Lifebuoy Soap Is Back
April 21, 2009 by John
Lifebuoy Soap was launched in 1894 by Lever Brothers and was originally a red, carbolic soap. It was incredibly popular and it was suggested that every house in Britain had a bar of it (that seems a bit far fetched to me though).
Sarah’s dad is a big fan of the soap and as our home is not too far away from Port Sunlight Village (built by Lever Brothers next to their factory) we used to pop into the visitor centre shop to buy the odd bar.
I read however that a company is relaunching the Lifebuoy brand and it’ll now be available in feminine shades of white and pink with a milder cleansing formula and a fresh scent. Not sure what my father-in-law will think of that!
I am 87 years of age. Throughout my life in the UK I always used Lifebouy scrubbing soap for toiletries. I now live in BC Canada and am quite unable to purchase this or Sunlight scrubbing soap. What is wrong with Lever Bros or the general public of today?
In my youthful days of courtship my sweetheart of age 15 years, later to become my beloved wife for 58 years. always chided me that she could smell me a mile off because of my persistence for using Lifebouy——-such happy days and such a contrast to these times.
I purchased 12 of these bars of “Lifebuoy soap” only to be disappointed. The lovely clean carbolic smell has gone and has been replaced by someting similar to limonene. Thankfully my grandfather had the sense to stockpile a few of the old formula soap away. He knew it wouldnt be the same if relaunched. He’s seen it all before in his 94 yrs. Something discontinued only to re emerge but not exactly the same. don’t waste your money!
I too agree with the above gentlemen. I loved the fresh, clean carbolic smell of Lifebuoy and when i heard it had been re-launched I bought some but am very disappointed that it is not the original scent
how come i can’t find lifebouy soaps in our country?
My brother and I were made to eat soap two days before the welfare doctor did his six month medical check (1940’50′s) This method of internal cleansing ensured that the Doctor would not write a bad report on the colon health of teh kids in foster-care families.
Sometimes it ws the lifeboys but foster dad worked for raiways so he woudl bring home the used small bars from teh Railway carriage toilets.
Not always for eatin! we melted the bars in an old pot to make “new bars”.
I’m located in Toronto. Since my teens, I have exclusisvely used, not Lifebuoy soap, but Wrights Coal Tar soap. But it seems that Wrights no longer is allowed (in Europe) to put tar in their soaps. The result is that Wrights is just not the same, I thought at my advanced age I’d switch to Lifebouy, but read that they
can’t put carbolic in their bars. Madness, isn’t it? I will maybe try to get some bars of Lifebuoy next time I’m back in Scotland and perhaps I can figure a way of adding carbolic!