Is face soap better than other face cleansers (cream, milk)?
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Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:57 pm

I am confused. Some article said that the best way to clean your face is using soap. To me, soap leaves me a dry and tight feeling after washing.

Does anyone know more? Thanks.

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:13 pm

Soap will strip your skin for natural oils and leave it tight and dry. Cleansing cream, cleansing milk or oils are better options to keep the skin soft and hydrated.

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:57 pm

Many articles here on the use of soap. Some people love the "soap" but I think that it strips oils and they put all kinds of products to "hold" the bar together. In my opinion, we do not need to be using that sort of stuff on our faces,

Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:31 pm

I think it depends on the type of soap used..if you wash your face with Zest, then yes it will strip your skin.
I have super dry skin and I do have an array of cleansers/soap, but the ones that I find are the best are pure vegetable glycerin soaps and even castile soap. I've started making my own shampoos/handsoaps/face cleanser with just a few of those ingredients and I'm surprised that my face doesn't feel tight or stingy after using them and they don't make me break out. Many ppl support the use of glycerin soaps and castile soaps over commercial brands that strip out the real soapy goodness. But, i guess it all depends on your skin and what works best for you. What works for me, may not for you.

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:13 pm

It depends, but in general soap is not the way to go. If you want to use a solid bar, I've heard really good thins about the 302 face and body bar.

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:45 pm

It all depends on the soap you use. I've been a soap and water person all my life and am currently using an Olive Oil soap. Have never had a skin problem from using soaps, as long as they are gentle on the skin. I don't use cleansers at all as I never feel "clean" afterwards, but that's just me Smile

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:22 pm

I would only use soap that is design and recommended for face wash. I know a lot of Japanese brand carry a soap that is specific for the face. Japanese believes in soap. So you might have to try a few to find a right one. They also have soap powder too. The better it foams up, the better it cleans (they claim).

free skin care · Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:49 pm

Earth to Body makes an excellent facial soap and I use it every morning. http://www.earthtobody.ca/products/emusoap.cfm

I use the Yonka Gel Nettoyant Cleansing Gel in the evening to remove my makeup.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:57 am

using soap to clean face would me you feel tight and uncomfortable. While using cleansing milk will clean your face and keeping the moisture at the same time.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:25 am

I make my own soap, have been for 2 years, and it is not drying. I use olive and a few other oils including cocoa butter, and my face never dries out. I also use a touch of patchouli, long known for it's healing properties.

I would not use any soaps on the market, because they are drying, unless it was a pure glycerin.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:56 am

Nimue wrote:

It depends, but in general soap is not the way to go. If you want to use a solid bar, I've heard really good thins about the 302 face and body bar.

Nimue is correct. If you think "soap" means all solid bars, that is incorrect. 302 is a solid bar but doesn't contain soap as you normally think of it. It is not a harsh stripping detergent or lye based soap bar. It's a "syndet" bar. It will not strip the skin. Leaves it soft and smooth and is not overly foamy or fragranced like most face soaps. I have not heard of many people who cannot tolerate this bar. It's a wonderful bar to cleanse and treat with.

Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:02 am

Thank you all.
I have been using Clarins gentle foaming cleanser for years, quite like it. BTW, my skin is dry.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:05 am

Cetaphil is good, no soap in it. I don't use it to take makeup off, though. I don't think it gets it off your face well enough.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 11:16 am

boski wrote:

Nimue wrote:

It depends, but in general soap is not the way to go. If you want to use a solid bar, I've heard really good thins about the 302 face and body bar.

Nimue is correct. If you think "soap" means all solid bars, that is incorrect. 302 is a solid bar but doesn't contain soap as you normally think of it. It is not a harsh stripping detergent or lye based soap bar. It's a "syndet" bar. It will not strip the skin. Leaves it soft and smooth and is not overly foamy or fragranced like most face soaps. I have not heard of many people who cannot tolerate this bar. It's a wonderful bar to cleanse and treat with.

