the bar with a wash cloth, but given the great bar version, I have the Body Wash on my "To Do" list.
Interesting tips from the Web Site:
- Ivory Tips for Home: Classic Tips from Ivory Bar Soap
How to keep your Ivory Bar soaps fresh
Enjoy Ivory's fresh fragrance even longer by keeping the bars in their original wrappers and storing them at a moderate temperature. Extreme heat or cold can affect the bar's fragrance.
How to extend the life and value of your Ivory bar soap
-Allow the bar to dry between uses. Even alternate between two bars to allow each to fully dry.
-Use a soap dish with points in the center to allow air to circulate around the bar and for water to drain away.
Ivory Soap is probably the most popular overall hand cleaner with such a pure content that it can be used on the face, body or even things like clothes or jewelry. It's price and quality is worth every penny- which is a deal in itself.
