mini reviews: trying different soap bars

In my attempt to reduce plastic waste for the sake of dearest mother nature, I made a switch from liquid soap to soap bars! Mostly because I've read manufacturing liquid soap produces higher carbon footprint and we know plastic packaging aren't recycled much here. So happen that homemade soap bars are all the rage since last year and to cater to the rising demand, I am definitely seeing a lot of local handmade soap stores mushrooming (before Covid19 happened)! There are even classes which I was tempted to join but alas that didn't happen.

Instead I got myself a variety of soap bars to experiment on including locally homemade ones which can cost up to RM25 per bar from The Hive and Tanamera but the most expensive of them is the Ghar Soap, priced at RM35 per bar. This post is me reviewing each of them, took me awhile to go through them all LOL. Without further ado, let's get started!

#1 Ecostore's Lemongrass Soap

My favorite bar because I'm totally loving the lemongrass scent which smells amazing though unfortunately the scent doesn't stick. Priced at RM10.90 per bar at Aeon Wellness and even cheaper on Shopee.MY, this is about 3-4× that of other commercial brand.


Scent: ★★★★★
Sweat Level: ★☆☆☆☆
Long-Lasting: ★★☆☆☆

#2 Aleppo aka Ghar Soap

This was something I was super excited to try this out mostly because it is so unique and there was quite some hype about it among the minimalist and eco-loving community. Read somewhere on IG that someone even used this in replace of toothpaste and it worked. So die die wanna try and bought one from The Hive in SS2 for RM35 (online on Shopee.MY for RM33.90!). For the price, you get a chunk the size of my tiny palm can hold (Yes, I'm very detailed with the dimensions) wrapped up in a magazine page.

I'm sad to announce I find this bar of soap very disappointing. It's definitely a unique soap with interesting color _ golden on the outside and olive in the inside. Also, fair for the price, it's bloody durable thanks to the proportion of ingredients used and the amount of time to dry it out (up to a year!).

But it is oh-so-o-boring because there isn't a scent. Sure, I feel clean enough after using but because I'm so used to scented soap (think Dove, Shokubutsu and others), I feel the need to wash up with scented ones afterwards just because! On top of that, it doesn't lather on its own so not fun for me. It does lather with the help of a foaming net or used Liese hair dye dispenser (I just found out recently!). Still the foams are boringly scentless so much that I resorted to adding my Muji's Bergamot essential oil...

If you're not so particular about scent and wouldn't mind one-soap-for-all (you can wash your face and hair with them) and think want an economical and super minimalist soap, this is the one. You'd be impressed to know that even after soaking the soap pieces (they broke when I sliced it with a cleaver) in the bottle, they dont melt completely for weeks! 

There are also a bunch of articles that vouch for the benefits of using ghar soaps such as resulting to youthful feeling skin, great for eczema or fungal infection and even dandruff and a hundred other benefits apparently. I just don't think this is my thing... Quite a letdown considering how excited I initially was!

Scent: ☆☆☆☆☆
Sweat Level: ☆☆☆☆☆
Long-Lasting: ★★★★★

#3 Old Sage Soapworks' 
Grape Slushie & Roses on the Porch Soaps

Very fancy names, I know. Again, got them both from The Hive for RM25 per bar. I truly think these are made using hot process from the clumpier texture. I find these kinda messy, the dye stains my soap dish with bits of soaps. They're washable, just messy. I'm not sure if it's the same with cold process soaps but these break down and shapeshift (oh my vocab!), like a slime. I use half a bar at a time because obviously it's too big for my grip. My first half lasted less than 10 days, and the smaller it gets, the faster the bar melts.

Unintentionally, I left the other bar on my table between testing out other bars, during which it had time to dry out further. I found out it lasted a bit longer that way. I guess that's partially how ghar soap could last so long_ they're left to dry for a year after all. The other reason is the composition of ingredients used.

For the price and how fancy they are IMO they're great if you want to pamper yourself once in a while. At least for me because on a longer term, I'd choose practicality, with nice enough scent and without the mess.

Scent: ★★★☆☆
Sweat Level: ★★★★★
Long-Lasting: ★☆☆☆☆

#4 Tanamera's 
Toning Green Coffee Body Soap

Tanamera is a local homemade brands that boast all natural plants ingredients in their products and offer a handful of options of bar soaps. I opted for the Toning Green Coffee Body Soap which scent I find most bearable among the soap bars (their liquid one is quite nice)! This is available in Isetan or Shopee.MY at RM30 (100g).