All soap uses lye, including the 302 solid bar, w/o lye you wouldn't have soap, just a puddle of oil and water. Very Happy

This includes liquid soaps.

These are the ingredients for the 302 bar, Ingredients
Sodium palmitate/cocoate, kosher glycerine from corn, avocado extracts, methyl glucose ester, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, pentasodium penetate, tetrasodium edtidronate (TDTA), peppermint oil

I don't use palm oil soaps on my face, too harsh for me.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:01 pm

zyggy wrote:

All soap uses lye, including the 302 solid bar, w/o lye you wouldn't have soap, just a puddle of oil and water. Very Happy

This includes liquid soaps.

These are the ingredients for the 302 bar, Ingredients
Sodium palmitate/cocoate, kosher glycerine from corn, avocado extracts, methyl glucose ester, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, pentasodium penetate, tetrasodium edtidronate (TDTA), peppermint oil

I don't use palm oil soaps on my face, too harsh for me.

Hi zyggy,

I didn't see "lye" or sodium hydroxide in their ingredients, so I assumed that it wasn't there. Which ingredient is the lye component? This soap isn't harsh at all, even on the most sensitive skin.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 12:13 pm

boski wrote:

zyggy wrote:

All soap uses lye, including the 302 solid bar, w/o lye you wouldn't have soap, just a puddle of oil and water. Very Happy

This includes liquid soaps.

These are the ingredients for the 302 bar, Ingredients
Sodium palmitate/cocoate, kosher glycerine from corn, avocado extracts, methyl glucose ester, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, pentasodium penetate, tetrasodium edtidronate (TDTA), peppermint oil

I don't use palm oil soaps on my face, too harsh for me.

Hi zyggy,

I didn't see "lye" or sodium hydroxide in their ingredients, so I assumed that it wasn't there. Which ingredient is the lye component? This soap isn't harsh at all, even on the most sensitive skin.

Through a process called saponification, lye mixes with the oils to create a new chemical, Sodium palmitate/cocoate, when you see the word Sodium, you know that lye was used.

I have several friends with extremely sensitive skin,and the soap I make is the only soap they will use. I had laser resurfacing down 3 months ago, and the only soap I have been using on my face is my own. It is extremely low in Palmtic acid. Just by looking at the ingredient list of the 302 bar, I know my face would not be able to handle it.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:05 pm

This is confusing. Sometimes I find that soap (like Dove) helps when I have acne. It tends to clean my face really well. Plus it also dries up the pimples. However, I can see how it would strip the skin's natural oils after repeated use. So I would alter between natural cleansing products (Dr.Hauscka milk and cream cleanser) and soap. So far it seems to be working.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:15 pm

anya wrote:

It all depends on the soap you use. I've been a soap and water person all my life and am currently using an Olive Oil soap. Have never had a skin problem from using soaps, as long as they are gentle on the skin. I don't use cleansers at all as I never feel "clean" afterwards, but that's just me Smile

Anya,

I feel that cleansers leave a residue on my skin, too, and normally use baby bath or baby shampoo, which removes my sunblock efficiently. Do you wear any greasy stuff like make-up and sunblock, and if so is Olive Oil soap effective at getting it off? My father uses Olive Oil soap and he has great skin.

Cheers, Loulou Smile

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:15 pm

zyggy wrote:

boski wrote:

zyggy wrote:

All soap uses lye, including the 302 solid bar, w/o lye you wouldn't have soap, just a puddle of oil and water. Very Happy

This includes liquid soaps.

These are the ingredients for the 302 bar, Ingredients
Sodium palmitate/cocoate, kosher glycerine from corn, avocado extracts, methyl glucose ester, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, pentasodium penetate, tetrasodium edtidronate (TDTA), peppermint oil

I don't use palm oil soaps on my face, too harsh for me.

Hi zyggy,

I didn't see "lye" or sodium hydroxide in their ingredients, so I assumed that it wasn't there. Which ingredient is the lye component? This soap isn't harsh at all, even on the most sensitive skin.

