Which should you use between a shower gel or solid bar soap?

Soap bar is gradually making its return to our bathrooms and powder rooms. Ecological, durable, healthy and above all pleasant, soap has enjoyed unparalleled enthusiasm since the appearance of apps that make it possible to scan the dangerousness of the content of conventional care.

Left behind in favor of shower gels, bar soap is enjoying a resurgence in popularity for its many benefits. Ecological, practical, durable, economical, zero waste and above all effective, soap bar has all the natural benefits that we lend it. Let's first compare these cleansing treatments to get a better idea of what to choose.

The comparisons of shower gels and soap bars:

The shower gel and the soap bar differ a lot in their compositions and in their creation . Where a solid soap will be obtained from saponification, the shower gel will be on one side of the soap elongated with water and then provided with products often obtained from chemistry, see petrochemicals.

Looking at the composition of a shower gel and the long list of what it is made of, we often see a long list and many products from the petrochemical industry. Formaldehydes, Sulfates (chemical and cheap foaming agent), MIT (short for methylchloroisothiazolinone - preservative), BHT and BHA (controversial preservatives), EDTA, mineral oils - paraffin (from petrochemicals), allergens, quaternary ammonium, triclosa, the list irritants, suspected of being carcinogenic and test pattern is long and you will often find some on the INCI list of your shower gels.

A soap bar has, in most cases, a formula with few ingredients and usually 100% natural. Made with soda and vegetable oil, what will differentiate it will be essential oils or even clay which can be added.

It is thus clear, that it is much healthier to use an (organic ) soap bar to wash than using a shower gel, even organic. However, remain vigilant on the compositions.

Tip : The INCI list is in order of the quantity of its composition. If you see a virtue of an ingredient on the packaging and it ends up at the bottom of the list, don't count on it.

A soap bar is better for your skin

We often hear that soap bar is unpleasant because it pulls on the skin. Quite the opposite, and someone who washes with a bar of soap will tell you that. A soap bar or a cold saponified soap devoid of (or with) essential oils will be ultra gentle on the skin. Rich in glycerin, it is hydrating and will soften the skin while cleaning your hydrolipidic film. Be careful, however, to take a palm oil free soap bar to make sure you don't contribute to deforestation.

Moreover if you take a cold soap bar (SAF), you will have the advantage of benefit from an additional over-lubrication which allows the most complicated and fragile skins to have no reaction.

Soap bar is preservative-free and is used for longer

It may sound counterintuitive, but soap bars lasts longer than liquid soap, although it does not contain any preservatives (usually parabens). The reason is, however, simple. Without water, a solid soap does not need stabilizing elements to preserve it unlike a conventional liquid care. It is thus much more ecological and healthy.

A soap bar is a long-lasting care

The beauty industry has orchestrated its product well. Tubes of shower gel are rarely longer than a month. This means that you regularly return to the store to buy more. A hard, well-maintained soap can last up to three months for a single person. Which at the economic level translates into substantial savings.

Tip : Place it on a soap dish after each use, so that it air dries without melting in contact with water

Zero waste is trending

Although partly recyclable, shower gel bottles require a significant amount of raw materials to produce. In addition, the capacity of the shower gels is not at all zero waste, given some products in the formula. A solid bar soap will be almost zero waste, with the exception of potential cardboard packaging. However, they can be purchased in bulk and almost all packaging (except plastic) is compostable. Their formula protects waterways and is completely biodegradable. Leaving no trace in nature, they protect flora and fauna.

Shower gel or soap?

Although it turns out that a bar of soap has many advantages over its liquid counterpart, you still have to be able to choose the soap according to your skin. For this, there are many different types of soap. Let's take a look at the most common soaps to see which ones you should be aiming for:

• Marseille soap : Contrary to popular belief, this type of soap does not have to be produced in Marseille. It corresponds to a hot soap manufacturing methodology. Composed of vegetable oil and soda, Marseille soap at an exact amount of 72% vegetable oil . Put in a cooking pot, this soap will be ready to use at the end of cooking. However, it is strongly recommended to let it dry a little before.

