Came across something a few days ago which I thought is worth sharing here. Mind you, I haven't been using this stuff for a very long time now so this review might get edited if anything unexpected comes up in the long run...

Bearded gents, here's to Olive Oil Soap.

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I'm not a big fan of using shampoo or conditioner on my face (funny skin and that) so I've only been washing my beard with cold water so far, as I read that's supposed to be easier on the skin oils than hot water. However even that left the hair feeling dry and frizzy afterwards. Then a few days ago I was in Holland & Barrett looking for something else and I saw this. At just over £1 per bar I figured it was worth a try. Too damn right it is!

For one, it's as simple as it comes ingredients wise - olive oil, salts (lye I guess) and water. It doesn't lather up a lot, but on the plus side it rinses out very easily even with cold water. I've been using it on the beard once a day and it's been a tremendous improvement, it does a very good job at cleaning and softening hair and following it up with a few drops of argan oil it makes even my coarse, wiry 7-week scruff ridiculously easy to manage. Admittedly it's got a strong vegetable sort of smell when lathering (I like it but it's definitely an acquired taste) but it leaves no lingering smell afterwards, which again is a plus for me.

I got so excited with it that I'm now using it in place of shampoo and shower gel and it seems to work just fine. Cleans thoroughly (even after a sweaty heavy training session) and doesn't dry out the skin one bit. It might be just suggestion but it also looks like my scalp (I've got a shaven head) doesn't get quite as oily / shiny during the day since I've started using this instead of shampoo. I've also tried it a few times as a shaving cream when carving my cheeks and again, it works - good glide with my DE razor, leaves the skin soft… save any nasty surprises, I think I'll soon clear out most of the bathroom shelf and just keep a stockpile of this stuff instead.

BTW this is just the brand I've happened to find first, which is widely available in the UK. There are plenty more brands on offer on Amazon and I guess they should all work the same so long as they're made after the same recipe. Sure it's got no fancy scent and dandy packaging but for the price it's just impossible to beat IMHO.

Hope this will be helpful, will update in a few weeks after the honeymoon's over.