I only use soap on the stinky parts and occasionally on my body if I am particularly dirty (like after cleaning the chicken coop....ICK!). And I have never used soap on my face...ever.

I also went for two years without using shampoo and my hair was gorgeous (if I do say so myself!). I would 'wash' with conditioner. Even now, I wash with conditioner every day and I only use a non-SLS shampoo once a week (except pool swimming is screwing up that schedule). It worked better on long hair - with my short hair, it looks too 'bed-heady' if I don't lather it at least once a week.

And I have absolutely found that natural home-made soaps are WAY gentler. My husband has extremely dry skin and he loves using it! We both love making it too...so fun!