Three Handy Ways to Carry Your Soap

When you're allergic to isothiazolinones, one of the hardest things to get use to is lugging around your own soap. 

I cannot tell you the number of times I forgot to bring my soap into the bathroom with me in the beginning. Even more frustrating than that were the times when I had my soap with me, but I let my guard down for a moment and muscle memory took over—forcing my hand to automatically reach for the soap pump and dispense poison onto myself.

Woops... that's going to itch later!

But since forgoing mystery hand soap is key to getting your skin back to normal, I've found three easy ways to carry my safe soap around the world (or simply around the corner) with me. 

1.     Soap flakes in a packet

This is actually the method I came up with first. At the time when I was diagnosed, I had fallen out of the habit of carrying my purse. No purse equals no good place to store soap, and so I went with this option as the little packet could easily fit into the pocket of my jeans. This would also be a good option for any men out there with this allergy, as they could slide the packet into their wallet.

• Step 1: Take a bar of safe soap and grate it up into a fine powder with a cheese grater. (I found that the finer the soap was, the easier it was to dissolve.)

• Step 2: Place the soap in a tiny zip lock baggie. (I had a ton of these lying around the house, as I had ordered several hundred of them off of Amazon several years ago to make my husband and I daily pill packets. They turned out to be the perfect size for soap.)

The trick to this method is getting the soap fine enough that it dissolves quickly. To use it, I sprinkle a little into my palm, add a few drop of warm water, and then rub my hands together until it gets to a soapy consistency. For me, a softer soap that melts fast works the best, but if you're planning on storing it in a warm space then it might be better to go with a harder bar that you can grate up into a powdery consistency. 

I’ve found that since these packets take up very little space, they are perfect for storing in a variety of places so that I'm never without soap. I have a packet in my purse, a packet in my wallet, a packet in my camera case, a packet in my computer bag, and a packet in the glove box of my car.

2.     Bar soap in a tin 

There’s just something about bar soap that makes it easier to use than the soap flakes. It’s so much quicker to work it into a rich and foamy lather, but the trade off is that you’re left with a damp bar of soap that you have to tote around. For that reason, I don’t use this method very often, but I do have a few tins of soap slivers lying around for backup purposes.

• Step 1: Find a tin. (This may involve eating some Altoids. A co-worker actually gave me this empty mint tin over the summer after I told him about my soap dilemma. Thanks Steve!)

• Step 2: Find soap that fits in the tin. (While it should be possible to cut a small piece of soap off a bigger bar, this is something that I haven’t attempted yet—mainly because the combination of me and large knives usually results in an emergency room visit complete with stitches. Since I’ve been lucky enough to pick up small samples of soaps from various places that fit perfectly in my tins, I've thus far avoided the need to have to cut up a bar.)

3.     Tiny bottles 

This has become my go-to method, as I prefer the feel of liquid soap. It’s also the one that includes the least amount of prep work, which is always a plus for me.

• Step 1: Buy a tiny bottle of soap. (Or alternatively, buy a tiny bottle and fill it with soap.)

I like that Dr. Bronners makes their castile soaps in 2 oz. bottles. I’m able to get them locally at Target, Whole Foods, and specialty shops, but they’re available online as well. 

I love these so much that I’ve started buying them in bulk! I keep one in my purse and one in my travel bag because it also makes a great body wash. I have also started hiding them in places that I go often. I keep one at work, and I have one hidden under the sink at my parent’s house. I think I’m going to start stocking them at friend’s homes soon, as I always have trouble remembering grab my soap from my purse when visiting people. (And I don't want to make a habit of having to go through people's showers to find a soap—any soap—that doesn’t contain methylisothiazolinone.) 

Getting used to carrying around your own soap is one of the hardest adjustments you’ll have to make with this allergy. But with a little planning, you can easily eliminate your risk of exposure from restroom soap dispensers. 

Now if only we could figure out a way to outlaw public restroom air fresheners!