I was fresh out of a 90-minute Zumba-thon at the Orokowa Y in Towson when I discovered B-Dirty soap. By “fresh,” I mean that my sweat-soaked hair was matted to my head and my legs were wobbly from more than an hour of salsa, bachata and reggaeton to raise money for the YMCA’s summer camp scholarship fund.
Basically, I stunk and needed a shower.
There, at the smoothie counter, was a display for B-Dirty soap—and unlike me—it smelled good. Made with Epsom salt to rid toxins from your body and menthol to increase blood flow to your muscles, B-Dirty soap is designed to help you recover more quickly from your workout.
“I was inspired to create it because when lifting weights I would take Epsom salt baths after to help stop soreness and recover. But some days I didn’t have the time to draw a bath,” says Anthony Zangara, the Bel Air-based entrepreneur behind the product.
That’s when he decided to create a soap, testing 30 to 40 sample batches over a period of 18 months before finding the right combination of ingredients. Each batch of soap takes six to eight weeks to make.
I tried a bar of Ironman’s Charcoal and liked the natural smell it left on my skin. (Some of the other bars are called Eucalifthis Mint and Lumberjack’s Lavender – great names for soap-buying at the Y and not at a Bath & Body Works.) The soap also felt cleaner and lighter than my usual it’s-on-sale-at-the-supermarket bar.
I soaped up with the charcoal bar after my regular Wednesday night Zumba class and my Sunday a.m. walk with my neighbor and her dog. I did feel better, more invigorated, after using it. Also, I liked that the scent, while distinct, didn’t overpower any body lotion or perfume I used after showering.
While the soap is actually made in the Colorado Rockies, where Zangara’s partner is located, it is available here at several locations in Harford County, a few Charm City Runs/Vita locations and at Quikshakes in Arnold, Towson and Abingdon. It also can be found online at bedirtystayclean.com.