• Aleppo Soap : Unlike Marseille soap, Aleppo soap is a recipe and a geographical origin of production. Since 2011, for a soap to be stamped "Aleppo" it must be produced in the Syrian metropolitan area. Its recipe requires it to be based on olive oil, bay laurel oil and soda. This hot soap will need to dry for several months and is recognizable by its brown color on the outside and green on the inside. It is recognized to be an ideal soap for the most delicate skin!

• Mild bar of soap : Rising star of soaps, this soap is a protector and nourishes the most delicate skin. Hot or cold saponified, surgras solid soap is so named for its excess of vegetable oil which will not have been saponified by soda. This excess natural fat allows the soap to be even gentler than a standard solid soap and will be a maximum moisturizer for your skin. This soap is therefore perfect for the face and it is even an excellent soap for the body.

Tip : To find out if a soap is mild bar of soap, just read the INCI list. Its vegetable oil will be marked twice. Once in a plant version and once in a saponified version. Sunflower oil will appear under "Sodium sunflowerseedate" and "Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil".

• Ayurvedic soap : Mainly composed of coconut oil, this soap comes directly from traditional Indian medicine (called Ayurveda). This very rich soap is then mixed with several traditional and medicinal plants to give it the restorative function that we want to give it.

• The syndet : Dermatological bar is a soap created without saponification. It corresponds to the acidity of the skin (Ph 5) and can be organic. It falls under the category of soaps because it contains surfactants, allowing it to clean. It is soap without soap.

• Shower gel : A shower gel will vary, but all are made up between 85% and 90% water. The rest of the formula is based on soap and several petrochemical products. They all contain preservatives or the solution will rot inside the bottle.

A popular belief is that if it does not foam, it does not wash. Which is wrong. There is no connection between the foam and the washing effect. If a product foams a lot, it is because it contains a lot of detergents. An aggressive product that will pull on the skin precisely. A soap should be chosen according to your skin but in general, it should be taken as neutral as possible. With so many choices and so many differences, it’s not abnormal not to find your way around. Which soap should you choose according to your skin?

Which soap is right for my skin type?

• Soap for delicate or sensitive skin : Many dermatologists agree on the fact of favoring a neutral mild bar of soap or a soap without soap for sensitive skin. Cleansing the hydrolipidic film, it will also hydrate your skin, which will have a soothing effect.

• Soap for normal skin : The great thing about normal skin is that you can go with any soap without having to worry. To take maximum care of your skin and avoid shiny skin or skin with dilated pores, opt for a soap with purifying and vasoconstricting properties.

• Soap for oily skin : The best type of soap for cleansing oily skin is alcohol-free, soap-free soap. It is therefore necessary to opt for a syndet or a surgras bio naturel. The softer and more non-stripping the soap, the less attacked the skin will be, which will prevent it from producing sebum.

• Soap for mature skin and tired skin : Aleppo soap will be your ally and will provide complete care for mature skin. Its excess fat helps to reconstitute the hydrolipidic film and prevents dehydration. The antiseptic contribution of Aleppo soap will help skin that has become vulnerable to external aggressions. The hydration will have a nourishing effect and its vegetable oils will make your skin soft.

• Soap for dry or atopic skin : A superfatted soap with nourishing natural oils for coconut oil or shea butter oil. Avoid essential oils, as the delicacy of the skin can trigger a reaction. In short, a rich and neutral soap will be ideal.

• Soap for sensitive skin and baby skin : Very similar to dry skin, it is necessary to opt for a surgras soap with natural oils without any essential oil. Clémence and Vivien have therefore developed the Chérubin superfatted soap, ideal for a newborn baby.

Soap bar Winner!

Ecological, sustainable, zero waste and healthy, soap bar has all the advantages of what is needed in its zero waste bathroom. Whether it is for your body, your face or even your hair, you can use a soap bar. The little soap has a bright future ahead of it and it is clearly more profitable, economically speaking, to opt for a bar of soap than a shower gel.