Greetings to all, this review today is on several Defense Soap products. I want to thank Guy Sako for sending me these products along with a pamphlet on skin care and prevention. Everything in this review is available at www.defensesoap.com With no further a due on with the review!
The Mighty Claim: “The natural ingredients in Defense Soap have been clinically proven to destroy MRSA, RINGWORM, STAPH, IMPETIGO, JOCK ITCH, ATHLETES FOOT and even viruses like HERPES”. Hmm we will see about that.
Science of Defense: Defense prides itself on using natural homeopathic ingredients know to be effective in the treatment and prevention of bacterial and viral infections. Defense’s primary ingredients are tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil. Here is an excerpt from Defense’s website about the two ingredients;
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil contains a constituent called terpinen-4-ol that is known t to be responsible for most of tea tree oil's antimicrobial activity. Because tea tree oil can kill bacteria, applying topical tea tree oil to facial lesions has been thought to kill the skin-dwelling bacteria that are involved in causing lesions and acne vugaris.
Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities as a topically applied ingredient. Eucalyptus oil is used in personal hygiene products for antimicrobial properties in dental care and soaps. Eucalyptus oil is recognized by The Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS) which is the official compendium for Homeopathic Drugs in the U.S. HPUS is recognized and monitored by the FDA.
Now one may simply dismiss this information as “Hippie Jive” but you only need to peruse www.defensesoap.com or use your Google machine to find extensive research, testimonies, and historical usage of these ingredients to understand their effectiveness. Or you can take my words in this review as law (preferred method). “Man screw that I’ll just use an Anti-bacterial soap”. There has been a lot of debate about sanitizers and certain anti-bacterial soaps. The main problem being that our skin is covered in our own bacteria that our body creates as protection against your everyday nasties. When you dowse your skin with alcohol based sanitizers sure it kills germs and bacteria but it does not differentiate between good and bad therefore you strip your body’s natural ability to fight them.
The Competition: I am not going to reveal names of the “other products” because my aim is not to put down other companies in skin care realm but to share my true opinion of my experience with them. If you look hard enough I’m sure you can figure out what I was using.
Before trying Defense I was using another well know product. After reading all the information on skin care prevention from Guy, I decided to do a little research on what I had been using. Well I’m still searching! Their website says things like; “Ground breaking, kills 99.99% of bacteria, soothes skin”. That sounds great to me….what the heck is in it? After some digging I came across an unfamiliar ingredient; Benzalkonium here is some info on that ingredient: The applications are extremely wide ranging, from disinfectant formulations, such as being the active ingredient in Dettol (Lysol), to microbial corrosion inhibition in the oilfield sector and a multi-surface mould, algae and moss remover. Benzalkonium is highly toxic to fish, very highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates, moderately toxic to birds, and slightly toxic to mammals. Benzalkonium chloride solutions of 10% or more are toxic to humans, causing irritation to the skin and mucosa, and death if taken internally. Death.....? Well don’t that sound fun!
--The Products I used--
Foam: Barrier Foam is designed to create a shield on your skin to protect you from bacteria. It comes in a 17.5oz can (500g for all you crazy metric users) and in addition to bacteria preventatives Defense foam also contains vitamin E, Aloe, Jojoba, Lanolin, and Wheat Germ to condition your skin and keep it from getting dried out. All you do is shake the can spray some on your hands and rub it on any exposed skin. Defense also recommends putting in on even where your clothing covers, the reasoning is that fabrics that become soaked in sweat trap bacteria and that means you are basically wearing a bacteria shirt…..eeewwww! The foam is thick and has a creamy feel. I would liken it to shaving cream but slightly pliable. It has no real sent to speak of and when rubbed in your skin feels soft but not greasy in any way. I have a full head of hair but I shave it every other day, most know that freshly irritated skin is an invitation for bacteria on the mat. Defense Barrier Foam does not sting or irritate my head or any part of my skin for that matter and it gives me great peace of mind knowing I have and extra layer of protection on my body so I don’t look like a leper. It is available for $16.99 for a 17.5 oz (500g) can, the Competition: $10.99 for 1.7 oz (50ml) Easy choice there!
Bar Soap: This comes in a 4oz bar and has the rich smell of Tea tree and Eucalyptus. For those who are unfamiliar with the smell I would describe it as citrus infused pine. It is usually a like it or don’t scent, fortunately for me I like it. The bar is harder than your run of the mill bar soap and produces slightly less lather, but with a little extra effort it lathers up just fine. The idea is to rub it on your skin and let it work for a few moments before rinsing off. Defense is designed to leave behind some of the “Flora” to allow your body to re-grow and protect itself. It leaves no film or coating feeling after rinsing and does not dry my skin out. The bar is available for $5.99 a bar but becomes cheaper if you buy them by the pack. The Competition: Not available.
