Are you searching for a new soap to replace your usual one? It’s time to give your skin a fantastic soap-free experience now that it’s time for a change. While the phrase “soap-free” may be perplexing to some, it is becoming more popular among people who care about their skincare.
A soap-free cleanser is not the same as other soaps. In this post, we’ll discuss how soap and soap-free bars differ from each other and why soap-free is precisely what your skin needs.
What’s So Bad About Soap?
Surfactants, or surface-active chemicals, are used in soaps to cleanse the skin or produce foam. These substances surround dirt and oil particles and break them down, allowing water to wash them away.
Surfactants may be excellent at cleaning out all the grime that blocks our pores and makes us feel unclean, but they also remove all the nutrients required for moisturized, healthy skin.
Soap might make your skin feel a little dry. Chemical surfactants remove the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) from our skin, making it feel dry. Our NMF is composed of water-soluble chemicals that are responsible for ensuring adequate moisture in the skin. If we don’t get enough water, our skin loses its ability to retain moisture, resulting in dry skin, sensitivity, and inflammatory dermatitis.
On the other hand, chemical surfactants over-hydrate the protein cells that make up the stratum corneum – the outermost layer of your skin. As a result, other soap components can better penetrate the stratum corneum because they swell. They can also become infected in the skin’s subcutaneous layer, where they hide and feed on blood vessels. They may then cause itching and discomfort there.
It’s also thought that chemical surfactants harm lipids in the stratum corneum, causing fat loss from the skin. Our skin begins to age if we don’t have enough fat!
Like all other synthetic detergents or soaps, chemical surfactants have a high pH (about 10), which can cause an imbalance with the skin’s natural pH of 5.5. Your skin may be susceptible to irritation and infection when exposed to such an alkaline substance, including acne.
What’s a Soap-free Cleanser?
“soap-free” refers to a product’s absence of fats and alkaline ingredients. Bars and cleansers are available in the market that does not include soap chemicals. They employ nonionic surfactants derived from natural sources, such as plants, rather than chemical surfactants that may harm your skin.
Soaps are utilized to cleanse your skin of dust and pollutants, as you know. Soap-free cleansers and bars perform the task rather well. These soap-free cleansers contain more humectants and moisturizers than regular soaps. They’re lovely for keeping your skin smooth and healthy.
How a soap-free cleanser works
Soaps aren’t the only substances that can perform this function, however. They’re actually a tiny subset of a larger category of surfactants. Surfactants are chemical compounds that function on the surface of two media, much like detergents. “surfactant” is a misnomer; it should be a “surface active agent.” This is where it gets tricky. All you need to know is that the essential component of a terrarium is water, which will be combined with any sort of oil or other liquid/liquid combination.
How do I know if a cleanser is a ‘soap-free cleanser’?
In most cases, the package contains all of the information you need. Check the label first if you’re purchasing a bar or a cleanser. Is it soap-free? The label should reveal this information. What can you do if a label doesn’t say “soap-free,” or you simply want to double-check the ingredients list yourself? Soaps have very low solubility, usually found in a solid bar form. Remember, soaps are anionic surfactants, so the first step is to determine the prefix (sodium or potassium) and suffix (-ate). Soaps are named based on the oil or fat produced; for example, sodium olivate is made when olive oil is subjected to sodium hydroxide. Tallow is converted to sodium tallowate. Sodium cocoate is produced from coconut oil. If your product has such surfactants, it’s unlikely to include surfactants.
Reasons Why You Should Start Using Soap Free Cleanser For Skin
According to a scientific study, Soap is essentially a robust alkali solution utilized for cleaning. Most of the time, Soap comprises sodium hydroxide, natural fats and oils. Soap also cleanses by surrounding the oil on your skin and making it simpler to wash away with water. So, in conclusion, soap solutions aid in the removal of natural oils from the skin.
They are not made with a powerful alkaline solution but with a combination of fats and alkaline additives. As a result, soap-free cleansers have emulsifying properties that help to remove dirt and oil from the skin, allowing for more thorough cleaning. Also, soap-free goods are less likely to induce skin problems than those that include soaps.
Packed with skin-loving ingredients
The best part about a soap-free face wash is that it uses better components to replace the ‘soap.’ The ingredients include vitamin E, pro-vitamin B, and triple-filtered water to calm and hydrate your skin. Check the ingredient list for sodium or potassium names that start with ‘Na’ and end in ‘ate,’ such as Sodium Gluconate, to see whether a face wash is free of soaps.
Soap Is A Skin Care Foe
Aside from the primary components of Soap, there are a few more reasons why you should not use it. The healthy pH level of the skin is 5.5, which means that it is neither too basic nor too alkaline. Soap-based cleansers have a pH of 9-10, which is why they harm the skin’s natural balance and damage it to the cellular level, triggering acne or blemishes.
On the other side, soap-free cleansers assist in maintaining skin neutrality by providing the ideal balance of acids and bases as required by the skin.
Soaps May Cause Itching
If your Soap is irritating or itching you, there’s a possibility it’s the cause. Soaps tend to dehydrate your skin and remove its natural oils during washing. They can also cause redness, irritation, and dryness in your skin. You should avoid washing your face with soaps if you have oily skin since soaps can remove the oil that protects against bacteria, resulting in acne and blocked pores.
On the other side, soap-free cleansers don’t remove your skin’s moisture, are very soothing, and leave your acid mantle unharmed.
Even Soap Free Cleansers Give A Good Lather
If you’re thinking about switching to soap-free cleansers, you might be concerned that you’ll have to give up the lather. Not really. Soap-free cleansers provide a wonderful lather as well. It feels like my usual bar of Soap.
Soap Free Cleansers Help Moisturise
Soap-free cleansers on the market are mostly made up of herbs and natural substances, which is why they function as excellent moisturizers while nourishing your skin’s layers.
Conclusion:
Overall, soap-free cleansers have many benefits for the skin. They are gentle and hydrating and can be a good choice for people with sensitive skin. They can also benefit people with dry or oily skin, as they will not strip away natural oils and moisture from the skin. If you are looking for a product packed with skin-loving ingredients that will not dry out your skin, then a soap-free cleanser is an excellent option.
References:
Myers D, editor. An Overview of Surfactant Science and Technology. In: Surfactant Science and Technology, 3rd Edition. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2006. page 1–28.
Gecol H. The Basic Theory. In: Farn RJ, editor. Chemistry and Technology of Surfactants. Oxford ; Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell; 2006. page 24–45.
Hibbs J. Anionic Surfactants. In: Farn RJ, editor. Chemistry and Technology of Surfactants. Oxford ; Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell; 2006. page 91–132.
Gadberry FJ. Cationics. In: Farn RJ, editor. Chemistry and Technology of Surfactants. Oxford ; Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell; 2006. page 153–66.
Hepworth P. Non-ionic Surfactants. In: Farn RJ, editor. Chemistry and Technology of Surfactants. Oxford ; Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell; 2006. page 133–52.
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