By Michelle Menner
The trouble all started in the bathroom in Hill Hall. With a pump of pink soap, I dutifully washed my hands at the sink.
Little did I know that with that first pump of soap the skin and nails of my hands would be destroyed; O.P.I’s Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie polish didn’t stand a chance against the malicious soap.
Within a week my manicure was ruined and that was just the beginning. My ailments included: peeling and cracked skin, torn cuticles, and brittle nails. At first, I didn’t know what was causing this to happen. What’s a girl to do?
I thought I could fight back with my cure-all for major dry skin: Crabtree and Evelyn’s gardener’s hand therapy cream. One evening, as I put the cream on before bed I envisioned what beautiful soft hands I would have in the morning.
When I woke up I was greatly disappointed. My hands still looked ravaged and I tried to think of a solution. Was I going to have to wear gloves over my unsightly hands?
Finally, I figured out that the soap was the culprit of my skin problems.
From the bathrooms of Hoover Library to Lewis and then back to Hill Hall the pink soap was everywhere. The only relief I could find was in Blanche Ward’s bathroom where the harsh pink stuff was no where to be found.
I knew that I would have to stop using the soap if I ever was to regain the look of soft and manicured hands.
Since I was forgoing the use of the soap I decided that I would need a backup plan in order to stay germ free. I equipped my tote bag with Purell hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. So far this solution has worked well.
However, it seems as though no one else has an issue with the soap.
“I’ve never had a complaint about the soap,” said Melvin Whelan, Building Services Coordinator. He added that the “gentle” soap has been around the college for over 20 years.
Gentle indeed. Maybe we need to redefine the meaning of gentle. I plan to never touch the soap again until a more “gentle” substitute becomes available.
