I get those shower gloves at the drugstore and use them to exfoliate my skin. They're made of nylon or something, and you just put them on, lather up and scrub away. Also, I have a long-handled natural bristle brush for my back. I like old fashioned lye soap - very gentle. But my favorite is a brand I discovered on a trip to Germany a few years ago - Kappus. It's mild, long-lasting and I can even use it on my face in a pinch. You can get in in this country through various importers. The liquid stuff always seems gunky and leaves a film. Also, I replaced my shower head with a filter that takes out chlorine, arsenic and other gunk from our really awful water. (you can't drink the stuff) Otherwise, it would be like showering in pool water.

leahcate, the news feature I saw was about leaving the clothes dryer running when you're not there. The danger is lint catching on fire. If you're not home to act the fire could spread quickly. My friend always left her HAIR dryer plugged in and on the bathroom counter. Due to a fault in the hair dryer, at 11 pm after it hadn't been used since 7 am, it caught on fire. They could tell the way the fire went from the unit to the outlet that the dryer was the source and not the outlet. The fire dept told her that you shouldn't leave anything with a heating element (hair appliances, toasters, coffee makers) plugged in. I think about that when I read on the bathroom forum about people having outlets put inside drawers so that they can leave their hair dryer plugged in and in a drawer. Maybe it only happened once but since I know the person it happened to I don't leave those things plugged in. Luckily she caught it early & the fire dept responded quickly. She did get a new vanity, paint, and, then of course, new towels out of it! My father was a master worrier so I have some inherited worry traits. I don't think about the big appliances that go berserk and burn the house down. I limit myself to easy to manage things like unplugging my hair dryer and not leaving the house with the clothes dryer running.

I think Octagon bars were discontinued a few years ago. They are great as stain sticks on clothing. I'd never use it on my body. I received a few bars from a friend in the LF and they are terrific as a stain stick. Wet fabric and rub the bar on it.

I found any french mill soap or gel bar works well. Not much of a face make up gal. No reason, pretty even skin tones here. Never cared to cover the freckles. My father was having a heck of a time in his 60's with random itching. Dermatologist suggested he not shower daily and if he needed to, avoid soap of any kind on a daily basis. FF 20 years, I am almost there but took the Docs words to heart. So my face gets washed with the same soap as in my shower which at the moment is a french mill generic. Itching/drying can be brutal with some brands. Ivory was our mainstay growing up but at about 25 it was apparent it was too harsh for my "aging" skin. LOL!! I wouldn't touch anything by Johnson and Johnson. Years ago when taking new baby classes we were told of the fallacy of their "no tears" soap and then the baby powder law suit. Thank the Lord I believed the nurses and not the commercials on these items!!! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on ME. Never going there!!!