The packaging definitely screams "luxurious".

It does feel like you're in a spa treat when using this soap LOL. I happen to test their liquid hand soap and think its actually nice. Worth the price for the spa-like experience!

Scent: ★★★☆☆
Sweat Level: ☆☆☆☆☆
Long-Lasting: ★★★☆☆

#5 Sabun Society's
Loofah Soap


I love the scent that reminds me of the beach (literally!) so that feels amazing. However, the soap is super slippery and with more use, the newly exposed loofah can be really rough to the skin. I'm sure exfoliating won't turn my skin so red all over. To minimize this, I used the foaming net (very useful!) to wrap and lather up the soap. This one bar can last about a month.

I got this together with a care pack so I don't know the price for just the soap. I looked up their Facebook page and didn't see this listed so I cannot be sure if this is made specially for the care pack or they have discontinued the loofah soaps edition.

Scent: ★★★★★
Sweat Level: ★☆☆☆☆
Long-Lasting: ★★★☆☆



#6 Maitre Savon De Marseille's
Lily of the Valley 

This French brand soap offers a whole variety of scented soap bars _ Lemon, Rose, Green Apple, Olive, Goat's Milk, even Donkey's Milk, Marine (which smells like the sea water! Beach lovers, anyone?) and the list goes on! in two sizes, the 100g bar at RM18.90 and a larger bar approximately RM25 (I don't remember!) from Isetan.


La Corvette Marseille is another brand that carries similar-looking bars but priced higher at RM23.90 for the 100g and RM38.90 for the 200g bar. You probably won't be able to tell these two brands apart when they're placed side-by-side and looking almost alike down to the packaging! Because they're both like hard candy kind (similar to Sabun Society's) and doesn't sweat, they last a good while. Not too bad but its a bit to the pricey end.


Scent: ★★☆☆☆

Sweat Level: ☆☆☆☆☆
Long-Lasting: ★★★★★

~♡~

When I shared with a friend about my plan of trying soap bars especially homemade ones, she raised a concern about the quality of homemade soap that is unlike commercial ones that have more stable PH value. I've read that depending on how homemade soaps are produced, their PH varies and sometimes may be unsuitable for use such as being overly acidic to sensitive skin. So they're fun to try unless you have super sensitive skin.

After trying so many types of soap bars, I have decided that I prefer something without fancy dyes or scents but not totally scentless like the ghar soap! Scent-wise, my favorite among the ones above gotta be the lemongrass and Sabun Society's! Though the most economical ones and  lasting gotta be the commercially available brands such as Shokubutsu (probably the nicest scent besides Dove!). In fact what I have now are mostly supermarket-available brands.

I've got no idea why I stocked up on so many at a time!

a year of using cloth sanitary pads

This is sorta a follow up on my post from a year back. You can read about my first impressions of cloth sanitary pads here. I have been using cloth pads and loving them! In fact, recently I got gal pal on board and she too have good things to say.

Here are how they looked like after a year _the fabric looks much washed but that's normal since I don't iron them.

The minky is not as soft after the number of washes, but they're still comfortable to the skin.

The Pros

1. The pads don't smell as bad as the usual disposable ones. Of course, there are some metallic blood smell but with proper wash, they don't stay.

2. It is super easy to get blood off the minky layer just by scrubbing the fabric together.

3. The pads still look good after so many cycles but this could be because I use each pads once in each cycle until the lock down where I use it for the entire week.

4. They can absorb a lot of blood without leaving a wet feeling or looking totally soaked up.

The Cons

1. Leaks are starting to show at the other side of the pad. I am unsure if the inner waterproof layer has tore but this doesn't happen often. My other guess is that it only happened when I have heavy flow which is infrequent.

2. Yes, design and color matters! Wish there were more prettier options so I'll be looking forward to use these pads more every month LOL

3. Using dryer to dry these may be a no-no because it may damage the PUL aka waterproof layer. So definitely need to dry it out in the hot sun to kill off bacteria. On moodier days, I have to rewash and redry if they still smell. Usually I will let the pads soak for a few hours right after rinsing and again before I dumped them into the washing machine, this helps to get rid of bad odors.

~♡~

I have read reviews saying the cloth pads are still good to use after 4-5 years. However, my friends told me that panties are to be change every year for sanitary reasons so the same should apply to pads. Sure you don't wear these pads as often as you'd change your panties but these are used to absorb menstrual blood. IMO they should be changed every 2-3 years since they are quite affordable.

