I am glad that people are more aware of the skin cleaning step and try to avoid the traditional bar soaps. Bar soaps do have been improved a lot these years but they have some problems that are intrinsic in the process of making the soap a bar. If you are a fan of bar soaps, you might want to reconsider your choice after knowing the following reasons why bar soaps should be avoided.
Bar soaps usually have a powerful cleaning ability but overusing them may eliminate the protective layer of the skin. Nowadays, we see some so-called beauty bars that may be enriched in glycerol, fatty acids or oils. These can leave the skin softer than ordinary bar soaps. But this is like compensating the over-cleaning by using some emollients. Then why not avoid over-cleaning at the first place? Actually, this is relatively a small problem compared with an intrinsic problem with the process of making the soap a bar — it can increase the skin pH when it is used.
Some people argue that some soaps today are gentle and neutral, and they are not alkali. I have to agree with that. But the problem is not the pH of the bar soaps but the saponification process which makes the soap a bar. This process is reversible. When a bar soap is used, this reversion can happen and result in a high pH (about 10). Since the skin pH is about 5, this can lead to pH increase in the skin lasting for up to two hours. It is believed the pH increase in skin can lead to increased bacterial growth.
[…] or salicylic acid gel to be touch-dry before applying Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector. Avoid bar soaps so that your skin pH is not too high. Olay Foaming Face Wash, Sensitive is a very good facial […]