What happens when you have dry skin but want a non-animal-tested hand soap that doesn’t DESTROY the environment?
It’s a difficult balance to find, and even the best hand soaps out there have issues.
For the past year I’ve been using Ecover to keep my muts clean at home. Sadly, with winter came chapped, dry skin and few natural oils left on my hand; my Ecover soap, sadly, not doing me any favours. Cracked, bleeding knuckles became the norm.
Not cool. 
A few days ago I stumbled upon a new soap, made by Organic Surge who proclaim on the front of their o-so-special soaps that they’re soft on sensitive skin.
I snatched a bottle and span it round in my hands: “We’re against animal testing” it said.
A quick cringe, as that can sometimes mean “we don’t like animal testing, so we make our parent company do it instead“, as, I believe, was the case in the very beginning of Tom’s of Maine.
I got home after having bought a bottle and jumped on the internets. Thankfully, their clear FAQ section details that they do not test on animals, nor are any of their ingredients tested on animals.
That’s an extra 10 points for them, right then and there.
So I went for a tinkle, realised I hadn’t brought it up, opened the bathroom door with my elbows and fetched it, and then tried it out.
I want to be EXTREMELY EMPHATIC ABOUT ITS AWESOMENESS, but I’m worried that you won’t believe me.
Because Organic Surge’s hand soap?
Oh. Em. Gee.
EVERY other soap I’ve ever used leaves my hands clean but, hmm, a little stripped. Even so-called “sensitive skin” soaps usually chap me a teensy bit, often having Sodium Laurel Sulphate or Sodium Laureth Sulphate in it, which can be a bit of a catch-all cleanser.
Great if your skin is, y’know, not vulnerable to EVERYSINGLECHANGEINTHEATMOSPHERE.
If, however, you have more, ahem, delicate skin? It’s a different story.
And that’s why I am counting my stars or blessings or whatever, because this stuff? It’s good. REAL good.
I finished washing my hands, gave them a good dry-down with a towel and checked for dryness.
There was none. Absolutely none.
Considering that the back of my hands had gotten that teeny-tiny flaky skin thing when your skin is dry, and then the little-finger knuckle’s skin had split made me shocked.
Real shocked.
Because not only had my skin suddenly become soft like a baby’s rear, but the cracks on the knuckle had sealed right up, forming a teensy crust.
Kinda disgusting, I know, but the fact that this soap had banished my dry and splitting skin in one wash… well, I think that’s the testimont to all-natural products.
I did mention that Organic Surge products are free from parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate, chemical irritants, artificial fragrances, synthetic colourants and chemical alcohol, didn’t I?
Well I should have. Because my gawd, it’s making a difference.
If you’ve ever suffered from a case of dry-skin-itis, or happen to be plagued by having the back of your hands feel all rough, I’d seriously recommend Organic Surge’s hand soaps.
This review is based upon their Bergamot soap, but I find it VERY hard to believe the other fragrence would be much different.
You have my unconditional vote on this: a very effective, high-quality product in a very competitive market.
I’m sold.
Organic Surge hand soap gets a rare full marks here:
Published on March 24th, 2010 at 6:00 pm by Matt
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