Totally advocating for the use of these cloth pads because they're much more environmental friendly and better for your health _ it's more breathable and you don't get exposed to harmful chemicals, albeit only small amount. Do give this or a menstrual cup a try before you judge them! You can get them from ByWiWin on Instagram, Minus Zero Waste Store or The Hive BulkFoods.

my green journey

My transition to green & sustainable lifestyle is slow but gradual. I have been trying to use what I own before restocking new toiletries or body care products. The first thing I wanted to reduce was the use of disposable sanitary pads and I dedicated a lengthy blog post to tell you why you too should try cloth sanitary pads and where you can get them in Malaysia. As of now, I have not converted 100% because I still have some disposable ones. Plus, I am still worried about leakage especially when wearing cloth sanitary pads during the day. I can vouch I love them so far!

The other thing I bought was this safety blades. I have heard of them and found there were a number of overseas sites selling really atas shaving razor but they do not come cheap! About RM200 for the holder and about RM50 for a set of replacement blades. They probably cater for more comfort and safety especially since the dudes need to shave their face.

I got mine when a vintage-themed store called 'Childhood' which specializes in selling vintage Malaysian snacks, toys, miscellaneous products (even rotan!) had a pop up store in KL. Don't quite remember the price but both the razor holder and a set of 6 blades cost less than RM20.

The safety blade box comes together with a mini mirror which is really cute but I don't have any use for LOL. So far I have been using it for a few months and the blades are still super sharp. They're definitely sharper than those plastic razors that usually also have a protective strips with lubricants for easy shaving and soothing the skin. I have accidentally cut myself (it didn't hurt) but otherwise, I have no problem using this shaver for my legs and underarms. Apparently the blades are rust proof but I still want to be safe and store it out of the washroom.

One discovery was this thing call loofahs. I first heard of it from a friend who suggested loofah compare to sponges which seem to have a short lifespan in my house with so many people using them! Before I found out you can find this dried gourds online and in some specialty sustainable lifestyle shops which has been mushrooming around KL, my friend had to get it from his hometown. They're super worth it! For just less than RM10, you get a long loofah which you can cut depending on the length you need and that can last for months! While they do trap some food, they're easily cleaned and do not smell with prolonged usage. Just for hygiene purpose, I hang them on the window panes so they get sun-ned just to kill some germs hahaha

I did found loofahs in the toiletries section of Aeon but I don't know if they're chemically processed to maintain the shape and remain hard but mine is holding the shape real well! Works amazing in the bath though I wished they have a version with handle because I cannot reach the back properly...

As part of this whole green lifestyle, I decided to convert back to using soap bars which uses less packaging. I am super tempted to get those artisan soaps bars but they're much more pricey, about RM20-ish! There are more economical ones but I am too lazy to go all the way out just to shop for soaps. I have been relying on off-the-shelf brands in Aeon like Dove (under RM4 per bar) and I recently found Ecostore available in Aeon Wellness for RM10.90 for the 80g bar. It's lemongrass scented and I'm crazy eager to use it because it smells so good, almost yummy! Obsessing over scents like this or citrusy ones these days, they make me feel happy #allthelittlethings

Also from Aeon Wellness, I got this for about RM10 because everything about it caught my attention. Later I regretted my purchase. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE how the toothbrush and packaging are made of recycled materials. Totally supporting the idea! Unfortunately there is still lack-to-none recycling programs here in Malaysia, except for Penang (Penang rocks!) which meant after I am done with this, it will end up in the landfill FML So I guess for now I don't have an option but to order my bamboo toothbrushes online.

Thrifting in KL: #wearlikenew with ReFash

You have probably read my post on Jalan Jalan Japan and Kedai Bless. Here is yet another thrift store which I found, also recently and come to love! Probably my favorite of them all for reasons they have prettier and well-maintain selections. Founded in Singapore, ReFash is the brainchild of Aloysius Sgn and first established ReFash in 2016 before bringing the idea to Malaysia. I can vouch that you will not disappoint on the choices available here because so far, I like them!

