Kirk's – Gentle Castile Soap

“Memory Implant”

Kirk's “Since 1839” 100% Premium Coconut Oil Gentle Castile Soap is one of the soaps from furthest back in my memory—it's one I'm sure my parents had in the house pretty regularly—and also, I don't remember anything from before 1839. I suppose they made soap with animal fat back then, and this Kirk must have seemed like a real hippie. When I was a kid, my impression of it was that it was hard-core—just because it didn't seem as wimpy as your Ivory and Dove. I didn't realize that is was actually gentler than those other soaps, less chemically, less weird—the ingredients being about as basic as you'll see from a mainstream product. When I was a little older, I'd treat myself to this soap occasionally—when I felt rich enough to actually buy soap. I could make one bar go about six months, unlike these madman days. My impression of Kirk's now has been altered by my considerable soap experience, and it does't do much for me, though it is as gentle as hell. It's also the whitest of the white soaps—it almost hurts your eyes. The fragrance couldn't be less distinctive—it's not quite “fragrance free” (though they do make one FF, if you're really going for it)—but the original scent—what does it (barely) remind me of? Not even soap, really—maybe it subtly recalls a far-off notion of cleanliness, from some time long ago, and from a place that no longer is a reality, called home.

Soap Review No. 112