Through a process called saponification, lye mixes with the oils to create a new chemical, Sodium palmitate/cocoate, when you see the word Sodium, you know that lye was used.

I have several friends with extremely sensitive skin,and the soap I make is the only soap they will use. I had laser resurfacing down 3 months ago, and the only soap I have been using on my face is my own. It is extremely low in Palmtic acid. Just by looking at the ingredient list of the 302 bar, I know my face would not be able to handle it.

Hi zyggy:

I asked Dr Huber (the director and formulator for 302) for an explanation about the 302 Face and Body bar, because I wanted to make sure how it was processed. Here is his reply. I was wrong about it being a "syndet" bar. I hope this clarifies things for everybody.

Hi Nancy,
Just back in the Lab (on Friday!). Hope you are well.

True soaps, like Ivory use lye and react it with oils to produce soap. I don’t know of anyone doing that, except cranky boutiques and Ivory. Tom’s of Maine used to make a true soap and then got away from it, much too drying.

All ‘soaps’ made today are either syndet bars which combine detergents and oils and tend to be defatting and drying, or natural bars (ours) which are esters ( oils reacted with salts ) the resulting base is what provides the cleansing and foaming. These bars are usually more expensive to produce and it is surprising how different the bases can be even though they have the same technical name. All sodium palmitate/cocoate bases are most definitely not alike.

We go a step further and add our avocado extract and the other items –BTW we use this in burn clinics on third degree burns and for dermatitis patients – so its mildness is clinically recognized.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:10 pm

boski wrote:

zyggy wrote:

boski wrote:

zyggy wrote:

All soap uses lye, including the 302 solid bar, w/o lye you wouldn't have soap, just a puddle of oil and water. Very Happy

This includes liquid soaps.

These are the ingredients for the 302 bar, Ingredients
Sodium palmitate/cocoate, kosher glycerine from corn, avocado extracts, methyl glucose ester, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, pentasodium penetate, tetrasodium edtidronate (TDTA), peppermint oil

I don't use palm oil soaps on my face, too harsh for me.

Hi zyggy,

I didn't see "lye" or sodium hydroxide in their ingredients, so I assumed that it wasn't there. Which ingredient is the lye component? This soap isn't harsh at all, even on the most sensitive skin.

Through a process called saponification, lye mixes with the oils to create a new chemical, Sodium palmitate/cocoate, when you see the word Sodium, you know that lye was used.

I have several friends with extremely sensitive skin,and the soap I make is the only soap they will use. I had laser resurfacing down 3 months ago, and the only soap I have been using on my face is my own. It is extremely low in Palmtic acid. Just by looking at the ingredient list of the 302 bar, I know my face would not be able to handle it.

Hi zyggy:

I asked Dr Huber (the director and formulator for 302) for an explanation about the 302 Face and Body bar, because I wanted to make sure how it was processed. Here is his reply. I was wrong about it being a "syndet" bar. I hope this clarifies things for everybody.

Hi Nancy,
Just back in the Lab (on Friday!). Hope you are well.

True soaps, like Ivory use lye and react it with oils to produce soap. I don’t know of anyone doing that, except cranky boutiques and Ivory. Tom’s of Maine used to make a true soap and then got away from it, much too drying.

All ‘soaps’ made today are either syndet bars which combine detergents and oils and tend to be defatting and drying, or natural bars (ours) which are esters ( oils reacted with salts ) the resulting base is what provides the cleansing and foaming. These bars are usually more expensive to produce and it is surprising how different the bases can be even though they have the same technical name. All sodium palmitate/cocoate bases are most definitely not alike.

We go a step further and add our avocado extract and the other items –BTW we use this in burn clinics on third degree burns and for dermatitis patients – so its mildness is clinically recognized.

Boski, what he didn't tell you, or didn't explain is that the 302 bar started out made with lye and from there they added other ingredients. He even said they use a base and add from there.

I'm not trying to start an argument, but the term "sodium palmitate/cocoate" is the chemical term for palm oil, water and lye combined. Once it goes through a chemical change there is no lye left.