ReFash is a place you can do to donate your pre-loved items in return for either Lot 10, KL Gateway Mall or Quill City Mall cash vouchers.  From my recent experiences recycling my clothes with ReFash, I was informed you could either choose to donate and instantly paid OR be an partner and only get paid when your things are sold. I am not entirely sure about how the latter works. I chose the former, an easier option but found there are several disadvantages:-

1) All your pre-loved are quoted very low, even for branded and unworn pre-loved. But then they don't earn much so I guess cannot complain much on this

2) While they accept branded (as in MGP, DoubleWoot, etc.) or non-branded (Taobao-ish, etc.), they don't accept clothes with fuzz balls or pills. Tip: Shave your clothes to remove these annoying fuzz balls or pills! Beware when shaving close to sewn edges to prevent accidentally cutting the thread off.

3) They do not accept handbags, unfortunately.

4) The outlets do not have a universal system to log in customers' details so if you visit both the outlets, you have to register twice if you visit the different ReFash outlets.

Aside from donating your stuff, you can also shop at ReFash. Members are entitled for 10% off your second and subsequent purchases from the branch. The other thing is you cannot try on the clothes prior to purchasing.

~♡~

ReFash at Sungai Wang Plaza

Finding this place was a total exercise for me considering I do not usually shop at Sungei Wang Plaza. In case you need help locating the store, it is on the first floor at the end of the aisle leading from Watsons. 

During my first visit to ReFash at Sungei Wang Plaza, I find the level of customer service meh. Like did the store assistants got an attitude issue or just a bad day? I was also not acknowledge by neither the two sales girls at the counter even though only one of them was busy dealing with another customer. On the other hand, the girls at KL Gateway Mall were very friendly and patiently explained to me some stuff, so kudos to them! Just saying 'cause I know as much as we have all the right to openly complain when things go wrong, we should openly express out appreciation when things are done right. When I went yesterday to Sungei Wang Plaza, the other store assistants were much professional and patient, so thumbs up on that too!

Aside from pre-loved, it appears this branch also sell new accessories. I even spotted several brand new Zalora collection dresses and wondered if ReFash is somehow collaborating with Zalora or someone donated them.

So many clothes! I really wanna check each and every bag out!!!!

Two of the prettiest pieces which caught my attention when I was there about two months' ago. The first is a plain blush-salmon color dress which would definitely look amazing paired with a belt. The second dress is a dinner/date made out of satin-like material with two straps on each sides, very sexyleh! Too bad can't try them on! I didn't buy them because I especially do not have an excuse to wear the sexy black dress and there were not other dresses to choose from *sigh*

I did however bought two pieces, a blue boho printed, off-shoulder top which I need to suck my tummy to fit in it and a plain G2000 blue skirt. It was totally not my plan to get everything in blue but blue is my favorite and my 'safe' color, so whatever LOL. Problem is, I do not think I have many tops in my current wardrobe that goes together with this. I don't mind wearing both the top and dress together but it's just a bit over-ly blue for my liking. Maybe with this I can give myself excuse to shop WTF

On the same day I was there (two months' ago), the staff informed me that they are having a separate pop-up store in the concourse floor, so off I went to check it out. Again, that took me awhile to find the place FML... When I do find the place, I find it is odd that the quality of most stuff looked like they are from Berjaya Times Square or Taobao but they refused to accept my better quality pre-loved apparels. Perhaps by then they were much more selective IDK. Left after checking out all the racks because I did not see anything I fancy.

ReFash at KL Gateway Mall

This is a place I rarely step foot in but may do now that I discover ReFash, I may actually have a reason to. It is much easier to spot the branch in this mall since there are few stores here.

Some of the pretty pieces, two printed dresses and one romper with ruched, tie detail on the front which I spotted early last month.

The next two dresses that I kinda love is something more on the muted color _ white and grey-ish lavendar. I think the second one is really cute and sexy, perfect for date night or as bridemaids dress.

Despite the shortcomings, ReFash do have nice selection of clothings. I think ReFash still is a great go-to option to trade off your pre-loved apparels for cash vouchers and at the same time not go through the hassle of personally having to sell off your pre-loved items online.

By the way, I thought I should let you know that ReFash is temporarily putting a hold on the distribution of vouchers. I only found out yesterday (1st December 2018) when I dropped by to donate several more pieces. They do still accept drop off items and will keep customers informed when they could go continue to distribute the vouchers. You can follow them on their FB page to get further updates on this.

2018 Minimalist Achievements: Decluttering my life

Hello fellow netizen! October has been hectic and stressful for me but it was also quite a productive month. One of the many things I have been working on was to declutter my life.

