Why Bar Soap Is No Good For Your Face

If you’re a newbie to skincare, the first thing you should know is not to wash your face with bar soap. Your face needs something much gentler. While not all bar soaps are harsh, a good number of them really are.

Most bar soaps have a pH that’s highly alkaline and actually dries out your skin. Read on to understand why bar soap is no good for your face.

What Is Bar Soap Anyway

Bar soap is typically any solid soap shaped usually in rectangular or oval shapes. Bar soaps are a simple combination of oils and fats with a strong alkaline solution. 

Ofcourse, there are bar soaps specially formulated with moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and good for your face-but the old school ones are packed with dyes, fragrances and harsh surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate.

Bar soaps can be great for their lathering effect and ability to remove grime, dirt, and cleanse particularly oily skin, but it’s important to look out for the harmful ingredients present in most bar soaps that may instead be ruining your skin.

What harmful ingredients does bar soap have and what do they do?

To understand why bar soap is no good for your face, you need to analyze the ingredients that are present in bar soap. Most bars of soap contain long-chain fatty acid alkali salts with a high pH of around 9-10, along with detergents. These help cleanse the skin but can also disrupt its normal pH.

pH (power of hydrogen) is the measure of how acidic or alkaline something is. Normal, healthy skin has a pH of around 5 or even lower. Old school bar soaps can have a pH of up to 12. A pH that high can be too drying and stripping for your facial skin.

When your acid mantle and skin barrier are compromised in this way, it can encourage bacteria, which causes acne and drying, which leads to wrinkles.

Other harmful ingredients include sodium lauryl sulfate as well as parabens which can irritate and dry out your skin as well.

What Should You Use For Your Face Then?

Being that your face has more sensitive skin compared to the rest of your body, it’s important to use something that’s gentler and most importantly, non-stripping.

There are several solid soap options available that are gentle on skin, such as our very own Shea Face and Body Soap. It’s made with moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter, castor oil and coconut oil, and free from harsh surfactants.

We also recommend choosing a liquid cleanser specifically formulated for facial skin. This can be a better way to cleanse your skin.

Livara’s got just what you need. The Pearl Facial Cleanser is a gentle moisturizing organic formulation you can use for your face and trust not to dry it out. Use it hand in hand with the Pearl Skin Toner for some amazing results!

Takeaway

Yes, not all bar soaps are bad, but fact remains that a good number of them actually are. With their high pH and harsh chemicals, they can leave your skin looking dry and even acne prone. If you ever choose to use one, look out for the ingredients.

Opt for soaps with moisturizing ingredients like plant oils and glycerin and avoid those with harmful chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate, added scents, fragrances and dyes. Otherwise, liquid cleansers are highly recommended for use on your face.

Remember, your face is a gem and you shouldn’t be using something that’s too harsh for it. Livara is here to give your face the tender loving care it deserves.