Vintage liquid hand soaps: Why lots of people gave up bar soap in the ’80s & ’90s

Softsoap pump soap from the 1980s

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Vintage liquid hand soaps like these were still something of a novelty in the 1980s and 1990s, and people were happy to get a break from using bar soaps — or powdered soap — when they washed their hands.

Liquid soap was a simple, but very successful, idea that is a winner even decades later.

Vintage liquid hand soaps from Yardley: Any soap will clean your skin. (1981)

Yardley Liquid Soap will clean it, soften it, moisturize it, smooth it and make it smell nice. And costs less, too.

Introduce your skin to Yardley Liquid Soaps, the soft, luxurious liquid soaps that do much more than just clean. Without the mess and waste of ordinary bars.

Yardley Liquid Soaps save you money, too. One large bottle equals 10 bars of soap. No other soap gives you more for your money.

English Lavender combines one of the world’s best-loved scents in a neutral PH formula that contains special emollients to help leave your skin silky smooth. And leave you wonderfully refreshed.

Cocoa Butter provides extra softening benefits for dry, chapped skin. And helps protect the natural moisture level of your skin.

Also liquid baby soap and Aloe Vera, from Yardley of London


Yardley Liquid Soaps (1981)


Presenting Yardley of London liquid soaps (1980)

Yardley took the cake and made it better.

We’ve taken your favorite Yardley bar soaps and turned them into soft, luxurious, skin-loving liquids. The refreshing, uplifting fragrance of Yardley English Lavender. And the beautifying, skin-softening essence of rich, natural cocoa butter.

Now they’re yours in convenient pump bottles. That means you’ll never have to pick up a mushy, dirty bar again. No mess. No waste, either. Just pump out the exact amount you need.

Both Yardley liquid soaps have the low pH formula that contains special emollients to help leave your skin silky-smooth. You’ll save, too. Because one large bottle of Yardley Liquid Soap equals five cakes of ordinary soap.

English Lavender and Cocoa Butter Liquid Soaps. Two great ways to save your skin. And your money.

Yardley of London liquid soaps (1980)


Vintage very Softsoap liquid soap (1985)

Beauty and softness go hand in hand… New very Softsoap with a patented organic moisturizer.

Softsoap vintage hand soap (1985)

ALSO SEE: Vintage Dial Soap: See what they said those bars of soap could do


Vintage Softsoap liquid pump soap (1986)

Softsoap for soft hands. The impression is soft. And silky smooth. This could only be Softsoap.

With a unique moisturizer that enhances your skin’s own natural moisturizers. Bathe your hands in softness with Softsoap.

Vintage Softsoap pump soap (1986)

ALSO SEE: Vintage manicure how-tos & products that women used to use for pretty nails


Introducing Softsoap softness with country warmth (1988)

Add a touch of country warmth to your home with new Softsoap liquid soap Country Designs, designed to coordinate with your favorite country decor.

Plus, bathe your hands in the softness of Softsoap liquid soap, formulated to gently clean and soften skin. In the original no-mess pump.

Country Warmth Softsoap (1988)



Softsoap decorator containers (1988)

Our designs are available in classic, country and pastel styles.

Softsoap decorator containers (1988)


Three soft choices for cleansing your hands: Softsoap refills (1988)

Only Softsoaprefills are formulated for different skin types. Original, for normal skin. Ultra Rich, for dry skin. And Aloe Vera, for weathered or damaged skin.

Softsoap. Take softness into your own hands every time you cleanse them.

Softsoap refills (1988)


Vintage ’80s Softsoap varieties (1988)

The beauty treatment for your skin… available in original, aloe vera and antibacterial formulas.

Vintage '80s Softsoap varieties (1988)


Softsoap cleansing liquid for sensitive skin (1993)

One look and you’ll know. Softsoap Cleansing Liquid for Sensitive Skin has no irritating dye. And no harsh chemicals. It’s clearly the only liquid hand soap made to be gentle enough for sensitive skin…

Softsoap for sensitive skin (1993)


Liquid Dial Soap (1995)

Kids pick up germs everywhere, which is why you should pick up Liquid Dial. Its unique formula kills germs where kids find them. That’s why it’s America’s #1 antibacterial liquid soap.

Liquid Dial. Kill the germs. Keep the kids.

Liquid Dial Soap (1995)



Ivory Liqui-Gel soap (1996)

She believes gardening can be a cleansing experience. We believe she’s right.

She loves the feeling of the cool earth in her hands. And the worn wooden handles of the gardening tools he gave her when they planted their first garden, so many seasons ago.

She owns several pairs of gardening gloves. She’s just never worn them.

Now there’s a liquid soap that’s easy on hard-working hands like theirs. Ivory Liqui-Gel.

It washes away dirt and germs, but retains skin’s natural moisture barrier better than soap can, helping your family’s hands stay clean, soft and smooth.

Ivory Liqui-Gel soap (1996)

ALSO SEE: Remember these popular bar soaps from the ’60s & ’70s?

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