Products that aren't what they used to be

scottishminnie

A few months ago now I needed to buy soap (having worked through a massive stash for at least the last 2 years). I picked up one bar each of Pears soap and Imperial Leather. Both of which I remembered from years ago as long lasting and having a nice fresh scent but not overpowering. What a disappointment they turned out to be, neither seemed to have any scent and they both went gloopy in no time at all.
Last week I spotted Shield soap and thought I would try it. I remembered it as quite a vivid green colour with a white swirly marking through it and a very definite fragrance. I opened a bar tonight and it's now a paler solid spearmint colour and no discernible fragrance at all.

I'm beginning to wonder if my memory is playing tricks on me and all soap was really bland or if things just aren't quite the same.

Has anyone come across anything similar or is it just me?

ceredigion

Crumpets. Sins they removed the sugar and salt

System

Vosene..when I was a little girl it was so potent it made my eyes water. The watered down stuff you get these days isn't a patch on the old stuff. I swear the old stuff could strip paint....saying that, my dark hair was always shiny.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

scottishminnie, I do not think you are misremembering! The manufacturer seem to change the formula for varying reasons I think - cheaper ingredients, new laws re !!!8216;harmful!!!8217; chemicals & greater knowledge of chemical reactions.

I am rather old fashioned in that I think !!!8216;if it ain!!!8217;t broke, don!!!8217;t fix it!!!8217; but maybe that is just me?

MrsSD

P.S. I forgot - quick reply means I need to type out full words not abbreviations

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Vosene had coal tar derivatives in it until they were largely removed from cosmetic products due to it also being a carcinogen.

If you still want the coal tar, you have to look for products that are intended for the treatment of Psoriasis - Polytar, original T-Gel, Psoriderm, that kind of thing.

There's plenty of stuff online about how Pear's Soap has had its formula altered a couple of times, which hasn't gone down well with customers.


No idea about Shield, though, as I haven't used that since it was the only soap available at home, much to the unhappiness of my skin.

TravellingAbuela

This is more produce than products but what has happened to Jersey Royals in recent years? They no longer resemble the tasty little kidney shaped potatoes I used to eagerly anticipate the arrival of every spring when I was a child growing up in the 50's. These days they are not worth the extra pennies as they taste just like any other potato to me!

Brambleberry

Quite a recent one, Aldi dw tablets, same type, but new packaging has fewer "actions", they've lost the GHI accreditation, break easily and they're very definitely not the same - tarnished cutlery now

I suppose they have been upfront with the different packaging, but if it ain't broke, don't "fix" it!

Bathory

No, its not your memory, a lot of soap bars have been reformulated and not for the better. I loved Cussons Pearl back in the 80's/90's because of its fragrance and nowadays, like Imp Leather, it's lost its scent to something that smells kind of stale and is only half the size. I noticed Lux and Camay back on the shelves and purchased them for pure nostalgia - both dried my skin out really badly.

It's the same with perfume and how a lot of it no longer lasts more than half an hour, although I think that is because certain ingrediants are now banned.

bouicca21

Fisherman's Friends - not nearly as powerful as they used to be. formula changed as contained carcinogens.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

Bathory wrote: »

No, its not your memory, a lot of soap bars have been reformulated and not for the better. I loved Cussons Pearl back in the 80's/90's because of its fragrance and nowadays, like Imp Leather, it's lost its scent to something that smells kind of stale and is only half the size. I noticed Lux and Camay back on the shelves and purchased them for pure nostalgia - both dried my skin out really badly.

It's the same with perfume and how a lot of it no longer lasts more than half an hour, although I think that is because certain ingrediants are now banned.

Pearl soap! Now there's a trip down memory lane. My mum and dad always had that when I was a kid. I can remember the smell well.

antrobus

TravellingAbuela wrote: »

This is more produce than products but what has happened to Jersey Royals in recent years? They no longer resemble the tasty little kidney shaped potatoes I used to eagerly anticipate the arrival of every spring when I was a child growing up in the 50's. These days they are not worth the extra pennies as they taste just like any other potato to me!

It might be down to changes in the way they're grown.

At one time farmers used seaweed (Vraic) as a fertiliser., but the practice has declined considerably.