Gray colored soap from years past

[BettysNephew]

Don't know where to put this, so I'll toss it out here. Moderators feel free to move this if in the wrong sub forum.

I am trying to remember the name of a gray colored bar soap that I used to use. It may have had a tinge of blue/green color also. It had a slightly pungent odor like pine or eucalyptus. I do remember that Paul Harvey advertised it on his radio programs and seem to recall it was in a white box with black printing, quite plain. Anyone with a better memory than mine that can help an old guy out?

 

[Shangas]

Is it really hard and gritty and rough?

We had soap like that in school. You could break a window with it. We called it "Rock Soap" because it was so damn hard. But it lathered up well enough. Now that I think about it, it was probably carbolic soap or something. It was like washing your hands with a river-rock that produces lather.

 

[Stearmen]

Was it LAVA soap? [video=youtube;oc435oxD5Bs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc435oxD5Bs[/video]

 

[BettysNephew]

It was not Lava and did not contain any "grit". I do remember that type of soap from school. Also the Boraxo powders in the metal dispensers that you had to jiggle the handle on the bottom to drop the powder on your hands. Alas, none of those are the brand I am trying to recall. The bar was quite hard, but no pumice.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You may be thinking of Octagon, a large, brick-like utility/laundry soap made by Colgate. It was an olive-grey-green color, it had a lemongrass scent, and it came in a white wrapper with black lettering. It was first marketed in the late 19th Century, and was only discontinued about two years ago. I used to use it for washing dishes and other kitchen-cleaning tasks.

Its most notable feature in the Era was the coupons printed on the wrapper, which you could collect and redeem for merchandise out of a special catalog. Many homes had furnishings acquired by "saving soap coupons."

I don't recall Paul Harvey ever advertising Octagon. It was advertised very little after the 1930s.

 

[Shangas]

Stearmen, I had a look...I think it's LAVA soap which I remember from school, just like BettysNephew does.

I remember it was really gritty, hard, grey...it felt like you were washing yourself with a rock! Now I can see why! It's made of pumice!

Amazingly good at scraping off the top layer of your skin, that stuff was...incredibly aggressive. Like washing your hands with a brick wrapped in sandpaper!! Probably why we had it in the art-room at school.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I don't know what kind of soap you mean, but there are stores today that sell all kinds of hand made soaps. The local bulk food stores have a display. You may be able to find something similar by the color and smell.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It might also be a pine tar based soap -- they were dark brownish-green color, and had a reeking turpentine-like smell. There are still several brands on the market, and Packers and Grandpa's have been around since the 19th Century.

 

[HudsonHawk]

It might also be a pine tar based soap -- they were dark brownish-green color, and had a reeking turpentine-like smell. There are still several brands on the market, and Packers and Grandpa's have been around since the 19th Century.

This is what I was thinking. There are a number of pine-tar based soaps, that are marketed as especially good for things like poison ivy. They, of course, smell like pine tar. Which I love, but for other reasons.

 

[BettysNephew]

This was a commercially made soap and was for the use on the body not a laundry soap. I do recall my mother using that one though.

 

[Stearmen]

This is what I was thinking. There are a number of pine-tar based soaps, that are marketed as especially good for things like poison ivy. They, of course, smell like pine tar. Which I love, but for other reasons.

I like the smell also! I would use pine tar shampoo, but many people hate the smell, so I don't use it any more.

 

[BettysNephew]

Got the answer from another website I frequent. It was Cuticura. Loved that stuff, now to see if I can find some. Thanks everyone.

 

[Stearmen]

Got the answer from another website I frequent. It was Cuticura. Loved that stuff, now to see if I can find some. Thanks everyone.

Forgot all about that soap. Still making it though!