Soap Cleansing, Yes or No? Which Soap is Good for Face Wash?

by bb on Aug 24, 2018

*If you want to see details of the product or shop the featured item straight from the article while reading it, click onto the image of the product or the name of the product. You can also check out the products in the featured product section below :)When we think of using bar soap on the face, it’s easy to “cringe” at the concept as bar soaps have been known for their extremely drying effects on the body. However, in this day and age, bar soaps have become extremely popular to use on the face due to their simple, natural, and neutralizing capabilities. Of course, this is limited to only bar soaps that are designed for use on the face. So, before you grab your hotel bar soap and start lathering your face with it, let’s take a little glance at which soap is good for face cleansing and which is not!

Which Soap Is Good For Face Wash

Cleansing gels are the most common and most popular forms of face wash on the market. They have been around for years, are easy to find and come in a wide variety. Although popular, gel cleansers are recently being phased out due to their use of harsh chemicals and artificial additives. For example “surfactants”, “Alcohols”, and foaming agents that strip the skin of its protective layer, causing an increase in the skins acidity that goes beyond ideal levels. Although cleansing gels might work for some, they often are the cause to major skin concerns that go unresolved as we commonly do not assume our cleansers are the root of our problems.

Common Skin Reactions to Gel Cleansers

- Inflammation- Acne- Sudden Breakouts- Sensitivity- Excessive OilThese reactions occur on the skin due to the pH of the skin being too low or in other terms, too acidic. This often is the side effect caused by common gel cleansers as they tend to be formulated with harsh chemicals that are more acidic with a lower pH level ranging from 0 to 4. If you feel your skin is suffering from the conditions listed above, then your cleanser might be the root cause of overly acidic skin.

So, what does this have to do with Bar soaps?

The thing that makes bar soaps the latest rage in cleansing is the fact that they are more alkaline with a higher pH level, making them ideal for counteracting those who suffer with acidic skin conditions. You often will find bar soaps advertised for fighting acne, reducing oil while providing rich moisturizing effects. This is because bar soaps can contain minimal ingredients that are natural while their alkalinity balances out excessive oil.Although these soaps are on the alkaline side by nature with a pH of 8 and higher, they generally can be used by any skin type due to how gentle they are on the skin. Many mainstream beauty brands such as “Lush” and “Drunk Elephant” have hopped on the bar soap bandwagon. Believe it or not, western brands are actually behind on this skincare trend as it has been widely popular in South Korea for a multitude of years now!

Our Favorite Bar Soaps for the Face

So, our answer to “which soap is good for face wash?” is to find a bar soap instead of your classic gel cleanser! We suggest seeking a bar soap that caters to your current skin concerns. This choice can either be a bar soap that focuses on unclogging the pores and treating acne, or a bar soap that keeps the skin clear and clean while moisturizing simultaneously.

Our Picks!

Of course, when it comes to which soap is good for face wash, we love minimal and natural soaps. For our top picks, we can’t help but recommend the Klairs brand as it is the embodiment of minimal and natural.Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Charcoal SoapComing in as our No.1 bar soap for the face is the Klairs charcoal soap! This bar soap has quickly risen to the top ranks as one of the best sellers from Klairs. Containing ingredients such as black sugar, cocoa seed butter, jojoba oil to hydrate, soothe and nourish the skin while natural activated charcoal pulls excess dirt and oil from deep within the pores. This completely natural bar soap is the ultimate gentle oil and pore caring bar soap for not only oily skin types, but all skin types that need a little more help when it comes to pores.Klairs Be Clean Natural Face SoapComing in as our No.2 bar soap for the face is the Klairs Be Clean Natural Face Soap. Although alkaline, this bar soap is jam packed with moisturizing ingredients to nourish dry skin, whilst deeply cleansing at the same time. One of the key ingredients of this soap that makes it more than just a cleansing and moisturizing bar soap for the face is the inclusion of Calamine, which is a natural pink powder with intensive skin calming and anti-inflammatory properties. If you have ever had the “Chickenpox” as a child, then you may remember being lathered in “pink lotion” to stop the itching and swelling, well that my friends was Calamine! The formulation of this bar soap for face usage makes it ideal for those with combination dry skin that still needs a deep cleanse that reduces skin irritation.So, if you’ve been using a gel cleanser for years and still feel your skin suffers with excessive oil production, then it might be time to switch over to a natural bar soap instead!