Shower Gel: This certified organic shower gel comes in an 8oz bottle and like its solid brother it has a scent of Tea tree and Eucalyptus. The viscous gel is amber in color and has other oils such as olive, coconut, jojoba and aloe in it. The gel is easy to work into lather with the aid of a loofah and like the bar should be left on your skin for a minute or so. It also rinses clean and has not dried my skin after use. The bottle costs $6.99 but like the bars, they become cheaper when bought in packs. The Competition: $11.99 for an 8 oz bottle
Wipes: The skin wipes have the same disease fighting oils as the soaps do only in wipe form. Once again they share the same scent as the bars and gels due to the usage of the same ingredients. There are 40 wipes per bottle and you only need one wipe per use. I rather like this product and think it is especially useful for those whose gym has no shower facilities. Or if you are like me, you have a wife who loves to call you and have you pick up things for her at 20 different stops on the way home. With this I feel safe enough to do so, just give myself a quick whore bath with one of these wipes and I am good to go until I can hit the shower when I finally get home. These wipes don’t irritate or burn in anyway, not even on cuts or scratches. I think these may be my favorite. This is available for $8.99 for a bottle of 40 wipes, and you guessed it cheaper when bought in packs of six. The Competition: Not Available.
Trials and Final Thoughts: I am not really sure why but I have always been susceptible to contracting athletes’ foot and ringworm. Perhaps it is from previous products I was using or maybe I am just a lil’ bitch but since using Defense Soap products for a little over two weeks I am a true believer in their products and ideology. I even went the extra mile for this review and went barefoot in the shower at my gym after a workout. I literally thought my feet were going to fall off and contract some Herpe-gonna-syphyl-aids. But all the credit in the world to Defense because my feet are as clean and infection free as ones can be. I don’t recommend doing this but for the sake of the review I was determined to see just how well these products worked. I gave an extra bar to a friend on the Navy Wrestling team who has had bouts of Impetigo and he absolutely loves it. In addition to that I gave away the rest of the previous skin prevention products that I was using. One thing I did not realize while using the competitions products was that they all claimed to moisturize my skin and not dry it out…..so why was I using a lotion that they make to keep my skin moisturized? “I have been hoodwinked!” Guy Sako of Defense is a stand up dude and anyone who has interacted with him on the forums, I am sure will agree. He regularly gives discounts and hooks people up with his great products. What I believe separates Defense from other companies is a genuine passion for preventative skin care. I have yet to see a company provide so much in depth literature on not only the make-up of their products but an understanding of the infections that they combat. In my experience every Defense product I have used lives up to its claims. This is a great American company whose soap uses 100% all natural anti-microbial ingredients for a great price. I feel so confident about the effectiveness of these products I am going to attempt to dive naked into Charlie Sheen’s dirty bed sheets! In all seriousness I urge you to give Defense soap a try if you have never used it. I really don’t see how anyone who tries these products would not be fully satisfied, oh and if you’re not there is a 100% money back guarantee! You just can’t beat that.
Water is wet.
Defense Soap is the Shit!
Oops, I meant to put this in the MMA and Gear reviews forum, Mods can you move this to that forum? Sorry I suck @ the internet.
3t
Dim Sum Punch - Oops, I meant to put this in the MMA and Gear reviews forum, Mods can you move this to that forum? Sorry I suck @ the internet.
its a good fit on this forum too
Right Forum Asshole!
MIsoldier - I used Defense Soap after some good ol' fashion unprotected sex with a random bar scank and I still caught genital warts. I want a refund and a letter of apology.A womans skeet box is a perticularly nasty place. You should have used some of the barrier foam and I bet you would have been fine!
I used it and still got ringworm several times. Much cheaper to just some antibacterial soap IMO 
Magnum TA
If you used our soap and still got ringworm can you email me at defensesoap@msn.com. We are very serious about our guarantee. We also would like to know a little about your case. There may be something for us to learn from it.
Guy
Defense Soap
In my case it was a few years ago but lots of people got ringworm in that gym who weren't using it as well.
Magnum TA - I used it and still got ringworm several times. Much cheaper to just some antibacterial soap IMO
obvious troll is obvious. antibacterial soap doesn't kill ringworm as it is a fungus
We guarantee our soap even if you are swimming in ringworm. Did they have a shower facility there? How long were the training sessions? Did you buy Defense directly from us? Have yoou ever read any of our articles on prevention?
Sorry for the barrage,
Guy
Defense Soap
btw Guy I got this "antibacterial soap doesn't kill ringworm as it is a fungus" from the info you sent me. Thanks again!
Thanks Team GDP. Glad to see you read the articles. I put a lot of time into them. Hope they helped.
Guy
Defense Soap
Team GDP I am not having problems with it these days and I use regular soap. I used to get it often regardless of what I used.