I don't know about a bug repellent, but I used to put all the soap chips in the foot of an old stocking, and then hang it near the faucet outside to wash my hands with. Actually, when the kids were little, they used to love to wash their hands with this inside the house, where I kept it in the bathroom, but when they got older I moved the stocking outside. Now I use liquid soap. Got tired of being the only one in the house who scraped the soap bits off the soap dish, lol. :) Dee

It's often the fragrance added to soap that is the problem, as well as synthetic detergents. Formulas for "soap" get changed all the time. DOVE sensitive skin, unscented, hypo-allergenic, and fragrance free - list of ingredients: sodium lauroyl isethionate, stearic acid, sodium tallowate or sodium palmitate, lauric acid, sodium isethionate, water, sodium stearate, cocamindo-propyl betaine or sodium C14-C16 olefin sulfonate, sodium cocoate or sodium palm kernelate, sodium chloride, tetrasodium EDTA, tetrasodium etidronate, maltol, titanium dioxide Compare that to a bar of Kirk's Castile Soap: Coconut Soap, Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Coconut Oil, Natural Fragrance - which is also hypoallergenic, all natural with no animal by-products or synthetic detergents. [Unfortunately, I can only use it in the shower, not the tub, with our hard water.] I make foaming soap for the hand dispensers by mixing 3 tablespoons Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap or Kirk's Castile Liquid (or other liquid soap) with 1 c. water. If you want to make it disinfecting hand soap, add 8 drops of Thieves Oil - especially during cold and flu season. Thieves oil is a natural disinfectant with an interesting story, but the oils are clove bud, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. You can make it with the individual oils (there are recipes available on-line), or purchase them already mixed - 5 Thieves Oil, 4 Thieves Oil (check Amazon.com). I just recently purchased a bottle of Mirai body cleanser. This liquid soap was designed for "older" people. I read recently "beginning around age 40, a personâÂÂs body odor contains a higher concentration of 2-Nonenal, a compound that has an unpleasant, greasy, grassy odor that we affectionately call âÂÂold-people smell.â So for every problem look for a solution, and for this condition it is persimmon extract, which lead me to information about Mirai. It really does make your skin feel great. I'm still in the testing stage. -Grainlady

This is what I have for a recipe.. I haven't tried it.. I got this from somewhere and can't remember where! Lol I do remember that it said, if you kept it in a bag after mixing that it should stay mold-able until you want to use it.. but I'm not positive. Hope this helps! :0) Soap Dough 2 cups flour 1/2 cup salt 2 Tbs. liquid tempera 1 Tbs. liquid soap 1/2 cup water Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the soap, tempera, and water. Add the water to the dry mixture. Knead until pliable. Have fun...looks like the kids could even help make it! Stacy from Lone Tree Soaps

I use Dove bar soap, I personally think for me it is an unnecessary waste to use body wash. I use way to much of it. Dove is well known for washing off the body easy and leaves no ring in the tub if you are a bather. For those of you concerned about our environment, Beware of anti bacterial products. Dial anti bacteria, Dial Gold in particular has triclosan in it, a chemical in it that is highly controversial. After 30 years it is in our drinking water, rivers and as a result is in our bodies. I have a scalp problem and used dial gold as a shampoo and it put a halt to the itching, but didn't cure the problem. I quit using it when this came out in our paper. Here is a link that might be useful: Triclosan