If you have been stalking this blog long enough, you have heard about me attempting to minimize my life because I feel that I have a lot of things and at times it gets on my OCD nerve. One of the main reason I'm stepping up on this is because I want to focus more on things that matter, and spending my time cleaning things up is not one of them. But the thing with the whole decluttering process is it a time-consuming. Over the years, I have managed to clear up but hit a bottleneck, until now. In this post, I am sharing with you where I got rid of things I haven't been utilizing _ mostly clothes but I do have gadgets and random things as well.

#1 recycling with H&M

Clothes that have terribly discolored, with moth holes and terrible fabric, I brought them to H&M to recycle. Throughout 2018, I think I have recycled a total of 3-4 bags of apparels and distribute the coupons among my friends since I do not use them.

Total items decluttered: 3-4 small bags of clothes
Gains: 3-4 H&M 15% discount on one item coupons

#2 selling on Carousell

Carousell is an online platform which I have been using to post my unworn or pre-loved items. Got lucky this month when I managed to sell my unworn Harry Potter tie and my used point-and-shoot camera. I have also people requesting to trade apparels but usually I reject cause I don't find anything I want from other people's page.

Total items decluttered: A Casio Exilim ZR1200 Camera (RM350), a Harry Potter Tie (RM10), Hsu Yu Hair Colour Refreshment Mask (RM50)

Gains: RM410 sales within October to first weekend of November'18

#3 donating to Kedai Bless

For the unsold items on Carousell, I decide to let them go for a cause. More on that in my separate blog post.

Of course there are other charity organizations who accepts old but wearable apparels for donations such as Kechara Soup Kitchen. Feel free to donate to any organizations which cause you feel strongly about if not convenient for you to drop by.

Total items decluttered: 6 dresses, 8 tops, 9 bottoms, 1 outerwear, a small bag of random accessories & a handbag

Gains: few bags less of unutilized 'harta benda' in the room

#4 sustainable movement 
with ReFash

For things that I wasn't willing to let go for free, I brought them to ReFash to exchange with gift vouchers you have seen above. Unfortunately, the returns are little but this is the fastest way of decluttering clothes. I will be writing a review on ReFash sometime soon!

Total items decluttered: 5 dresses, 4 tops & 5 bottoms 

Spoils: RM39 for a top and a skirt (RM50+ each if purchase on their own)
Gains: RM30 KL Gateway Mall voucher + RM20 Lot 10 voucher

#5 out of sight, out of mind

One of the other thing that have been annoying me besides the many things lying around on the floor and my box of unworn apparels is my open bookcase. When I bought it for the sake of getting my things organized, it didn't occur to me the dust will accumulate and the open space concept would be such an eyesore. If I could turn back the time I'd bought one that's fully or partially covered.

Fortunately, I found a solution online! Bought a curtain hooks from Daiso for RM5.55 and curtain from Akemi Uchi at half-price for just RM24! Wanted something in cream or earthy tones but this is the lightest and most affordable curtains I can find.


No, I'm not vain. The tiara's from my sis' bachelorette in case you're wondering!

Closeup on the Daiso wire rail and clips, so far they work amazing! Seeing that the hooks looks really fragile, the curtain seems fitting since it is of light material (^^)

Tip #1: Hook one of the clips together with the hook to keep one side of the curtains in place or both ends to keep the curtains completely covering the cabinet.

Tip #2: Get a light material curtain or shower curtains which won't weight the sliding down the center.

Total items decluttered: None, really. I need everything on the bookcase. For now.

Spoils: RM5.55 for the curtain rail plus clips and RM24 for curtains, wire & hooks
Gains: Less mess to see and hopefully, less dusting needed

~♡~

Overall, I am super happy to be able to get a lot of things off my mind even though I still have more cleaning to do. As of now, I still have two bags to send to Kedai Bless and ReFash each. For the remaining items, currently, I am putting my stuff in designated spot so that I can find  easily find the things I need when I need them. For some beauty and body care products, I am planning to use them up. The rest of my things, I will need more time to decide if I still want or need them else I will just donate or something.

I just noticed that Uniqlo & 1 Utama's Isetan are both jumping into the sustainable living bandwagon which is GREAT NEWS! I strongly think consumer brands need to step up their responsibility when it comes to adopting sustainable initiatives. It is still so hard to find a place to recycle batteries or used soap and shampoo bottles or milk cartons, you get the drift. Crossing my fingers we will be seeing more of these soon!