Like I said before, soap has to have either sodium hydoxide (lye) or potassium hydroxide as the catayst to make soap, the later makes liquid soap.

My soaps are superfatted by 5%, what that means is the extra oils I use are are still in the soap, and the amount of lye used is not able to chemcially change that 5%, leaving my bars moisturizing and non drying.

Confusing huh? Shock

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:46 pm

Hi zyggy,

I don't want to start an argument either. I certainly do not have the knowledge you do about soapmaking. All I can say is that I like the 302 Face and Body soap. It's unlike any other soap I've ever used and will never stop using it.

The original point I wanted to make was that, not all solid bars are "soap" which will dry and strip your skin. You really need to look at the ingredients. I think we both agree on that point.

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:02 pm

Quote:

Anya,

I feel that cleansers leave a residue on my skin, too, and normally use baby bath or baby shampoo, which removes my sunblock efficiently. Do you wear any greasy stuff like make-up and sunblock, and if so is Olive Oil soap effective at getting it off? My father uses Olive Oil soap and he has great skin.

Cheers, Loulou Smile

Hi Loulou!
Yes, I wear layers of skin care products + sunscreen + mineral makeup and I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels as I do about cleansers Very Happy

Any time I've used cleansers and applied toner afterwards, I've found residual makeup on the cotton pad I've used - not so, when I use plain old soap and water! I use Néolia Olive Oil soap and it leaves my skin clean and soft. Here's a link to their website
http://boutiqueneolia.com/soap.php

HTH!

free skin care · Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:03 pm

boski wrote:

Hi zyggy,

I don't want to start an argument either. I certainly do not have the knowledge you do about soapmaking. All I can say is that I like the 302 Face and Body soap. It's unlike any other soap I've ever used and will never stop using it.

The original point I wanted to make was that, not all solid bars are "soap" which will dry and strip your skin. You really need to look at the ingredients. I think we both agree on that point.

All solid bars are soap. But what we grew up with and used in the past are drying because all the natural occuring glycerin is removed and the term "soap" has become a scary name.

The 302 bar is soap with added ingredients and is considered a superfatted soap since glycerin was added back into the finished soap.

I would never expect you to change products, but I wanted you to know that all soaps of course are not created equal. Some are far superior than others, and I'm sure your 302 bar is one of them.

The soap I make comes with all the natural glycerin. And I'll send you a bar if you are comfortable with that. My treat.

free skin care · Sat Jul 26, 2008 2:48 am

anya wrote:

Quote:

Anya,

I feel that cleansers leave a residue on my skin, too, and normally use baby bath or baby shampoo, which removes my sunblock efficiently. Do you wear any greasy stuff like make-up and sunblock, and if so is Olive Oil soap effective at getting it off? My father uses Olive Oil soap and he has great skin.

Cheers, Loulou Smile

Hi Loulou!
Yes, I wear layers of skin care products + sunscreen + mineral makeup and I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels as I do about cleansers Very Happy

Any time I've used cleansers and applied toner afterwards, I've found residual makeup on the cotton pad I've used - not so, when I use plain old soap and water! I use Néolia Olive Oil soap and it leaves my skin clean and soft. Here's a link to their website
http://boutiqueneolia.com/soap.php

HTH!

Anya, thanks so much for your advice and for the link Cool

I'm going to order some now (and extra for my dad!)

I know exactly what you mean about the toner... if I use it after cleanser the pad looks grimy, after washing there are only bits of towel on it!

Thanks again,

Loulou Smile

free skin care · Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:01 am

zyggy wrote:

I would never expect you to change products, but I wanted you to know that all soaps of course are not created equal.

I totally agree with that point Very Happy

. Though I'm not going to stop using 302 F/B, I'm not adverse to adding new products from time to time. I'm always on the lookout for natural inexpensive products that work.

Do you sell your soap? We could do a soap swap. (BTW, I'm extremely acne prone, so let me know if your soap is okay for oily skin types). I'll send you a little sample of the 302 and you send me some of yours. PM me with your address if you are interested Smile

.

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